Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-02-12
MENDINC HUMAN
WRECKS OF WAR
German Field Hospitals Now
Great Repair Shops.
men TAUGHT HOW TO talk

Tales Of Bravery Tighten Gloom Of SUIT
fering-Two Iron Crosses Pinned
Over Cot of Fritz Lucht, Air Man.
Whose Deeds Won Admiration Even
of Enemies.
Today saw men being taught to
talk again. In the human repair
shops" the great German field hos
pitfalls. many men were learning anew
the use Of bruins. tongue. hands and
feet. They had received their baptism
Of fire. Bullet. shrapnel. broken she'll
all had done their work And now
medical science was doing its utmost
to restore the victims to partial nor
mality, writes Karl FL. Won Wiegand. a
United Press staff correspondent from
Laon, France.
Professor Bockenheimer. In charge
and Dr. Luetkenmueller. chief surgeon
explained the work. They care for
2.10O severe cases. but the slightly
wounded are given first aid treatment
and then sent back to the home bases
as this is too close to the actual front
to permit keeping any wounded that
can be moved More than score OF
cases. French and German alike, where
trepanning operations had been neces
sary. were shown.
1t was u singular picture. Through
the windows came the deep low notes
of distant guns killing, smashing. tear
ing. manning the human "tenpins."
Here they were being patched up
Nurses sat by the bedsides Of friends
and foe alike. bathing fevered brows
and teaching pale faced. bearded men
to speak the most simple words. telling
them the names OF objects and putting
words together into sentences.
Lips Form Word "Pencil."
what Is thisv' asked Professor
Bockenheimer. holding a pencil before
bearded warrior from whose skull
he had cut splinter Of steel. The
lips trembled Then came the feeble
answer. Pencil"
held up a cigarette and asked what
1t was The mans lips moved ana Il
look came on his face which seemed
to say that be knew what 1t was hut
could not say. Then Professor Book.
enheimer came to the rescue. "What
do we do with 1T" he asked. An ap
parent tremendous mental effort. then
the reply. Smoke"
Correct" said the professor. ''Now
what IL itT' This time the brain and
tongue worked and the answer was
correct.
Hours have to be spent by the
nurses teaching these men all over
again." explained the professor. 1T
requires amending patience and perse
verance."
Many cases Of plastic surgery were
shown. Men with most Of their faces
smashed away were being brought
back to life with parts Of their bodies
grated to cover the terrible gaping
holes. Many would be much better
dead. but the doctors feel it is their
duty to save all they can.
1--WE do not ask the wounded wheth.
er they want to live or die" explained
Professor Bockenheimer.
At the main French hospital Profess
sor Manasse Of Stuttgart was In
charge. Here, too. nurses were teach
ing men to tnlk again. and terrible
wrecks of humanity were being patch
ed up.
An Air Mans Exploit.
Two iron crosses Of the first and Sec
ond class pinned to the wall over
cot attracted my attention. The pa
tient was young Fritz Lucht. air man.
whose latest deed fills one Of the
brightest pages Of the annals Of aerial
battles Of the great war.
With an officer as observer he was
attacked while flying north Of Rheims.
They were attacked by French mono
plane armed with machine gun
Lucht and his officer had only their pts.
tolls Round and round they clrcled.
each trying to gain the advantage BY
getting above the other At 5000 feet
the French plane gained its position
and the German was riddled. The des.
perate eight vas visible from the lines
Of both armies.
Lucht was shot through the liver and
lung. but he realized that his officer
had maps and observations that were
badly needed. So he planned downward
toward the German lines. landing just
inside them. Soldiers removed the two
men. just as the French artillery. hav
ing secured the range. demolished the
plane with we'll placed shots. In the
hospital General Won Emmich pinned
the decorations on the aviators shirt.
He will probably recover.
PIN IN BODY SlxTY.FIVE YEARS