Preface
A momentous chapter in the history of wars is the story of the devastations caused by malaria. Man has struggled under the ravages of this disease and many other incapacitating and lethal illnesses transmitted by insects, mites, and ticks, diseases whichseem to be especially destructive in wartime. For example, as Dr. Russellhas stated in the first chapter of this volume, from 9 July to 10 September1943, during the active campaign in Sicily, malaria was responsible for thehospitalization of 21,482 American soldiers as contrasted with 17,375 hospitalizedbecause of wounds inflicted by the German-Italian forces. Since most of thoseinfections were with Plasmodium vivax, many relapses occurred in thecrucial spring of 1944, and so deprived the American forces of valuable manpower.
World War II saw great advances in military preventive medicine and in particular in the controlof malaria. The effort is by no means finished however, and certain lessonsthat were learned in World War II can be helpful in guiding our preventiveprograms in the future. Probably the most important lesson to be learnedis that effective malaria control in military operations in malarious areaswill fail unless the line commanders at all echelons are specifically malariaconscious. Clearly, the control of malaria and other arthropodborne diseasesis not a task that the Army Medical Service can undertake alone. There mustbe education and training of both medical and line officers toward a definiteunderstanding that control of these diseases is a broad military problemwith immediate application to actual striking power. Malaria discipline isnecessary to an army's success in many areas of the world.
The experiences ofWorld War II have shown that control of malaria cannot be really effective without a special military control organization, which must actively and continuouslyfunction and give full and undivided attention to the problem.
The volume presents the story of the difficulties as well as the triumphs in the constant fight against malaria during World War II. Each author is a specialist who has writtenfrom the vantage point of his own close experience. Thanks are extended tothe authors for their willingness to undertake this task of writing, whichhas meant long hours of work snatched from busy schedules. Each chapter hasbeen reviewed by one or more experts who have advised the authors as to scope,coverage, and technical accuracy. Thanks are expressed for this valuablehelp to: Dr. Justin M. Andrews, Col. Samuel C. Dews, Dr. Elliston Farrell,Col. Hugh R. Gilmore, Jr., Mr. William A. Hardenbergh, Prof. John M. Henderson,Brig. Gen. Earl Maxwell, the late Dr. Maurice C. Pincoffs, Dr. Earle Rice,Capt. James S. Sapero, U.S.N., Mr. Millard E. Smith, Dr. Alan Stone, Col.William S. Stone, and Dr. Stanley F. Yolles.
As in the case ofthe previous volumes of the Preventive Medicine series, members of the AdvisoryEditorial Board have been closely associated with the planning, writing,and preparation of the volume. Grateful thanks are tendered to Dr. StanhopeBayne-Jones, Chairman of the Board, for his careful review of every chapter.Dr. Paul F. Russell, the member of the Advisory Board with special concernfor the subject matter of this volume, has been consulted in all phases ofits preparation. Dr. Russell has participated significantly in the selectionof authors and has corresponded with them as to content and presentation.He has scrutinized each manuscript meticulously and has advised in numeroustechnical details. The editors, authors, and readers of this volume owe aparticularly warm debt of gratitude to Dr. Russell.
The editors are gratefulfor this opportunity of thanking the President, Chancellor, Comptroller, andother officers of the Medical College of Virginia whose cooperation has madepossible the work of the editorial office at the Medical College under contractwith the Office of The Surgeon General.
It is a privilege for the editor of the Preventive Medicine series to record here his cordial thanks to Col. John Boyd Coates, Jr., MC, USA, Editor-in-Chief of. the Historyof the Medical Department, U.S. Army, World War II, of which this seriesis a part. The comprehensive history of the Medical Department, under ColonelCoates' inspired and competent direction, will stand as a major contributionto medicine. Colonel Coates has continued to expedite the publication ofthese volumes so that they may be available as soon as possible. He and hisstaff have produced books of high quality in both appearance and content.
The authors and editorshave again greatly relied upon the services of the Medical Statistics Divisionof the Office of The Surgeon General. Mr. E. L. Hamilton, Chief, Mr. A. J.McDowell, Assistant Chief, and Mr. M. C. Rossoff, Assistant Chief, StatisticalAnalysis Branch, have not only provided essential data but have also checkedand reviewed all statistical information in this volume. Their contributionhas been a substantial one. The Scientific Illustration Division, MedicalIllustration Service, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, under the directionof Mr. Herman Van Cott, prepared the illustrations for this volume. Mapswere prepared by Miss Elizabeth P. Mason, Chief, Cartographic Section, andMiss Jean A. Saffran, Cartographic Draftsman, of the Special Projects Branch,The Historical Unit.
The editors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Mrs. Elaine R. Stevenson, Publication Editor of the Editorial Branch, The Historical Unit, who performed the manuscript editing and prepared the index for this volume.
EBBE CURTIS HOFF, Ph. D., M.D.
