The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-12-27
YANK SERGEANT
PROVES A WONDER
IN CURING CASES
OF SHELL SHOCK
Effects Remarkable Cures
in French Hospital by
Suggestion
(By Associated Press.)

Paris, Dec. 27.--"Doctor Van"
isn't doctor. really-that is, he has
never been inside a medical school.
He is not commissioned officer,
either. Two days after the war was
declared in America, he enlisted in
one OF the cities of the middle west
and came over as a private. He Is a
sergeant now. His experiences
driving an ambulance, first, and after
that in the front line and then in
various camps in France till he was
sent to a base hospital as a patient,
would fill several diaries, If he keeps
such things, which / doubt.
But there are a good many men in
that base hospital who owe their re-
turning health to him, after they had
been in bed for weeks and even
months. Now, although they admit
that he is well again, they will not
let him go from the hospital, because
a transfer Is long and tedious bus
mess TO bring about, and they need
him there to help out with the pa
tents.
He was only out of bed day or
so himself when he came across two
boys in one OF the wards who had
been in the hospital since April. One
of them had been an interpreter with
the French army and the other was
a Marine from Chateau Thierry.
They had been shell-shocked, and
in all these months-from April to
September-they had grown scarcely
any better.
Sergeant Offers Services
Captain" Sergeant Van said one
morning to the doctor in charge of
the ward, do you mind If I see what
can do for those men there? I
think may be able to help them out
a bit, If you don't mind"
The captain looked at him inter-
estedly. If it had been any other
man the captain would have been
Indifferent, perhaps. But Sergeant
Van has a way with him.
What do you want to do to
fhem?" he wanted to know.
I'D just like to talk to them bit,
sir. now and then" Sergeant Van
sEaid.
The captain threw up his hands
'Kamerad," he cried ,jovially.
Talk is the deadliest medicine on
top Of the earth"
II was meaning it, sir" the SER
geant said, steadily.
"Oh.. go ahead. Van,' the captain
agreed. "Do anything you blame
please"
The next morning, on his rounds,
the captain stopped beside the bed
of the first Of the two men who had
been shell-shocked
"How's it coming this morning,
boys?" he asked.
little unsteadily given, perhaps, but
the captain did not notice that. He
sat down on the bed and looked at
the boy in amazement. Those were
the first words he had spoken aloud
since the day he came to the hoSpi-
tai. unconscious, five months before.
At that moment Sergeant Van
hove into sight from the diet kitch-
en-. He had a plate OF milk toast in
his hand--a plate that the boy in bed
Followed with an interested gaze.
BEG pardon, sir" Sergeant Van
said, saluting, "but I must ask you
to wait until my patient has had his
breakfast before you talk with him.
The astonished captain allowed
himself to be waved from the bed to
the nearest chair and watched in
amazement the boy devour the toast.
His hands shook so, from she'll
shock, that he could scarcely manage
It. but he was propped up and fed
himself, with every appearance of
keen interest in his food. The day
before the boy had not been able to
swallow anything but liquid food,
and he couldn't have held the spoon.
Shows the Captain How
The captain beckoned Sergeant
Van to the end OF the ward.
Did you do that?" he demanded.
Eyes, sir" admitted Sergeant Van.
How in blue blazes,-" began the
captain and paused for lack of
words.
I'm show you If you like, SIR
Il do like" ordered the captain.
SO Van showed him. Though the
doctor couldn't quite make it out, at
that just what Van did. He stroked
their heads a little, and massaged
their threats a bit. and all the time
he talked" to them in the quietest,
most harmless sounding voice in the
world. But ten minutes after he be-
gan the boys were asleep, naturally,
without tremor in the bodies that
had been nerve-wracked for weeks.
The doctor loked at Sergeant Van
helplessly and left shaking his head.
Clinic Held for Doctors
Two weeks later Sergeant Van
held q clinic before a major general
1885, 4rrsszs ~as.-a go --vsvu .--