The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-11-01

I
ed by this difficulty. This, how
ever, would be only the first step.
It was necessary to 60 still further
to analyze the mans character,
his natural inclinations, his mode Of
! thought and finally, his talents and
possibilities Of development. To
such a degree did General Gorgas
pursue this subject that even man
who lost both arms would not be
left helpless in the competition of
civil life. If this seems impractical
and unreasonable, the answer is
that General Gorgas has in the past
proved himself wizard and may
do so again.
Following the psychological ex-
pert come the practical men who
are to develop the talents and abili-
tiles which he had discovered. Here
agar tine General worked out his
problem in practical fash"1. Ex-
erts m manufacturing, in COM
:iercc, i! silence, IN the arts, were
summoned and secured for practical
cooperation. As has been The OK
perience Of the Government in Ere
vious communicating Of business
and professional talent, General
Gorgas found all whom he APP
preached ready to abandon their
personal pursuits to assist the Gov
ernment. Men who were building
up fortunes through unusual
knowledge and abilities promptly
accepted the tasks set them by Cen
eral Gorgas, and are now formally
enlisted in this work
General Gorgas has set these men
this task: As reconstructive en-
gineers they are expected to re-
habilitate the human machines
turned over to them, so that these
may go out into the world pre-
pared to meet all corners in compc-
tition "and ask no favors."
Practically the program worked
out by General Gorgas, Major
Goldthwait and Major E. G. Brack-
EFT (who will be in charge of it in
this country is as follows:
The soldier with broken bones
will be taken in hand from the
moment that the ambulance doctor
gets in touch with him. The old
method was to take him to the first
aid hospital, then to the base hos
pital, and finally, when it was con-
venient, he would reach the hands
Of the expert surgeon. Now the
ambulance surgeon will tag him and
he will 60 direct to the orthopedic
expert. Twelve hours is the ut
most limit Of time before the spe-
cialist in reconstruction will have
him in hand. This means that
there will be American reconstruc-
ton hospitals Immediately behind
the Front.
Three months is the limit of time
that the patient will be kept in such
hospital. The first endeavor, OF
course, will be to restore him to
service; but if this isl impossible,
and his injuries compel his return
to civil life, he will be brought back
to the United States and placed in
a hospital nearest his home.
These reconstruction hospitals
will be scattered all over the coun-
try. The present plans is to have
fourteen thousand beds in hospitals
from 500 to 1000 beds
each. In these hospitals the men
will be kept until they have passed !
through the various stages already /
detailed, and are turned out self
supporting itself respecting and .
thoroughly useful members of So
ciety.
England started work of this
character in 1916 under Colonel
Robert Jones. The country and
even the experts were skeptical, but
the experience with the first hos
pital was so extraordinary that by
last July $4,000 beds were devoted
to reconstructive work. In that
first hospital, of the 1850 patients
1913 went back to the army and the
1852 were restored to
civil life in better shape than when
hey had left it.
Major Goldthwait is to have
charge Of the work abroad. Twen-
me of the men he took over with
him and last May are now officers
n the English -cconstru lion hos,
'itais. They will devote u emselves
o training hme medical men whom
dajor Goldthwait will take back
With him. Forty-five will accom-
lanv xha Maiop-;f <hau howe MT