Changing military medical picture in the United States.

Abstract

The devotion of the American medical profession to the nation's service in time of war as in time of peace parallels the course and history of the republic and is indeed a source of justifiable pride to every member of the profession. The military medical services trace their beginning to the first days of the Army at Boston in 1775. Their remarkable development is illustrated when it is remembered that Washington's army throughout the whole seven years of the American Revolution probably did not exceed 5,000 men on the average, while in June, 1950, prior to the Korean conflict, the Army, Navy, and Air Force had more than 6,000 physicians on the active duty roster. Today the number of physicians on active duty exceeds 12,000. The daily lives of the majority of the civilians during the revolutionary days were little altered by the military demands. It is to be recalled