Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-12-23
Remarkable Cures
of ''DOcter VAN

Paris. Dec. s.-(By Main.)-"Do :
Van" isn't doctor. really-that Is, IL
has never been inside Of a medic al
school. He is not a commissioned Of
ficer, either. Two days after the war
was declared in America he enlisted
in zone Of the cities Of the middle west
and came over as private. He is a
sergeant now His experiences--driv-
.T. all ambulance. tfs:. and after that
in the front line and then in various
camps in France, still he was sent to a
base hospital as a patient. wouiu NIL
several diaries if he keeps such things,
which l doubt.
Hu., there ere god many mel II
tl,at base tospta. who owe their re-
turning health to him a. err they had
been in BID for weeks and e%en EonthS.
Nov. althc they adult that he is we'll
again, they will not let HING ir1,n
the hosp tai because a trlrs!er IS a
long and tedious business to bring
a'ou' inc they need him ther, TO l'ip
out with the patients.
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, ma
rine from Chateau Thierry. They had
been she'll shocked and in all these
months-from April to September
they had grown scarcely any better
Captain" Sergeant Van said one
morning to the doctor in charge of the
ward. do you mind if see what can
do for those men there? think may
be able to help them ont bit, If you
con mind
The captain looked at him interested
ly. II it had been any other man the
captain would have been Indifferent.
perhaps. But Sergeant Van has way
with him. -
What do you want to do with
them" he wanted to know.
I'd Just like to talk to- them bit,
sir now and then" Sergeant Yam said.
The captain threw up his hands
"Kamerad" he cried jovially "Talk
is the deadliest medicine on top Of the
earth"
az was meaning it. sir" the sergeant
said. steadily.
"O;,. 50 ahea! AN" the captain
agreed. do anything you blame
please" hd
The next rnori,ir- on mis- rounds the
captain stopped bes'de fire bed oi~the
first of the two men who had been
shell shocked.
"Hows it coming this morning.
boy?" he asked.
"F-f-f1ne. sir. was the answer. q
Little unstea6ily g!van. perhaps. hut
the captain did not notice thar. He sat
down on the bed ard looked at the boy
In omazement. T'ose we SO tho first
words he had spoken aloud since the
day he came to the hospital uncon-
scfous. five months fcfore.
At that moment Sergeant Van hive
into sight from the diet k "-b"n. lie
lad e plate OF milk toast in, his hands
Ia plate that tie boy in bad 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 taalk with him.
The astonished captain allowed him
self to be waved from the bel to the
nearest chair and watched in amaze
ment the boy devour the toast 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 the blue blazes--" began the
captain and paused for lack oftWords.
9TH show you If you like. sir"
II do like" ordered the captain.
So Van showed him. Though the
doctor couldn't quit make it out. at
that Just what Wan did. He stroked
their heads little and massaged their
threats bit and all the time he talk
ed" to- them in the quietest, most harm
less sounding voice in the world. But
ten minutes aftor he began the boys
were asleep naturally, without q tren-
or in the bodies that had been nerve
wracked fof<weeks. The doctor looked
at Sergeant Van helplessly and left
shaking his head.
Two weeks later Sergeant Van held
a clinic before major general Of the
merical corps and several majors and
still more captains and lieutenants--all
men. Of reputation in America ~ doc
tors. Two OF his subjects were the two
men over whom he worked that Arst
morning. They; came into the clinic,
clear eyed and straight and rudy q
athletes from the held. They pas0ea
tests that the doctors couldn't paAa
themselves. One OF them. suppeytias
himself BY his shoulders and his aSaiea
between two tables. held the weiSht Of
four Of the huskiest Of the Doctors
standing upon him at the sane time
Another subject was a huge nero who
had been brought tor the hospital the
days. before and whom Sergeant Var
had never seen. our4hypodermics had
| not been able to quiet him, and they
brought him In in straight:l dcket. II
took Van just seven minutes to have
him asleep. v # ss1 X .s 4 4 M H s13s
f SsNcc then the shell shock st'asss have
been II Vans hands. The doctors
ss.l H. ~ ~ S SSss
s,s RI