Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-09-19
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49, H.|Er peTleuCS Ol tnt HitsS ana IIt
central powers, studied at first hand by a corps
Of specialists, and supplemented by cooperative
research under the direction Of the Red Gross
Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men, and the
National Association of Manufacturers. a pro-
eramme 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 an arm or
n leg, blind, deaf, or otherwise handicapped, a
better chance of reinstatement as Il 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 its 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
rs particular methods out of the bitter experience
of war. In this us In other phases Of the great
conflict, writes Frank Parker stockbridge in New
York Times.
1t was not until after the United States en-.
tered the WARM May. 1917, to be exact-that
there WAS anything like Il 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 coinbatant, held in Paris May
s to 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 IN International interchange Of knowledge
and ideas concerning the war cripple. At n sec
ond conference, held In London last November, a
permanent interalied committee was established
which will have It's headquarters in a new per-
manent institute for the disabled, endowed by
the French government with 10000 francs $780,
900 for building and equipment. and maintained
by annual appropriations OF 10000 francs $4,000
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-
tribUtinns have come from American sources. our
army surgeons having had opportunities for COM
paratiye 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.
Tho 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 te WcalHClAatliS INJURY
and carried on continuously and cunulatively
throughout the period Of his hospital care.
This Is especially true in the case of the sol
der who has lost q limb, or who has been blinded.
One of the most important lessons gained from
the experience of the allies. II not the most i'm
portant. is that the problem of the restoration TO
usefulness Of the crippled soldier is a psycho-
logical one, even more than it is surgical or
economic. The experience Of the French autlori-
ties, who had to deal with n terrific proportion OK
mutiles in the first two years Of the war, was
dishcartening. Fewer than II per cent Of dis
ubled soldiers expressed a desire or even willing
ness to learn how to do useful work. A large
proportion had "lost their nerve at the same
time that they lost their limbs or their eyeslght.
most Of them felt that they had done enough for
their country-that the nation owed them their
living without effort. Because facilities for tht
early employment Of patients, even at trivial oc
cupations, were lacking In the military hospitals
they had acquired the habit Of idleness which
when once fixed, IL almost ineradicable.
The experience Of France differed only In de
gree from that Of the other allied nations. It
avoid a similar experience, and not only give
every crippled soldier the best possible chance
TO become self.snpporting, but to insure thar ht
avnIls himself Of the opportunity thus afforded
the psychological and economic rehabilitation OF
every American incapncitated by his injuries fol
fuftncf military service Will UeBlu Will wv ~
on parallel with his physical rehabilitation
which, in turn, will be Il process not merely o
patching up but Of the actual development Il
their utmost usefulness Of oil the injured man
remaining physical powers.
The first reaction Of the man who has lost
limb IL utter despair. He Is "done for" In hi
own estimation. "Nobody has any use for a Grip
plc," Is the way In which ninc out OF ten express
Il. Unless he Is n man whose former occupa
ton has been mental. not dependent upon tn
use Of his physical energies. he sees no ray o
hope for his own future. Unless lmmcdiateI!
rcciiRcd, this state Of mind quickly becomes hxe'
and all but lrrcInedlable. So the first step to
ward rehabilitation, which will begin almost n
soon AZ the injured man comes out from unde
the ancsthetic, IL what they are termIns IN ~
surgeon generals office "cheer.up work." b
every means that can be devised the cripple 10 I
ba convinced TINT his case Il not hopeless, tna
he still has chances Of becoming ognln q uscfu