naval medical field research laboratory CAMP LEJEUNE, N. DEDICATED TO REAR ADMIRAL HAROLD WELLINGTON SMITH MEDICAL CORPS UNITED STATES NAVY ( NAVAL MEDICAL FIELD RESEARCH LABORATORY BACKGROUND The U. So Naval Medical Field Re search Laboratory was estab- lishedin August 1943 by joint agreement of the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, This action was prompted by the realization that many medical problems peculiar to amphibious troops and the Marine Corps in general, just as those of the aviation and submarine branches, deserved special consideration and were not being adequately cared for by general military medical labora = tories. The mission of the Laboratory is to conduct research, develop- ment and testing to serve the needs of the Medical, Department in its sup- port of the Marine Corps and amphibious operations., This mission is integrated into the general research program of the Navy, Camp Lejeune was selected as the logical site because it pro- vided close proximity to large bodies of amphibious troops maneuvering under simulated battle conditions. This was considered most advan- tageous in that it allowed staff personnel to gain first hand information at the field level and, in turn, to evaluate material and personnel under field conditions. Close liaison with other research and development ac- tivities is maintained in order to prevent unnecessary duplication of effort. 1 DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL PROTECTION The mission of this department is to design protective armor, in accordance with the applicable military characteristics set forth by field forces of the Navy and Marine Corps. Its activities may be sum- marized as follows: 1. To conduct all tests whichare considered necessary in con- nection with any particular design except final ballistic and service test- ing. 2. The construction of prototypes for field evaluation by appro- priate military units. Standard patterns are provided for acceptable prototypes since such prototypes must be amenable to practical industrial mass production methods. 3. This department serves as a repository for all. material con- cerning the design of personnel antifragmentation equipment in the Navy Department and maintains such records of all other programs (world wide) as are available. It is the aim of this department to conduct such research and development as is necessary to provide the Navy and Mar- ine Corps of the United States with the best protective clothing possible. z DEVICE FOR TESTING EFFECTIVENESS OF BODY ARMOR 3 DEPARTMENT OF EQUIPMENT TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT The mission of the Department of Equipment Testing and De- velopment is three-fold: 1. To develop field medical equipment for improving the effec- tiveness of medical organizations supporting the Fleet Marine Force. 2. To test and evaluate field medical equipment designed by other activities. 3. To design, fabricate, and test unique scientific instruments required by other departments at NMFRL for the accomplishment of their missions. The department equipment and facilities include the following: A completely equipped carpenter shop; a metal shop; a drafting section; and a testing laboratory equipped, with fabric and material testing ma- chines, accelerated weathering apparatus, and a climatic chamber cap- able of producing temperatures from -85°F. to +200°F. at simulated altitudes from ground level to 60, 000 feet. The ideas or instructions which initiate a project for the de- partment come from many sources. Chief among these are informal contacts with field medical personnel and NMFRL Staff Members, and 4 formal contacts with organizations such as the 2nd Medical Battalion of the 2nd Marine Division, the Naval Field Medical and Dental Material Board, the Armed Services Medical Materiel and Standardization Com- mittee, and the Marine Corps Equipment Board. The results of tests or developments from these ideas are published by letter or formal re- port. Representative samples of the department's work are as follows: 1. Participation in the development of field medical chests, hospital trailers, collapsible litter supports, lantern reflectors, field shower units, x-ray darkroom facilities and mass casualty evacuation equipment. 2. Testing and evaluation of splints, automatic syringes, lit- ters, new types of shelters, sterilizers, pressure-suction apparatus, operating lights, bandages, first aid kits, blood shipping containers, cots and medical chests. 3. Construction of laboratory equipment such as high-intensity burn sources, high-altitude chambers, pressure control apparatus, and instruments for personnel proficiency evaluation (sight, hearing, re- actiontime, etc.). METAL WORKING SHOP 5 DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY The Department of Physiology has as its primary mission the accomplishment of research which is applicable to the support of Marine Corps troops in the field. Secondly, the department serves as an in- strument whereby certain medical devicesand techniques such as resus- citators and other life saving equipment, suggested for use in the field, may be evaluated. The equipment and facilities of the department are those found in any modern physiology research laboratory. Included are; an elec- trocardiograph, pressure transducers for determining blood pressure, instruments