Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-05

s1o-o g er
reoer Seevice. 80;
g CIENCE is playing
double part in
the great war. 1t
Is doing all it can, by SsEEasz
devising new weapons
and agencies OF war, to
convert useful mem S8s
bers OF society into a
helpless crppies, and
at the same time it rs
actively engaged in the
more benevolent task
of converting into use
full units OF society
again the human wrecks 1t has helped
to make.
II is hard TO say in which OF these con-
Trajectory activities the more ingenuity
has been developed.
At the present time. it has been esti-
mated. there are more than two million
men in Europe who have suffered the
loss OF limbs. faculties or both. as re-
suit Of injuries in the war. This great
army OF cripples is being augmented at
the rate of half a million or more year
II the war lasts another two or three
years the number of armlcss. lcgless and
Nkho
rope may easily approach FIVE million.
From an economic standpoint. it is bet
ter for the community that soldier be
killed than crippled for life. While tho
average normal man Is regarded as be-
Ing worth definite sum to the com:
munity. which has been estimated at
several thousand dollars. and his death
results in an actual loss TO the com
munity Of that amount the loss to the
community resulting from the permanent
incap actation OF q normal man is. OF
course, much greater. Instead OF being
an asset TO the state, the helpless Grip
pie becomes an actual burden.
For this reason great efforts are being
made the world over TO cope with one
Of the greatest economic problems which
the war will create. Science has devised
and is now devisng various appliances
and devices to help the crippled and to
make them selfsupporting. but the prob
lem was never before presented on 80
great scale as it now exists, and 1t is
doubtful whether the devices available
TO-DAY will be sufficient in number or
character to meet the demands or the
future.
Nevertheless, some wonderful progress
has been recently made in prostnesis, as
the science of making artificial parts to
supply human defects is called. Arti-
fetal hands, arms, legs and feet which
practically duplicate the functions Of the
normal ones have been made available,
and these appliances are being improved
upon every day.
More important. perhaps, is the ad
vance that has been made in the methods
OF teaching crpples to use their arti-
fetal limbs in the most advantageous
manner SO that their physical handicaps
In the pursuit Of livelihood may be
most adequately compensated.
Mr.. Frank B. Gilbreth Wei, known as
all eHlSiCuSs CHSlllcei, ueSOlcu COn-
siderable attention TO this subject and
has done much to help solve the problem.
He divides the army of cripples pro-
duCed by the war into three classes, as
follows: Men who have previously done
chiefly mental work; men who have dor.e
chiefly physical work, but whose capatil-
tiles will allow them to BIO transferred to
mental work; and men who have done
physical work and whose capabilities and
lnclinations are confined to physical
work. 1t is the third class, he declares,
which presents the most serious prob
lem. Unless they are to become bur-
den to the community and themselves,
they must be fitted for some sort OF pro-
ductive work.
To find out just what vocations are
most appropriate for various types of
cripples and to devise tho best means
for training the individuals, Mr.. Gilbreth
has brought the motion picture camera
into use. By taking motion pictures of
a worker actually engaged in an indus
trial occupation. 1t Is possible to chart
and analyZe the motions he goes through
land to ascertain what class az criDDlaa