Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-30
Army Doctors Trying TO Com
fort Wounded Soldier Awakened
from Painful Dreams.

WO observations of great, interest
have recently been made by med.
cal officers attending the wounded
In the European war
One Ia that the wounded soldiers suffer
constantly from the most persistent and
frightful dreams recurring night after
night The other Is that music is very
efficaclous in restoring the minds Of sol.
dfers unbalanced by terrifying expert
ences, when all other remedies have failed.
Major Fred W. Mott. British army
surgeon attached 10 the Fourth London
General War Hospital, has given re-
markedly interesting description of his
experiences with soldiers suffering from
disorders OF the mind and nervous sys.
tenn
large proportion OF patients of this
class are troubled with agonizing dreams
which prove the most obstinate feature
Of their condition for the DOCTORS
The poor fellows make the hospitals re-
sound with their shrieks and yels as
they dream at night. Men who when
waking are idiotc. helpless and some.
times even speeches. become raving,
yelling demons again in their sleep. They
go through their fights again and sue.
cumb once more to the horrors OF the
last great catastrophe that deprived them
OF their reason.
Music, 1t is interesting 10 know. has
been found the most effective agency in
restoring to sanity minds unbalanced by
shellshock. 1t has had the effect Of
bringing back memory, speech hearing
and even sight. In these cases, where
various centres of the brain have been
disconnected and put out Of gear by
shock without gross physical injury.
music has the power of linking them to.
gether again. This action OF music is
explained by Major Mott on psychological
grounds that appear very convincing.
Here is an interesting example OF the
treatment in the case Of soldier who
was picked up insane from shell-shock:
Memory Brought
Back by Bar of Music.
"The patients mind was complete
blank, and this condition was reflected in
a dazed, mindless. masklike expression.
He did not know the address OF his home,
with the address on the top he did not
recognize it or his fathers handwriting,
When shown a photograph OF his home
with a group OF his father, mother and
three brothers and himself in front OF it,
he maintained the same wondering, dazed
expression and failed 10 recognize the
nature of the picture. His father had
heard from a comrade that he had been
buried by the explosion of she'll in the
trench he had been unconscious for
some time and lost his speech.
eve heard from his father that he was
a good musician, and | said to him. 4 hear
you are good musician and j asked him
II he could play the piano or sing: there
was the same wondering, beWildering look
and he muttered something which WAS to
the effect that he could not sing or play.
Three days later | said Come, you can
whistle God Save the King" He took
no notice. but upon pressing him he
looked up and a Gin. appeared in his
eyes, and he said. You start me- I
whistled the first bar, he took il up, and
whistled it admirably.
"I then asked him to whistle Tip
perary.' but he could not do it till
started him, and the same with several
other tunes. but once started he had no
difficulty. and recognized from the adj
mirable intonation that he was as his
father described him. an excellent must
clan. could not. however that day get
him to start upon his own initiative any
one OF the tunes he had whistled The
next visit, three days later. observed
that his expression had changed. He
smiled when | smoke to him, and recog-
nized clear evidence Of mind that had
partly found itself.
Gle could now whistle any of the
tunes had previously started him OH by
himself when l called for the tunes.
then said, Come along to the piano.
He came, and | got him to sit down in
front Of it. said. Play He looked
at the instrument with blank express
sion, as if he had never seen such a
thing before, and ! could not get him
even TO put his fingers on tho keys.
then took one Of his hands, and, holding