A Mobile Pharmacy for Air-Raid Casualties
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LaXPERIENCE has shown that the sufferings of the population following a concentrated air attack can be aggravated by the destruction of certain classes of shop property, notably that which provides pharmaceutical goods. Suddenly rendered homeless, perhaps invalid or aged and suffering from shock, the people who are involved and need quick aid are often unable to obtain the necessary ;palliatives. Branches of the civil: defence services can do much for such persons, but they usually have their hands full and anything that can be done to relieve them of added burdens is to be welcomed.
Lady Bird, in the exercise of her duties as the Regional-Officer of No. 9 Region of the Red Cross and St. John Central Hospital Supply Service, conceived the idea of a mobile pharmacy which would help to alleviate the lot of many of those who had suffered from bombing and would be able to treat those minor casualties which would have been dealt with by the chemist had he been available.
The idea met with the approval of the British Red Cross Society, the Ministry of Health and Lord Horder. Generally, it was felt that the se rvic e a pharmacy could give and the presence of the vehicle in a raid area immediately following an attack wotild be valuable aids to the maintenance and restoration of the morale of the population.
The first mobile pharmacy is on the point of entering into service. The funds for three similar vehicles have beets provided by British and American donations, the latter including the sum of 4,000 dollars from the employees of the San Diego Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, of California, the maker of the Catalina aircraft.
Designed by Morris-Commercial Cars, Ltd., the special bodywork has been built by Wilsdon and Co., of Solihull, and mounted on the chassis maker's CV.11/40 model, which was released against a Ministry of War Transport permit. . The interior details have been worked out by the leading practising pharmacists of Messrs. Boots, who have also generously donated the whole of the equipment of the first vehicle. A sink, with ample water supply, is provided, and there are facilities for simple sterilization and disinfecting. Hot water is available in a series of thermos flasks. At the rear are two seats for treating light casualties, with a speeial electric light on universal joints— particularly valuable for eye treatment.
It is both impracticable and unnecessary for the pharmacy to carry every item of a chemist's stock. Nevertheless, the range of medicaments, simple toilet products and other articles, ,which are indispensable to daily existence, is very wide. The crew will' consist of three—a driver and twe custodians, the latter drawn from a Red Cross detachment.