A research project sponsored by Wofford College was launched in the summer of 1974 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to develop a system of communication by which hospital personnel working in an emergency room could communicate with patients who speak a language other than English. The project followed a year-long research effort of previous work done in this area of language and medicine, and reflects the discovery of the idea of using cartoons and phonetics together as a means of facilitating communication. The results attained surpassed the expectations. In every instance the doctors using the system understood the responses given to them and it was determined the 95 per cent of the patients understood the questions when spoken by the health care personnel. Thus, the system should play an invaluable role to quick medical treatment in emergency situations when a language barrier exists between the health care personnel and their patients and a translator is not immediately available. (Author)