RT Journal
T1 REaching for medical moons
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 1969
FD August 11
VO 209
IS 6
SP 931
OP 932
DO 10.1001/jama.1969.03160190053016
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1969.03160190053016
AB Unlike the ship that bore Columbus to the shores of the New World, the lunar spacecraft had no physician aboard. But, if doctors felt humbled by the thought that man can function well though a quarter of a million miles from the nearest MD, they showed no sign of this humility. Doubtless their pride was sustained by the knowledge of medicine's invisible participation in the glorious journey. From the moment of initial training through the monitored flight and up to the postflight quarantine, the astronauts were beneficiaries of medical knowledge accumulated through years of observations and experiments in simulated air-space conditions. Space flight would be next to unthinkable without space medicine.In common with other sciences and technologies, which have contributed to the success of the moon flight, Medicine may well ask, "What's in it for me?" Does Medicine stand to gain more from the study of a man on