The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1917-12-07
Uncle Sam Plans to Build Large
Number of Reconstruction
Hospitals.
EQUIP MEN FOR new WORK
Surgical Experts VIII Endeavor to Re
turn Wounded Fighters to Civil
Life as seIf-supportino
Citizens.

caring for the wounded has undergone
radical change during the months OF
study given the subject by experts
serving with the Medical Officers Re.
serve corps and others consulting with
them. Instead of the old idea that
responsibility ended with the return
Of the soldier to private life with his
wounds healed and such pension as
he might be given, 1t Is now considered
that it is the duty of the government
to equip and re-educate the wounded
man, after healing his wounds, and to
return him to civil life ready to be as
useful to himself and his country as
possible.
To carry out this idea Uncle Sam's
plans are well under way for building
reconstruction hospitals" In large cen.
ters of population. Sites have been
chosen, in the following cities: Bos-
ton. New York, Philadelphia, Balti-
more, Washington, Buffalo, Cincinnati,
Chicago, st. Paul, Seattle, San Fran.
cisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Kansas
City, st. Louis, Memphis, Richmond,
Atlanta, and New Orleans. Those in
Boston, New York, Washington, and
Chicago will probably be constructed
first Each will be built as 50Q-bed
hospital. but with provision for en-
largement to 1000 beds If needed.
Training to Be Given.
These hospitals will not be the last
step In the return of the wounded sol
diers to civil life. When the soldiers
are able to take up Industrial train.
ing. further provision will be ready.
The injured man may be retrained to
his previous occupation to conform
with his handicapped condition or
retrained for new industry COM
patible with that condition. Addition
al education will be given to those fit-
ted for 1t, and men may In some cases
be returned to more valuable work
than that from which they were called
to war. Workshops will be provided
at the hospitals, but arrangements will
also be made with outside Industries
whereby more elaborate methods Of
training may be carried on. An EN-.
ployment bureau will be established
to place men so trained In different
parts of the United States.
. This whole matter comes under the
department of military ,orthopedic
surgery recently. organized in the
medical department of the army.
Arrangements have been made by
the department Of military orthopedics
to care for soldiers, so far as ortho-
pedics (the prevention Of deformity)
is concerned, continuously until they
are returned either to active service or
civil life. Orthopedic surgeons will be
attached to the medical force near
the firing line and to the different hos
pitals back to the base orthOpedic hos
pital, which will be established within
100 miles Of the firing line. In this
hospital, in addition to orthopedic sur.
gical care, there will be equipment for
surgical reconstruction work and sour
ative workshops" In which men will
acquire ability to use injured members
while doing work interesting and use
full In itself. This method has sup
planted the old and tiresome one Of
prescribing a set of motions for a
man to go through with no purpose
than to reacquire use of his injured
part.
1t Is not the intention that men able
to go back to the firing line shall be
returned to this country unless their
convalescence will extend over a period
Of a considerable number Of months.
Soldiers unable to return to duty will
be sent to the reconstruction hospitals
In the United States.
instructors and Examiners.
Instructors and examiners for all the
camps are also being furnished by the
department Of military orthopedic sur
gerry A number of older and more ex-
perienced surgeons will act ais instruc-
tors and supervisors for each of the
groups into which the camps will be
divided; a number of orthopedic sur
geons will be detailed as attending
surgeons at each camp to act as ex-
aminers and as consultants to the
camps other surgeons; directions are
being provided for instruction Of med
ical officers in military orthopedlc sur
gerry, emphasis being made on foot,
back. and joint conditions as effecting
the acceptance or rejection Of re-
cruits; and careful instruction is
planned for line officers so that they
will recognize the simpler orthopedic
conditions and refer to the camp sur
geon any men who develop them.
Semimonthly inspection will be made
Of oil soldiers feet and camp surgeons
and men detailed for the purpose will
be given special instruction In care of
the feet. Courses of intensive train
ing In military orthopedic surgery are
being arranged for different universi-
ties so that the younger surgeons TAX
ing up the work may enter upon their
duties with some special preparation.
The course will occupy six weeks.