The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-09-12
I
|E'[l|

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-
eramme has been worked out by the surgeon gen
erals office of the army which Is calculated to
insure every soldier of the United States who
comes back from "Over there" minus an arm or
leg blind. deaf, otherwise handicapped a
better chance of reinstatement as II useful mem
her of society than was 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 maimed 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
work at some useful occupation with the slight
est possible delay after his injury. The allies
have had to evolve their general plans well
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.
1t was not until after the United States en-
tered the war-in May, 1917, to he exact-that
there was anything like a complete exchange of
experiences and principles evolved from them In
respect to the cripple. Out of the first inter-
allied conference on reconstruction and re-educa-
lion of the disabled combatant held in Paris May
to H. 1917. at which delegates from the United
States surgeon generals office sat for the first
time representatives of their nation ut war
an International interchange of knowledge
and ideas concerning the war cripple At
onL conference. held In London last November a
permanent interned committee established
which will have its headquarters In new per-
manent Institute for the disabled. endowed by
the French government with 10000 francs ($3O
ooO) 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
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 lenst valuable con-
tributiOns have come from American sources.
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 mt 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 a self
supporting status. and by far the most important
steps. must be begun almost Immediately after
the soldier receives the incapactating injury
and carried on continuously and cumuativey
throughout the period of his hospital
This is especially in the of the SOL
der who has lost 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 psyche
logical one. even more than 1t is surgical or
economic. The experience of the French authOr-
ties, who had to deal with terrific proportion OF
mutiles in the first two years of the war, was
disheartenng. Fewer than II per cent Of dis
abed soldiers expressed desire even willing
to learn how to do useful work large
proportion had lost their nerve" ut the same
time that they lost their limbs their eyesight.
most of them felt that they had done enough for
their cOuntry-that the nation owed them their
living without effort. Because facilities for the
early employment of patients. even ut trivial Oc-
cupatOns. were lacking In the military hospitals,
they had acquired the habit of deness which.
when fxed Is almost ineradicnbe. -
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 sef-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 will 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 mans
remaining physical powers.
The first reaction of the man who has lost
limb is utter despair. He Is done for" in his
own estimation. Nobody has any use for Grip
pIe," is the way in which nine out of ten express
It, Unless he is whose former occupa
tion has been mental. not dependent upon the
use of his physical energies, he sees no ray of
hope fer his future. Unless Immediately
rectified ,hts state of mind quickly becomes fixed
and niI but irremedahle. So the first step to-
ward rehabilitation. which will begin almost as
soon the injured man comes out from under
the anesthetic is what they terming In the
surgeon generals office "cheer-up work" Ry
eycry means that can be deuised the cripple is to
he convinced that his is not hopeless. that
H.. stil hus chances of becoming again a useful