Connecticut western news., 1917-07-12
TO RECONSTRUCT
OUR WAR WRECKS
Big Estate In New Jersey Open
ed For Service In August.
TRADES WILL BE TAUGHT

Three of These Hospitals Are to Be
Put In Operation Under the Admin
istration of the Red Gross, Where
Manned Soldiers Can Be Restored to
Their Former Usefulness.
No branch of war relief work has
proved more important in Europe than
that done In the reconstruction" hos
pitfalls far from the front. In these
hospitals men suffering from bone
wounds and men with missing men,
bers are reconstructed" and taught
useful trades so that they may not be
a burden to themselves or to the COM
munity.
The United States will have three of
these Reconstruction" hospitals adj
ministered under control of the Red
Cross, and the first of these will be
opened late in August at Iselin, N. j.,
on a tract of land donated by Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles d. Freeman. This site
Is ideal for the purpose. 1t is situated
on high ground covered with woods
and pleasant fields.
Here the cOnvalescents will be re-
celved and restored to their former
spheres of usefulness or taught new
trades. Missing limbs will be replaced
by artificial ones and every effort made
to prove to them that their sacrifices
to democracy have not been in vain.
Can Accommodate 1000 Men.
Announcement nf tha orIf anJ A.
plans for opening the hospital is made
by DR.. Fred II. Albee, who will be in
charge of the work. DR.. Albees sue
cess In bone surgery makes him the
ideal head Of the institution, as he has
won fame for himself in the medical
profession by the practice of this
branch of surgery, made so necessary
by the war
The site Is on the Pennsylvania rail-
road, and there between 500 and 1000
men can be accommodated, DR.. Albee
says. The work of restoring men to
the fullest possible use of their limbs
or giving to them such substitutes as
come second to none in war relief. 1t
was the knowledge of this need which
led Mr.. and Mrs. Freeman to offer their
estate through DR.. Albee.
DIR. Albee went to France last year
and spent three months holding clinics
at various base hospitals. When he
returned he was the first to discover
that he Freeman estate was the ideal
place for such Il reconstruction hoSpi-
tai. Army officers who have examined
the place since the offer was made say
that the big house might have been
built for hospital purposes, as not even
a room will have to. be altered.
Artificial Limbs Made on Spot.
In the center of the house Is a
large hall, sixty-five feet long and
thirty-five feet wide, which runs up
two stories and is perfectly adopted
to war purposes. On the second floor
a gallery runs about the hall with
many rooms opening from it. The
x ray and operating rooms will be on
the second floor and are so convenient
ly arranged that they will not have to
be changed in the least.
One of the best features of the house
from a hospital point of view is the
piazza, which runs for 100 feet along
one side. The rooms of the second
floor on that side open on to the piaz-
"a roof, which forms balcony, and
the two levels will provide Sufficient
accommodation for patients who are
well enough to be wheeled out into the
air and sunshine for a part of the day.
In addition to the house and bunga-
low wards there will be buildings
where braces and artificial limbs will
be manufactured and gymnasium in
which the men can slowly work their
strained muscles back to strength.
Also there will be a building in which
they can be taught trades for which
their condition may fit them, so when
they go back into the world they will
be able to support themselves.