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


p10OleUSs mA0c SV0PAS'-
plans for a satisfactory army, fol
ships, aeroplanes, and equipment
stffled profiteering and are man
aging about food. Now comes the
most wonderful news of all. 1t ii
going to bring reinsurance and
happiness to the home Of the sol.
der. What it is going to do for the
future Of our country can hardly be
calculated.
Summed up in phrase, we have
eliminated the words, derelict and
cripple from the National diction.
a9V.
Hereafter we will see none of the
wasted manhood which kept alive in
tie National consciousness, through
the long years following the Civil
and Spanish Wars, the tragic conse-
sueuces of warfare. There are to
be no more instances of helpless
veterans existing on pension, USE
less to themselves, drag upon their
families, q source of irritation to
the communities in which they
dwell. It is the announced pur-
pese of the United States Govern
ment to make the victims of shat
teeing bullet and shell not only use
ful members of society, butt
sounds incredible and becomes con-
vincing only because of the source
whence it emanates-in many in
stances-more useful, more con-
tented. more successful than before
nAey doaned the uniform of Uncle
sem.
Surgeon General Gorges-the ma
e;1dsn who expelled mosquitoes and
fever from Panama, so that the can
al could be built without wastage of
hxnaan life-is the inspiration and
driving force behind the new idea.
As early as last May he had worked
it cut definitely enough to warrant
sending aboard for investigation
Major j. E. Goldthwait. Major
Gsldthwait had been a surgeon in
civil life and an expert in orthoped-
ic surgery. Abandoning his private
practice at the request of the Gov
erumcnt, Major Goldthwait, accom-
panied by a number of other sur
rcons, went over to England and
France and made thorough study
sf the work done in the so-called re-
construction hospitals
In the meantime Surgeon Gener-
Il Gorgas had not been idle. He
had developed a theory as to what
should be. done. The basic feature
Il this theory called for experts in
new science-the Science of HUI
man Engineering.
The soldier victim to be regarded
- a smashed machine. To restore
this machine, possibly to recon-
sruct it, would require the highest
End of skill in engineering Of va
rious sorts. There would be the
surgeon, first Of all. This surgeon
weuld have to be an expert in or
tAspedic surgery. For such an
army rs America will within the
next year or two have on the West
efn Front, General Gorgas estimat-
ID that 600 expert orthopedic sur
Eeons would be required. There
IRE at the present in the whole Uni
ted States about $50. But the
General knew-and his judgment
was confirmed BY Major Goldthwait |
pon his return to this country
hat in the theatre Of the war men
u preliminary training could be
aAde experts in short order. Ma
Isr Goldthwait reported that the ex-
'erience gained in three months at I
De front would more than equal
hAt which q surgeon would have in
vhole life time Of civil practice.
So much for the medical enei-
leess-who viii control only Q part
{ the proposed reconstructive
vOrk. The Psychological analyst
aust follow the surgeon. Here
seneral Gorgas started with anoth-
( fundamental theory. Many men,
e decided, are forced by circum-
tanees or by environment into vo-
ations for which they are not
extaculariy fitted. It is the old
MY Of the. square peg in the !,
md hole. n
Win . man diverted from his
INNER occupation b the loss Of q
:. - Am ar some otheF physical !