survey“ and the success of the sulfone treatment for those affected
lessened the earlier fears that leprosy would continue to be an outstanding medical problem of long duration. In June 1950 the CinC.
PacFlt Medical Officer noted that leprosaria were archaic and not in
conformity with the present day treatment of the disease and recommended that no permanent Trust Territory leprosarium be built and
that patients be treated at home or in the local dispensary. Such
action, he considered, would receive the cooperation of the people and
would persuade those afflicted with the disease to report for early
treatment.” FieldTerPaclIs disagreed with this suggestion, however,
and thoughtthat until the islanders were educated to such a program,
fear of the disease would hamperlocal treatment.” Trust Territory
Health Department Order No. 1-51, issued in the spring of 1951,
directed the continued isolation of bacterialogically positive patients at
Tinian.” The leprosartum, therefore, remained one of the chief
projects of the medical program.
USS WHIDBEY
The most unusual medical facility in the Trust Territory was the
USS WHIDBEY,a naval vessel assigned to conduct a comprehensive
health and sanitation survey of the entire area. Information on health
and sanitation conditions was still scanty and unreliable at the timeof
assumption of trusteeship and the High Commissioner, then Admiral
Denfeld, suggestedthe use of a medically equipped ship which,because
of its mobility and equipment, could contact the farthest outlying
islands and conduct thorough physical examinationsof the inhabitants.
On October 17, 1947, CinCPacFlt requested $150,000 for the conversion of an Army FS type ship (176 foot cargo vessel) for such work *
and on December 2, 1947, the Chief of Naval Operations approved the
medical survey project dependent upon the availability of the necessary
funds for alteration and operation ofa vessel from appropriation Island
“The fact that the true macular lesion is not readily recognized by other than specialists
in the field may have reduced the discovery rate for leprosy in this survey. Recognition of
leprosy was especially difficult because of the prevalence of tinea versicolor and traumatic
contracture, both requiring differentiation from the disease. Personnel conducting the survey
were reluctant to make a diagnosis of leprosy where there was any question of its certainty”
(WHIDBEYreport).
* CinCPacFit Med Off memo dtd 30 Jun 50.
* FieldTerPacIs memo dtd 5 Jul 50
* App. 27, p. 1320.
* CinCPacFit !tr ser 6179 dtd 17 Oct 47.
912
. 0 ( by 052