ARMY MEDICAL SCHOOL 
ARMY MEDICAL CENTER 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
BASIC COURSE 
IN 
CLINICAL PATHOLOGY 
FOR 
LABORATORY TECHNICIANS 
ENLISTED PERSONNEL, MEDICAL DEPARTMENT, 
U. S. ARMY 
SESSION 
1938 - 1939 
A. M. C. NO. 216 THE ARMY MEDICAL CENTER 
HEADQUARTERS 
Brigadier General Wallace De1 itt, 
Medical Department, 
Commanding. 
Colonel Addison D. Davis, 
Medical Corps, 
Executive Officer. 
Captain Thomas G. Hester, 
Medical Administrative Corps, 
Adjutant. 
THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICE SCHOOLS. 
Brigadier General Wallace Dewitt, 
Medi cal Department, 
Commandant • 
Colonel Joseph F. Siler, 
Medical Corps, 
Assistant Commandant. 
Lieut. Colonel George C. Dunham, 
Leciical Corps, 
Secretary. BASIC COURSE 
IN 
CLINICAL PATHOLOGY FOR LABORATORY TECHNICIANS. 
I. CHEMISTRY; 5y weeks. 
September 15 - October 22, 1938. 
Instructor - Lieut. Colonel Villiam D. Fleming, M. C. 
II. BACTERIOLOGY; 12 weeks. 
October 24, 1938 - January 14, 1939• 
Instructor - Lieut. Colonel Rufus L. Holt, M. C. 
III. HELMINTHOLOGY; 4 weeks. 
January 16 - February 11, 1939. 
Instructor - Lieut. Colonel Alfred R. Thomas, Jr., M. C. 
IV. PROTOZOOLOGY; 4 weeks. 
February 13 - arch 11, 1939* 
Instructor - Lieut. Colonel Alfred R. Thomas, Jr., k. C. 
V. HEMATOLOGY; 4 weeks, 
March 13 - April 8, 1939. 
Instructor - Lieut. Colonel J, P. Crawford, r . C. 
VI. PATHOLOGY; A weeks. 
April 10 - Lay o, 1939. 
Instructor; Lieut. Colonel G«orge R. Callender, k. C. 
VII. ENTOMOLOGY; 2 weeks. 
May 8 - May 20, 1939. 
Instructor - Lieut. Colonel J. P. Crawford, M- C» VIII. SEROLOGY; X weeks. 
May 22 - June 17, 1939. 
Instructor - Lieut. Colonel Harold P. Sawyer, M. C. 
* IX. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: 12 weeks. 
June 19 - September 12, 1939* 
X. TYPEWRITING: 16 weeks. 
January 2 - April 30, 1939;, 1 hour daily. 
-x-NOTE:- During the last 12 weeks of the course the class will be divided 
into 6 groups. These groups will rotate., each group spending 2 weeks 
in bacteriology, 2 weeks in chemistry and 2 weeks in parasitology at 
the Army medical School; 2 weeks in bacteriology9 2 weeks in chemistry 
and 2 weeks in hematology at the Branch Laboratory. During this time 
each student will be given practical instruction in performing the 
routine work in the laboratory to which he is assigned. BASIC COURSE 
IN 
CLINICAL PATHOLOGY FOR LABORATORY TECHNICIANS. 
This course is of twelve months' duration. The hours of 
instruction will be from 8 a,m, to 12 Noon, and from 1-4- p#m., 
Sunday, Holidays, and Wednesday and Saturday afternoons excepted. 
CHEMISTRY 
This course will include the fundamentals of chemistry 
and training in the routine laboratory- methods used in the 
United States Army. * 
1. The cleaning of glassware, 
2. Volumetric analysis, including gastric contents. 
3. Urinalysis including qualitative and quantitative 
procedures. 
4. Toxicology. 
5* Hydrogen ion concentration, buffers, indicators, 
etc. 
6. Blood chemistry. 
BACTERIOLOGY 
1. Laboratory equipment. 
(a) Care 
(b) Use 
(c) Preparation and sterilization of glassware. 
2. Methods of sterilization. 
Application. 
3. Weights and measures. 
4. Media. 
(a) preparation 
(b) Uses 
(c) Preparation of special media, 
(d) Selective media. 
