forced to make decisions and institute treatment thereon without sufficient basis or study. As a result, there were errors in diagnosis and errors in treatment. The worst of these could be determined only by the pathologist. In like manner, attending medical officers, e.g., in cases of war gas poisoning and especially in the widespread epidemic of influenza and pneumonia, were brought face to face with conditions with which they were totally
unfamiliar, and were frequently forced to make diagnoses and institute treatment with a very meager knowledge of the facts. Here autopsies were of tremendous importance in securing for the attending man a knowledge of the pathologic lesions, which knowledge he could use in his diagnosis and treatment of subsequent cases. 43[1]
The Director of the Division of Laboratories, AEF, Col. Joseph F. Siler, requested in June 1918, that 10 competent pathologists be cabled for from the United States, in addition to those coming over with organized hospital units. The needed pathologists, or rather eight of them, came over in due course and, with their help, centers for pathologic service were established at Baccarat, Toul, Souilly, and Paris, staffed by medical officers who acted as consultants in pathology for the surrounding areas. 44[2]
Less successful was the request, made in May, for a museum unit of photographers and artists to be sent to France. This request was approved by General Bradley, Chief Surgeon of the AEF, but was turned down by the General Staff, AEF, "in view of the existing tonnage situation," and because it was believed that the "requirements of the Medical Corps could be met successfully in this particular by the personnel and facilities already available, in both the Signal and Engineer Corps." " 45[3]
The interests of the Museum were not forgotten, however, for on 27 July 1918, Brig. Gen. Merritte W. Ireland, who had succeeded General Bradley as Chief Surgeon upon his retirement for disability, issued Circular No. 42 "for the information of those branches of the service whose cooperation and assistance are necessary to enable the Army Medical Museum to discharge its duty of collecting all those things which may be used for medical education and research, or which may be of historic interest."
Circular No. 42 noted the responsibility of all medical officers to direct into proper channels all desirable material coming to their notice; stressed the duty of the pathologist in each unit to collect, preserve, and ship all such
- ↑ 43 Wilson, The Military Surgeon, 45 (1919), p. 701.
- ↑ 44 (l) Ibid., pp. 701-702. (2) Letter, Maj. L. B. Wilson to Col. W. O. Owen, 5 October 1918. On file in historical records of AFIP.
- ↑ 45 (1) Letter, Commander in Chief, G—1, to Commanding General, Services of Supply, 4 June 1918. On file in historical records of AFIP. (2) Medical Department History, World War I, volume II, p. 222.
