The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1919-01-18
MEDICS PUZZLED
BY DOCTOR" VAN
His Cure of Shell Shock Cases in
France Astonishes
Physicians.
never STUDIED Medicine

Sergeant Accomplishes Wonderful Re-
suits in Treatment Of Patients Suf.
ferino From Nervous Attic. !;
tions-says He Is Not
.s....e,.-,.s-a.-sHypnotlss.
Paris.-''Doctor"@V Van isn't doctor
really-that is, he has never been in
side medical school. He is not COM
missioned officer, either. Two days
after war was declared in America he
enlisted in one of the cities of the mid
die West and came over as a private.
He is sergeant now. His experiences
driving an ambulance first, and after
that in the front line and then in vari- !
GUS camps in France until he was sent
to base hospital as patient-wOuld
fill several diaries, if he keeps such
things, which I doubt.
But there are a great 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 well again, they will not let |
| him go from the hospital, because a
transfer is long and tedious bust
ness to bring about, and they need him
there to help out with the patients.
He was out of bed only day or so
himself when he came across two boys
in one of the wards who had been in
the hospital since April. They had been
shell shocked, and in all those months,
from April to September, they had
grown scarcely any better.
Asks Leave to Try.
"Captain," Sergeant Van said one
morning to the doctor in charge of the
ward, "do you mind if I see what I
can do for those men there? I think
[ may be able to help them out bit if
you don't mind"
The captain looked at him interest.
eddy. If it had been any other man the
captain would have been Indifferent,
perhaps. But Sergeant Van has way
with him.
ooh, go ahead, Van,' the captain
agreed. do anything you blame
please"
Next morning on his rounds the cap
, tain stopped beside the bed of the first
IF the two men who had been shell
shocked.
Flows it coming this morning,
boys?" he asked.
tie 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-
scious, five months before.
At that moment Sergeant Van hove
1ad plate of milk toast-a plate the
BOY in bed followed with an interested
> gaze.
"Beg pardon, SIR" Sergeant Van
said, saluting, ''but must ask you to
wait until my patient has had his
breakfast before you talk with him."
The astonished captain allowed him
self to be waved from the bed to the
nearest chair and watched in amaze
> nent 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
D every appearance of keen interest in
J his food. The day before the boy had
not been able to swallow anything but
the spoon.
, The captain beckoned Sergeant Van
, to the end of the ward.
did you do that?" he demanded.
n eyes, SIR" admitted Sergeant Van.
"How in blue blazes"-began the
captain and paused for lack Of words.
~Tll show you if you like, SIR
l. II would like" ordered the captain.
3 Astonishes the Doctors.
. So Van showed him, though the doc
7, tor couldn't quite make it out at that
just what Van did. He stroked their
r heads little and massaged their
g threats a bit, and all the time he
?. talked to item in the quietest voice in
It the world. Ten minutes after he be.
g gan the boys were asleep, naturally
r without tremor in the bodies that
Y had been nerve-wracked for weeks
If The doctor looked at Sergeant Van
helplessly, and left shaking his head.
Is Two weeks later Sergeant Van held
J. q clinic before major general of the
II medical corps and several majors ani
e still more captains and lieutenants-
3 all men Of reputation in America a.
e, doctors. Two of his subjects were thu
men over whom he worked that frs
morning. They came into the clinic
3 clear-eyed and straight and ruddy al
81 athletes from the field.
q They passed tests that the doctor
"a couldn't pass themselves.
q Since then the shell shock cases hav
Fl been in Vans hands. The doctor
q shake their heads and wonder.
d In the camp and the hospital the;
& call him the '.hypnotist.'
. 1T isn't that I hypnotized them q
q ALL" he will tell you. II just tell Their
q that they are bigger than their nerves
q and that they can control them If the
q really want to. And show them how
A~11