5. Stains. 
(a) Gram 
(b) Acid fast 
(c) Neisser’s 
(d) Counterstains BACTERIOLOGY (Cont1d.) 
a. Bacteria, 
(a) Classification 
(b) Methods of study, 
(c) Methods of separation and identification. Aerobic and 
anaerobic, 
(d) Special methods as applied to* 
a) Feces 
(2) Urine 
(3) Tater 
(4) Food 
(5) Milk 
(6) Blood 
7. E. typhi 
(a) Isolation 
(b) Identification 
8, D. pneumoniae, 
(a) Isolation 
(b) Identification 
(c) Typing 
9. Bacterial flora: 
(a) Throat 
(b) G. U. tract 
10, pus, sputum and exudates. 
11. Preparation of autogenous vaccines. 
12. Use of the darkfield. 
(Treponemata and spirochaetae) 
13. Care and breeding of laboratory animals. 
14• Use of animals in laboratory. 
HELMINTHOLOGY 
This course will include the identification of the common round 
worms and flat worms and their relation to man and disease. It will 
include; 
1* The flat worms. 
2, Round worms • 
3. Hookworms and strongyloides and prevention. 
4* Methods of stool examination for ova. 
5. practical review. 
A written report will be required on twenty unknown positive 
and negative specimens. Instruction will be given in the preserva- 
tion and shipment of specimens* PROTOZOOLOGY 
This course will include: 
1, Methods used in the examination of blood for parasites 
of malaria, 
2, examination of feces for protozoa, especially identifica- 
tion of amoeba, 
3, Intestinal flagellates. 
HEMATOLOGY 
This course will consist of the following; 
1, Performance of routine blood counts. 
2, Hemoglobin estimations. 
3, Pathological blood counts. 
4, Sedimentation rate, 
5, Fragility test, 
6, Special staining methods, vital staining, peroxidase 
reaction and reticulocyte stains. 
7, Counting of blood platelets, 
8, Coagulation, bleeding and clotting time. 
pathology 
This course will consist of training in the: 
1. Preparation of animal tissues for histological examination. 
2. Preparation and shipment of gross specimens. 
3. Technique of the postmortem room. 
Synopsis: 
1. The preparation of slides for histological examination 
includes primary fixation using common fixatives, the cutting of 
the specimen and the various steps in preparation of the slide 
using both frozen and paraffin techniques. Further preparation 
includes the use of the more common stains, dehydration and final 
mounting and preservation. 
2. Preparation of gross specimens using the Kaiserling fluids and 
the methods of shipment of specimens including those for toxicological 
examination. 
3, Assistance in the operating room at postmortem examinations 
including the preparation and care of the cadaver and the taking of 
notes as dictated by the prosector. 
NoteTh*3 course v/ill include at least one-half day at the Army 
Medical Museum, ENTOMOLOGY 
This course will consist of a study of the common insects 
that act as carriers of disease and those that are pests. It 
will include a study of Anopheles, Culex and Aedes mosquitoes, 
flies, bedbugs, fleas, ticks, roaches, beetles, ants, moths 
and other important insects with emphasis on identification and 
control measures. 
SEROLOGY 
This course will include lectures and practice in the methods 
used by the United States Army, including the following; 
1. The Dassermann test, 
2. The Kahn test. 
3. The human blood groups. 
/+. The colloidal gold test. 
3* The collection and preparation of specimens for shipment. 
TYPEWRITING 
The purpose of the course in typing- is to familiarize the 
student with the typewriter, the cleaning and care trier )of, and 
its use in accomplishing the various records, reports and corres- 
pondence necessary in connection with laboratory work, or other 
Medical Department clerical functions. 
Tho periods will include instruction in typing - rhythm and 
touch typingj tho chart$ position, stroke, and fingering. Letter 
combination of keys! high frequency words3 special drill. Sentence 
structure! punctuation, capitalization and spacing.- Use of carbonsj 
neat erasures. Letters| official and business. Straight copy 
work from manual. Numerals• Special drill in form and arrangement 
of material.. Drill on business expressions3 on official paragraphs. 
Tho instruction will vary morn or loss according to tho 
individual needs of tho students..