PENICILLIN THERAPY OF SURGICAL INFECTIONS IN THE U. S. ARMY

Abstract

On April 1, 1943 the Office of the Surgeon General, U. S. Army, sponsored a pilot unit for penicillin therapy at the Bushnell General Hospital at Brigham City, Utah. A second unit was established at Halloran General Hospital, Staten Island, New York, on June 3, 1943. Both of these units have functioned as "schools" in penicillin therapy, and selected medical officers have been trained for one month periods to use penicillin in accordance with an overall program seeking definition of the effectiveness of the drug in surgical infections. It is the purpose of this report to summarize the experience of these trained observers as reported from several general hospitals within the Zone of the Interior. During this period of evaluation of a new drug it has seemed wise to concentrate experience as far as possible. Each general hospital has set aside a ward unit for penicillin therapy under direction of