Radio Broadcast (May-Oct 1922)

66 RADIO BROADCAST knife was sterilized, to be used as a scalpel. Drainage tubes were made from pieces of rubber. Then, while the doctor sent directions through the ether, the operation was performed, without anaesthetics, but nevertheless successfully. On a recent voyage of the United States liner America a wireless message came from a Shipping Board freighter to the effect that nineteen members of the crew of thirty were suffering from a mysterious and painful malady. The vessels were three hundred miles apart, but from the information wirelessed to the America, Dr. C. F. Leidy and Dr. Hislop diagnosed the disease as ptomaine poisoning. For two days they treated the sick men by (vireless and finally received this message from the freighter: "Your directions followed. All but six now on duty. They are recovering fast. Thanks and God bless you. Bon voyage." On the heels of this message came another from a second freighter stating that a member of her crew was in agony. The doctors had only a layman's diagnosis on which to base their treatment, but they sent back instructions. The following morning they were surprised to receive a message from an Italian steamer three hundred miles in another direction. It read: "Many thanks to the S. S. America. We had a sick member of crew suffering from similar ailment. Prescribed same as directed for other steamer. Our patienf recovering. God bless you." The operator of the S. S. Ryndam received a message one night which caused him to hurry to the quarters of Dr. William Ford. The message came from a freighter, and read: "Captain's wife on board. Expects arrival of stork before we can reach port. Please assist." The Ryndam was too far off to race with the stork, but Dr. Ford gave the operator directions which he thought a layman could follow. Two days later this news came. "Now have a new son. Don't know your name, doctor, but will call him Napoleon. A thousand thanks and God bless you." It remained for the Seamen's Church Institute of New York City to establish a radio medical service for ships at sea. About a year ago the Institute realized the need for medical service on board ships that do not carry a physician and decided upon giving such service by radio. The matter was taken up with the Department of Commerce, which granted a special commercial license and the call letters KDKF. Ever since last April this station has been in operation. When a radiogram asking for medical assistance has been received, it has at once been telephoned to the Hudson Street Hospital in New York City. A physician there has telephoned back the necessary medical information, which has been sent by radio to the ship at sea. Great care has been exercised in order that the physician's precise instructions would be accurately transmitted. Indeed, the physician's instructions are received on a dictaphone by means of a special amplifier, which saves the physician from repeating them. So valuable has been the medical service of the Seaman's Church Institute that the United States Public Health Service has undertaken to make the work national instead of purely local in scope. The Government has taken charge of this unique marine medical agency and is now cooperating with the Institute and with the Radio Corporation of America. The latter organization is going to cooperate with the Institute and the United States Public Health Service in the handling of free medical advice to ships at sea, through its stations at Chatham, Mass.; Siasconset, Mass.; Bush Terminal, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Cape May, N. J.; San Francisco, Calif. Hospitals designated to furnish information are: United States Marine Hospital, New York; alternates. Hospitals 38, 43, 61. United States Veterans' Hospital 49, Philadelphia; alternates. United States Veterans' Hospital 56, Fort McHenry, Baltimore, Md. United States Marine Hospital 19, San Francisco; alternate, United States Veterans' Hospital, Palo Alto, Calif.