for assaying various respiratory gases, colorimeters for measuring blood pigments, etc. Attached to the department is an ex- tensive animal facility maintaining a variety of experimental animals such as dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. Majorcurrent researchis concerned with determining the most efficacious treatment of shock caused by flash burns. In this investi- gation various plasma expanders and drugs are being evaluated in an attempt to find the best means of combating this type of shock. Some of the projects which have been completed by the depart- ment in the past few years are: A comparison of intravenous and intra- arterial transfusion in hemorrhagic shock; an evaluation of noradrenalin (an adrenalin-like substance) as an adjunct in the treatment of shock; the evaluation of various drugs in the prevention of seasickness; the evalua- tion of glycerol pectate, a potential new plasma substitute; and a com- parison of the effectiveness of various plasma substitutes in burn shock. 6 ANIMAL FACILITY PHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY 7 DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY The Department of Microbiology is equipped for bacteriology and virology research. Its primary function is the study of infectious diseases encountered during amphibious operations from both the etio- logical and the epidemiological viewpoints. F requent and varied field problems peculiar to amphibious oper- ations furnish abundant "on the spot'* opportunities to study those dis- eases which under certain conditions may interfere with the efficient and/or successful conclusion of military operations to a significant de- gree. Facilities consist of three laboratories and a walk-in cold room equipped wdth a compressor cooled, steam driven, jacketed Sharpies Super-centrifuge and desk space for titrations and proces sing which re- quire low temperatures . In one of the laboratories are two sterile trans- fer rooms equipped with ultraviolet ”steri-lamps” and closed system air conditioning. This laboratory likewise contains facilities for photomi- c rography. 8 BACTERIOLOGY LABORATORY 9 DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACY The Department of Pharmacy is primarily concerned with im- proving those aspects of pharmacy which are common to field medical units serving the Marine Corps.. This includes methods of packaging and storing pharmaceuticals and biologicals which are subject to dete- riorationand breakage under the abnormal conditions of combat. There is always the searchfor better methods of dispensing and administering medicaments under the most adverse conditions; e. g. quick, easy and practical methods for packaging and administering quick acting anti- dotes. Research and de velopment of this type necessarily involves close cooperation with the various other departments of the Re search Labora- tory. Before new medicinals and/or their containers are acceptedfor use and standardized, they are exposed to simulated and actual field con- ditions of storage and transportation in order to determine whether they will remain usable under foreseeable extremes of temperature, pressure and humidity. Likewise, certain items must be packaged to withstand exposure to salt water and its accompanying atmosphere. 10 Methods for dispensing medicines in the field mast be modern- ized from time to time in order to keep abreast of modern warfare tactics and pharmaceutical practices. Recently this laboratory, in conjunction with personnel of a medical battalion serving the Marine Corps in the field, developed and constructed a compact dispensing chest which could be carried in a jeep trailer and used in situ. FIELD DISPENSING CHEST IN JEEP TRAILER 11 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY The Department of Chemistry is charged with the investigation in chemistry and related fields as applied to the mission of the labora- tory. It farther has the mission of providing the other departments in the laboratory support in Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Radio Isotope Tracer techniques. Adequate facilities for chemical analyses are maintained and preliminary analyses of suspected drug or alcohol samples are carried out routinely for base law enforcement activities. Special equipment available for radio isotope tracer work in- cludes Geiger Muller and scintillation counting. The method of treatment of snake bite has been a long term study of this department. Electrophoretic and animal studies in this field are a current project. CHEMISTRY LABORATORY 13 DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY AND FIELD SANITATION The principle mission of this department is to devise and de- velop new and more effective control procedures to combat insect and other arthropod vectors of disease, to develop new and more effective techniques, devices, and equipment for field sanitation usage; to main- tain a continual evaluation of existing field sanitation and hygienic prac- tices for the purpose of providing the best possible environmental health conditions for troops in the field., Several field sanitation study projects are currently in prog- ress. One of these includes testing the 400 gallon aluminum field water trailer to determine the effectiveness of insulation in preventing or re- tarding freezing in cold weather operations. Another project involves the modification of the power field shower unit for the purpose of de- livering bacte ria-f ree shower water from a contaminated water source. Tests are also underway to develop and standardize a more effective grease trap for field operations. 