New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-27
Army Mesmerist
Curing Victims
of Shell Shock
Sergeant Denies He Hypno-
tizes Men, But Merely
Convinccs Them They
Have Power to Control
Nerves

is not commissioned officer, either.
Two days after the war WAS declared
in America nc enlisted in one of the
cities of the Middle West and came
over as a private. He is sergeant
now. His eNperiehces-dri an am
hulsnce first, and after that in the
front line and then in various camps in
France till he was sent to base hospi-
tai as patient would fiji 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
we'll again. they will not let him so
from the hospital, because q transfer
is long and tedious business to bring
shout and they need him there to help
out with the patients.
He was only out of bed day or so
himself when he came across two bows
in one of the wards who had been in
the hospital since April. One Of them
had been an Interpreter with tho
French army and the other was ma
rine from Chateau-Thierry. They had
been shell-Shocked, and in all those
months-from April TO September-
they had grown scarcely any better.
Begs for Chance to Try
"Captain,' Sergeant Van said one
morning to the doctor in charge of the
ward, do YOU mind if l see what | can
do for those men there? ! think may
be able to help them out q bit, if you
don't mind"
The captain looked at him interest
edly. II 1t had been any other man
the captain would have been inditYer-
emit, perhaps But Sergeant Van has a
way with him.
" hat do you want to do with
them ~ he wanted to know.
I'D just like to talk to them a bit,
sir, no~ and then,' Sergeant Van said.
The captain threw up his hands.
"kamerad!" he cried iovially. 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
frs Of the two men who had been
sheTlShocknd-
"How's it coming this morning,
boys" he asked
'Ff-hne, sir" was the answer,
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 hospital, uncon-
sclous, FIVE months before.
Eat With Keen Appetitcs
AT that moment, Sergeant Van hove
into sight from the diet kitchen He
had plate OF milk toast IN his hands
"a plate that the boy in bed followed
with an interested gaze.
Beg PARDON sir" Sergeant Van
said saluting. but must ask you to
waig until my patient has rad his
breakfast before you talk with him"
he astonished captain allowed him
self to be waved from the bed to the
nearest chair and watched in amaze
nent the boy devour the toas.- His
hands shook so from shell 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
The captain beckoned Sergeant Van
to the end Of the ward.
Did you do that" he demanded.
yes, sir" admitted Sergeant Van.
How in blue blazes" began the
captain and paused for lack of words.
I'll show YOU if you like, sir"
Il 10 like" ordered the captain.
Massage and Talk Are Secret
So Van showed hm. though the doc
Tor couldn't quite make ii out AT that
.ust WHIT Van did. He stroked thoir
heads d Itt.e and massa,ad theiY
tnroats bi and all the ti}ne he
talked to them in the quietest. mos
harmless sounding voice IN the world.
But ten minutes after ne began the
boys were asleep, naturally, without d
tremor IN the bodies that had been
nsrve-wlacked for weeks. The doctor
looked at Sergeant Van hclplessly and
left shaking his head
Two weeks later Sergeant Van held
clinic before major general of the
Medical Corps and several ma jors and
still more captains and lieutenants--
all men of reputation in America as
doctors Two Of his subjects were the
two men over whom he worked that
hrst morning They came into the
rudy as athletes from the field They
passed tests that the doctors couldn't
pass themselves.
one OF them, supporting himself by
his shoulders and his ankles between
TWO tables, held the weight Of four of
the huskiest Of the doctors, standing
upon him at the same time. Another
subject was huge negro who had been
Drought to the hospital the day before
ano whom Sergeant Van had never
seen. -Four hypodermics had not been
anle to quiet him, and they brought
MN in in a straitjacket 1t took Van
Just seven minutes to have him asleep.
All Cases in His Charge
Since then the she'll shock cases have
neen IN Vans hands. The doctors shake
their heads and wonder An Ameri-
can professor, we'll known for his psy-
geological research work shakes his
mead, too, and has nothing to say.
IN the camp and the hospital they
call him the "hypnotist" Perhaps he
Is. Under the management of the
,ioung Mems Christian Association he
ma! mas given a great many performances
tnat set the men into gales Of laugh
ler-regular slap-stick feats Of mes
merlc ability He laughs when you try
10 get him to explain them ooh, I
don't know" he will say But he grows
serious over his shell-shock cases.
1t isn't that | hypnotizc them at
all" he will tell you
! just tell them that they are big
ger than their nerves, and that they
can control them if they really want to.