Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-09-19


yeA@Gs.1.S2v Based upon the combined ex-
-perience of the allies and the
central powers studied at first hand by corps
of specialists, and supplemented by cooperative
research under the direction of the Red Cross
Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men, and the
National Association of Manufacturers pro-
gramme has been worked out by the surgeon gen.
erals office of the army which is calculated to
insure to every soldier of the United States who
comes back from "over there" minus
leg blind, deaf otherwise handicapped
better chance of reinstatement useful mem
Der of society than afforded to any of the
soldiers of the allies in the first two three
years of the
Germany alone the only nation that was pre-
pared for this war, had included detailed plans
for the reconstruction of MANNED and mutilated
soldiers in its program from the beginning,
and under its autocratic system of government
has been able to enforce these plans. with the
result that every crippled German soldier is put
to work at some useful occupation with the slight
est possible delay after his injury. The allies
have had to evolve their general plans well
as particular methods out of the bitter experience
of war, in this in other phases of the great
conflict, writes Frank Parker Stockbridge in New
York Times.
1t not anti after the United States en-
tered the warm May, 1917, to be exact-that
there anything like complete exchange of
experiences and principles evolved from them
respect to the war cripple Out of the first inter
allied conference on reconstruction and re-educa-
ton of the disabled combatant held in Paris May
TO II, 1917, at which delegates from the United
States surgeon generals office sat for the first
time representatives of their nation war,
international interchange of knowledge
and ideas concerning the war cripple. At a sec
ond conference held in London last November a
permanent interaffied committee established
which will have its headquarters in per-
manent institute for the disabled endowed by
the French government with 10000 francs $780,
00O) for building and equipment. and maintained
by annual appropriations of 10000 francs (S6OOO)
each by the different allied nations represented.
Already this clearing house of scientific and
he of he
cripple has done invaluable work in enabling the
warning nations to profit by each others expert
ences and mistakes. Not the least valuable
tributions have come from American sources our
army surgeons having had opportunities for
parative observation of methods in vogue in diff
ferent countries denied those whose nations
had been actually at for three years. The
United States, therefore. will begin its work of
restoration with the accumulated experience of
nearly four years to build upon.
The first steps toward reinstatement a self
supporting status, and by far the most important
steps, must be begun almost Immediately after
the soldier receives the incapacitating injury
and carried continuously and cumulatively
throughout the period of his hospital
This is especially true in the of the sol
der who has lost limb. who has been blinded
One of the important lessons gained from
the experience of the allies if not the most i'm
portant. is that the problem of the restoration to
usefulness of the crippled soldier is a psyche
logical one. even more than it is surgical or
economic The experience of the French authori-
Ties, who had to deal with terrific proportion of
mutiles in the first two years of the war. was
disheartening. Fewer than IL per cent of dis
aSed soldiers expressed 4 desire even willing
to learn how to do useful work. A large
proportion had lost their nerve" the same
time that they lost their limbs their eyesight
most of them felt that they had done enough for
their country--tfiat the nation owed them their
living without effort. Because facilities for the
early employment of patients. even at trivial oc-
cupstions We're lacking in the military hospitals.
they had acquired the habit of idleness which.
when once fixed. is almost ineradcable-
The experience of France differed only in de-
gree from that of the other allied nations To
avoid similar experience. and not only give
every crippled soldier the best possible chance
to become self-supporting. but to insure that he
avails himself of the opportunity thus afforded.
the psychological and economic rehabilitation of
every American incapacitated by his injuries for
further military service VIII begin with and go
on parallel with his physical rehabilitation.
which. in turn. will be process not merely of
| patching up but of the actual development to
their utmost usefulness of all the injured man 5
remaining physical powers
The first reaction of the man who has lost a
limb Is utter despair He is dome for" in his
own estimation. Nobody has any for Grip
pie" rs the way in which nine out of express
IL. Unless he is n whose former occupa-
| ton has been mental. dependent upon the
use OF his physical energies he sees no ray of
hope for his future Unless Immediately
rectiied this state of mind quickly becomes liked
and all but frremediable- So the first step to-
| ward rrhabili tation which will begin almost ms
soon as the injured comes out from under
| the anesthetic is what they termng In the
| surgeon generals office -cheer-up work" By
every means that can be devised the cripple Is to