14 Complete equipment and laboratory facilities are available to conduct entomological life history studies; insect environmental evalu- ations, and to test, develop, and evaluate aircraft insecticide dispersal equipment. One current project includes testing the effectiveness, adapt- ability, and practicality of using the Marine Corps HRS helicopter as a means of dispersing an insecticide spray over different types of terrain, vegetative cover and under various meteorological conditions. INSECTICIDE SPRAYING TESTS 15 DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY The mission of this department is to en- gage both in basic psychophysiological re- search and applied studies which have rele- vance to amphibious operations. One field study in progress is an attempt to determine whether psychological traits play a significant role in marksmanship with the . 45 caliber pistol and, if true, to remedy the situation with a training aid. Considerable work has been done in the field of automobile accident prevention with special emphasis being placed on the relation- ship of the operator's psychological makeup to accident proneness. A DEVICE PROPOSED AS A TRAINING AID IN THE USE OF SMALL ARMS 16 SUPPLY AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT The mission of the Supply Depart- ment parallels that of the Supply Department of any othe r Naval activity. It is charged with the responsibility for obtaining the equip- ment, material and services requiredby the various profe s sional sections of the labora- tory, This entails obtaining prices, requi- sitioning, and purchasing from other Naval and Marine Corps Supply Centers and from civilian sources. Fiscal accounting for ap = propriated funds is also a function of this department. The department is somewhat unique in that appropriations are received from two sources, the Bureau of Medicine and Sur- gery and the Commandant, Marine Corps. Therefore, the department head wears two hats - Finance Officer for Navy and Account- able Officer for Marine Corps. SUPPLY AND FINANCE OFFICE 17 DEPARTMENT OF DENTAL MATERIAL TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT T he mis sion of this department is to conducttests of new field dental equipment or material which maybe submittedfor possible adoption, and further, to participate in any devel- opmental projects on field dental ma- terial. This department fulfills its mission with dental personnel tem- porarily assigned by dental activi- ties attached to the Marine Corps Base. FIELD DENTAL UNIT 18 ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT The Administrative Department has cognizance of the clerical force which prepares and distributes research reports and routine cor- respondence; administers all personnel matters; supervises the Art, Pho- tographic and Reproduction Departments, and the Library. The Art, Photographic and Reproduction Departments support the other branches of the laboratory, performing necessary work in connection with the pre- paration of research projects, reports and miscellaneous requirements as requested. 19 TECHNICAL LIBRARY The library provides a service-which is indispensable to the re- search and development departments of the Laboratory. In addition to maintaining and providing scientific technical literature for the staff of the Laboratory, the library is available for use by all personnel sta- tioned in the area. The resources of the library include approximately 1 0, 000 bound volumes of scientific books and periodicals, numerous unbound volumes of current is sues andabout 11,000 research reports and technical publi- cations. The library subscribes to more than 175 scientific periodicals. A librarian is on hand to assist personnel in locating desired informa- tion and-data. 20 TECHNICAL LIBRARY 21 THE NAVAL FIELD MEDICAL AND DENTAL MATERIAL BOARD The Naval Field Medical and Dental Material Board has its head- quarters at the Laboratory and consists of seven members and a sec- retary. The CommandingOfficer of the Laboratory is ex-officio presi- dent of this board. Other members are appointed from the more ex- perienced senior medical and dental officers serving the Marine Corps in the area of Camp Lejeune and Headquarters Marine Corps. The objectives of this board are: To make a complete and con- tinuing study of all present field medical and dental equipment with partic- ular reference to necessity, practicability, durability, packaging, etc. in any type terrain and climate; To recommend the elimination from the Table of Allowances of those items which are superfluous, obsolete or impractical for use, and the addition of such items as are essential and have proven upon investigation to be suitable; To assist the Laboratory by recommendations and advice in the field of testing and development of new items considered essential for field use. This board operates in close liaison the Navy Medical and Dental Material Board on matters involving field medical material. It further cooperates with the Army Research and Development Board and Marine Corps Equipment Board in the development of items of common interest. 22