The patriot. (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955, 1918-09-13
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@&1EMl@ME0E 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, ana 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 cover there minus an arm or
a leg blind deaf, otherwise handicapped,
better chance of reinstatement as useful mem
her of society than was afforded to any of the
soldiers of the allies in the first two or three
years of the war.
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 it's war 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 as well
as particular methods out of the bitter experience
of war. in this as in other phases of the great
conflict writes Frank Parker Stockbridge in New
York Times.
II was not until after the United States en-
tered the warm May, 1917, to be exact-that
there was anything like a complete exchange of
experiences and principles evolved from them In
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
10 II 1917 at which delegates from the United
States surgeon generals office sat for the first
time as representatives of their nation at war.
came an international interchange of knowledge
and ideas concerning the war cripple. AT sec
ond conference held in London last November,
permanent .interallied committee was established
IL, hax.o ire haGH rfpFS N q
1nanent institute for the disabled, endowed by
the French government with 10000 francs $780,
OOO) for building and equipment, and maintained
by annual appropriations of 10000 francs ($6,000)
each by the different allied nations represented.
Already this clearing house of scientific and
economic information for the benefit OF the war
cripple has done invaluable work in enabling the
warning nations to profit by each others expert
ences and mistakes. Not the least valuable con-
tributions have come from American sources, our
army surgeons having had opportunities for COM
parative observation of methods In vogue in diff
ferent countries denied to those whose nations
had been actually at war 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 to 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 on continuously and cumulatively
throughout the period of his hospital care.
This is especially true in the of the sol
dier who has lost limb or who has been blinded.
One of the most important lessons gained from
the experience of the allies, IL 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 1t is surgical Oh
economic The experience Of the French authori-
ties who had TO deal with terrific proportion OF
mutiIes in the first two years of the war, was
disheartening Fewer than II per cent of dis
abled soldiers expressed desire or even willing
ness TO learn how to do useful work. large
nronortion had 'lost their nerve" at the same
time that they lost their limbs or their eyesight
most of them felt that they had done enough fol
their country-that the nation owed them theil
living without effort Because facilities for TIL
early employment of patients, even at trivial &C
cupations were 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 dc
yree from that of the other allied nations. y
avoid a similar experience, and not only CIV
every crippled soldier the best possible chanc
to become self-supp0rting. but to insure that
avails himself of the opportunity thus afforded
the psychological and economic rehabilitation 9
every American incapacitated by his injuries 70
further military service will begin with and g
on parallel with his physical rehabilitation
which, in turn, will be a process not merely 9
SCRATCHING II SSsat of the actual development
N AFr utg1 sssefuiness of all the injured man
a 7aiiing physical powers
WRle first reaction OF the man VINO mas los.
limb is utter despair. He Is dome for in nj
own estimation .Nobody has any use for eriT
pIe.n is the way In which nine out OF ten expires
il. Unless he Is a man whose former occupa
ton has been mental, not dependent upon IN
use OF his physical energies, he sees no ray :
none for his own future. Unless lmmedlatei
rectified. this state Of mind quickly becomes nAe
and all but rremediable. 80 the nrsl slep
,va,d rehobiljfation. which win begin almost q
soon rs the injured man comes out from unds
the anesthetic, is what they are terming In q
surgeon generals office -cheer-up WORK.
every means that can be devised the cripple :
he convinced that his case is not hopeless tn