APPENDIX C
Circular Letters, Pacific Areas
The following official statements on transfusion and bloodbanks were issued during the course of the war in the Pacific:
Circular Letter No. 9, Office of the Surgeon, Headquarters,U.S. Army Forces in Australia, 4 June 1942, subject: Blood for Transfusion. Thisletter, which concerned the payment of donors, was rescinded on 16 June 1942 byCircular Letter No. 21, from the same headquarters, subject: Donation of Bloodfor Transfusion and Other Purposes. This letter also provided for the payment ofdonors.
Technical Memorandum No. 13, Office of the Chief Surgeon,Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, 21 September 1944, subject:Blood Bank. This letter concerned the establishment of the blood bank at the27th General Hospital (p. 389).
Technical Memorandum No. 1, Office of the Chief Surgeon,Headquarters, U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, 7 January 1945, subject:Preservation and Administration of Citrated Whole Blood. This memorandumconcerned the general use of whole blood, supply, transportation and storage,criteria for use (age, hemolysis), selection of patients for transfusion,appropriate dosages, determination of compatibility, technical points ofadministration, and reactions.
Circular Letter No. 35, Office of the Chief Surgeon, GeneralHeadquarters, U.S. Army Forces, Pacific, 13 August 1945, subject: Calculation ofHemoglobin, Hematocrit and Plasma Protein (the Copper Sulphate Method). Thepertinent part of this letter dealt with the copper sulfate technique.
Circular Letter No. 38, Office of the Chief Surgeon, GeneralHeadquarters, U.S. Army Forces, Pacific, 20 August 1945, subject: Whole Blood.This letter covered the provision, delivery, and refrigeration of whole blood;equipment; directions for administration; and indications. It was pointed out inthis letter that the condition of the casualty, not the type of wound,determined the amount of blood to be used; that blood was often necessary duringand after operation as well as for resuscitation; and that surgery was often apart of resuscitation.
