Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-01-07
INSANITY CLAIMS
BRITISH FIGHTERS
Numerous Unwounded Return
ing to England Craz0d.
BAD TEETH, TOO, DISABLE.

Cold and Dampness In Trenches Cause
Neuralgia and Put Soldiers Out of
Business-Dentists Being Sent to the
Front as Fast as They Can Be Re-
cruited to Treat the Defective Molars.
Insanity and nervous prostratiOn are
Claiming large numbers of TIC British
who have lain for weeks under Ger
man fire In the trenches about Ypres,
according 10 Southampton dispatch.
The insanity wards in the big govern
ment hospital at Netley, England. are
filled to overfiowing, and all the hos
pitfalls In the south of England have
many patients who have suffered nerv-
Gus collapse and have been sent back
for treatment.
Most OF the cases show decided i'm
provement as soon as the men get into
new surroundings and have quiet.
Many of the patients suffering with
nervous Affections said when they left
Belgium that they could never endure
further service under the fire of heavy
guns, but nevertheless they clamor to
return to the field of action as soon as
they get grasp on their nerves
A large number of invalided soldiers
have never been touched by bullet or
a shell and show no physical signs of
disability. Some of the most desperate
cases are men who were terribly
shocked by shells exploding near them.
A how of aiOhfaon Vvhn Lot
Netley TO visit his relatives in Man
chester, was hurled through the air for
fifty feet by the force of an exploding
shell, not fragment OF which touched
him. Both ear drums were broken, and
he was unconscious several days. His
brain was so affected that he was I'M
able to see anything for weeks In case
he became the least excited When he
left Netley hospital he still walked un-
steadily and complained that dark
spots frequently appeared before his
eyes.
Shoot Own Hands and Feet
As is the case in nearly all military
action, soldiers are on rare occasions
found shooting their own hands and
feet or exposing their arms and hands
to the fire of the enemy that they may
get wounds which will relieve them
from service in the trenches. This is
attributed TO shattered nerves I'm many
cases, although there are occasional
courts martial in cases where there is
reason to believe that cowardice in.
spired such action.
Bad teeth are playing havoc with
the English troops exposed to cold and
dampness in the trenches. AS fast as
they can be recruited dentists are be-
ing sent To the front TO treat defective
teeth. which have caused neuralgia
and disabled men otherwise sound
Recruiting officers were at first very
particular about the teeth of appli-
cants for admission TO the army, but
1t soon became necessary to let down
the bars. AS the middle and lower
class people Of England take indiffer-
ent care of their mouths and seldom
have their teeth treated, dental trou-
bles have been numerous.
II am not going to bite the Ger
MANS" was the protest OF an English
man turned down at the opening OF
the war because Of defective teeth
But the developments of the last three
months have shown that no soldier is
any better than his teeth. Inability to
masticate the coarse army fare prop
erly has incapacitated large numbers
of soldiers who were not actually
forced to leave the front because of
aching teeth and swollen jaws, aggra-
waited by standing for days in wet
trenches.
1t is not unusual 10 see new recruits
who have part of their front teeth
missing and others badly decayed.
But such men are turned over to the
dental corps as rapidly as possible
and given careful treatment. II re-
cruiting officers In England were to
demand the sound teeth required for