X-ray Therapy
It was forcibly brought out in statistics that skin diseases formed a high percentage of all illnesses in the Army. In such circumstances it is surprising that the most valuable dermatological weapon of all, X-ray therapy, should have been conspicuous by its absence. There was no therapy plant available in the 2 NZEF, and indeed in the whole of the Middle East Force there was only one. It is not claimed that radiotherapy will make men fit for the Army if they are unfit for it. But the cost of such apparatus in each General Hospital, and the provision of trained men to operate it, would have been paid for hundreds of times over in the saving of time spent by patients in hospital and off duty. Moreover, if many patients invalided home could have had the benefit of X-ray therapy early in the course of their disorders, instead of waiting until they were chronic, there would now be less money paid out in pensions.
2 NZEF, MEF and CMF
Admissions to Hospital, July 1941 To December
1945
(1) Diseases of the Skin: |
|
General |
271 |
Dermatitis |
494 |
Urticaria |
200 |
Pruritis |
8 |
Eczema |
415 |
Impetigo contagiosa |
542 |
Sycosis |
14 |
Herpes zoster (shingles) |
194 |
Cheiropompholyx |
18 |
Psoriasis |
138 |
Ichthyosis |
4 |
Keratosis |
12 |
Ecthyma |
162 |
Lupus vulgaris |
3 |
Erythema |
27 |
Leishmaniosis (dermal) |
3 |
Trichophytosis (ringworm) |
14 |
Tinea circinata |
21 |
Tinea barbae |
9 |
Tinea unguium (nails) |
2 |
Tinea cruris |
106 |
Tinea interdigitalis |
181 |
Acne |
65 |
Hyperidrosis |
55 |
Epidermophytosis |
55 |
Diseases of the nails |
13 |
Diseases of the sebaceous glands |
86 |
Dermatitis seborrhoeica |
380 |
Diseases of the sweat glands and ducts |
25 |
Diseases of the hair and follicles |
36 |
Sycosis (hair and follicles) |
52 |
Alopecia (baldness) |
1 |
Paronychia (whitlow) |
323 |
Ingrowing toenails |
362 |
Hypertrophy of nails |
5 |
Tumours and cysts |
397 |
Dermatitis—chemical allergic |
81 |
(2) Diseases of the areolar tissue—general |
31 |
Cellulitis |
638 |
Boils and abscesses |
1568 |
Carbuncles |
245 |
Myxoedema |
1 |
Foreign bodies |
3 |
Oedema |
17 |
Inflammation areolar tissue |
3308 |
page 703
Invalids Evacuated to New Zealand, 1940–45
SKIN CASES— |
|
Eczema |
171 |
Dermatitis |
72 |
Other |
78 |
|
— |
Total |
321 |
2 NZEF (IP)
Grading of Patients who after Adequate Treatment were Not Fit for Full Duty, i.e., Grade I
(Total treated, 202)
|
|
|
|
|
Type of Case
|
|
Number
|
Regraded
|
|
|
1A
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
Eczema-dermatitis |
3 |
5 |
26 |
|
Acne vulgaris |
1 |
3 |
4 |
|
Seborrhoeic dermatitis |
|
|
4 |
|
Pyogenic infections |
|
|
3 |
|
Psoriasis |
|
1 |
2 |
|
Urticaria |
|
2 |
1 |
|
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
Total |
4 |
11 |
40 |
|
Skin Cases treated at 2 NZ Casualty Clearing Station, Pacific, From 14 September 1943 Till 20 May 1944
Type of Case
|
Number Admitted
|
Evacuated to Hospital
|
Eczema-dermatitis |
243 |
174 |
Ecthyma |
81 |
49 |
Tinea |
34 |
15 |
Acne vulgaris |
25 |
20 |
Boils |
23 |
14 |
Impetigo contagiosa |
12 |
4 |
Cheiropompholyx |
8 |
8 |
Sycosis barbae |
6 |
6 |
Septic sores |
5 |
|
Miliaria papulosa |
4 |
|
Urticaria |
4 |
1 |
Psoriasis |
2 |
2 |
Herpes zoster |
1 |
|
Pruritis ani |
1 |
|
|
— |
— |
Total |
449 |
293 |