The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-01-07
TEACHING MEN
TO TALK AGAIN
IN HOSPITALS
UNITED PRESS CORRESPONDENT
VISITS HUMAN REPAIR SHOP.
CARE For 2,1OO SEVERE CASES
Lighter Wounded are Given First
Aid and Sent Back. Many Would
be Better Dead but Doctors
Save All They Can.

New York, Jan. 6, by Karl II. Won
Wiegand, United Press staff cores
pondent. Laon, France, (by courier
TO the Hague and mail to New York;
To-day | saw men being taught ia
talk again. In the human repair shops
the great German field hospitals these
men were learning anew the use OF
the brains, tongue, hands and feet
They had received their baptism OF
fire. Bullet, shrapnel, broken shell
all had done their work. And new
medical science was doing its utmost
to restore the victims to partial nor
mality. This is the third time Laon
has been in possession of the Ger
mans, first in 1S4l and again in 1870
but this time only was the city taken
without fearful bloodshod. The main
hospital is improvised, large roomy
school building, well lighted and air
ed. In front is large bronz monu'
ment erected to three young French.
men, Franctiraure, executed by the
Germans in 1870 for sniping. Singu'
larly enough this monument is I'M
scathed. Prof Bockenheimer in
charge and DR.. LtIetkenmueller chief
surgeon explained the work. They
care for 200 severe cases but the
lighter wounded are given first aid
treatment and sent back to the home
bases as this Is too close to the &C
tual front to permit keeping any
wounded that can be moved. More
than a score of cases, French and Ger
man alike, where trephining opera
tons had been necessary were shown
1t is a singular picture. Through the
windows came the deep, low bass
notes of distant guns, killing, smash
ing, tearing, manning the human "ter
pins" Here they were being patched
up. Nurses sat beside bedSides o
friend and foe alike, bathing feveret
brOws and teaching palefaced beard
ed men to speak the most simple
words, telling them the names of OBJ
jects and putting words together il
sentences,
what is this?" asks Prof Bockan
heimer holding a pencil before 4
bearded warrior from whose skull he
had cut a splinter of steel. The llps
trembiGd. Then came the feeble ans
wer, pencil" | held out a cigarette
and asked what it was. The mans
Iips moved and a look came on his
face which seemed to say that he
knew what it was but couldn't say
Then Prof. BOckenheimer came tC
the rescue.
What do we do with this?" hi
asked.
An apparent tremendous mental et
fort and then the reply, smoke"
correct" said the professor, Nov
what Is it," This time the brain ant
tongue worked and the answer wa'
correct.
Hours have to be spent by thu
nurses teaching these men all owe
again" explained the professor 81
requires amending patience and per
severance" Many cases of plaSti
surgery were shown. Men with mos
of their faces smashed away wer
being brought back to life with part
of their bodies grated on to cove
the terrible gaping holes. Man
would be better dead but the doctor
| feel il is their duty to save all the
can.
I'VE do not ask the wounde
whether they want to live or die,
explained Prof. BoCkenheimer.
At the main French hospital Pro
Manasse. of Stuttgart, was in charge
Here too nurses were teaching me
to talk again and terrible wrecks c
humanity were being patched NJ
Two iron crosses of the first and see
Ond class pinned to a wall over &C
attracted attention. The patient wa
young Fritz LuCht, airman. who's
latest deed fills one of the brighteE
pages Of the annals of aerial battle
OF the great war. With an officer d
observer he was attacked while Il,
ing north OF Rheims They were a
tackled by a French mOnOplane arm
ed with a machine gun. Lucht and h
officer had only their pistols. ROM
and round they circled, each tryin
to get the advantage by gettir
above the other At 5000 feet II
French plane got the German rigl
and il was riddled. The deSpara
fight was visible from the lines
both armies. Lucht was shot throue
the liver and lung. But he realize
| that his officer had maps and obse
NatiOnS that were badly needed.
. he planed downward toward the &c
man lines landing just inside of thel
Soldiers removed the two men ju
as the French artillery having 5
/ cured the range demolished the plal
with a we'll placed shot. In the hC
pital, General Won Emmich perso
ally pinned the decorations on /
aviator's shirt. He will probably !