The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1919-04-17
MEDICS PUZZLED
BY ''DOCTOR' VAN
Nis Cure of Shell Shock Cases in
France AstonisheS
Physicians.
never STUDIED MEDICINE
Sergeant Accomplishes Wonderful Re.
suits In Treatment of Patients SUI.
fering From Nervous Attic
tions-Says He Is Not
~ Hypnotist.

Paris.-"T)octor" Van isn't q doctor
ceally-that is, he has never been in
side medical school, He is not COM
gnissioned 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 private.
he Is sergeant now. His experiences
driving an ambulance first, and after
that in the front line and then in vari-
Dus camps in France until he was sent
to q base hospital as patient-would
all several diaries, if he keeps such
things. which 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 60 from the hospital, because a
transfer is long and tedious busi-
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
I'm 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
dnorning to the doctor in charge of the
ward, "do you mind if see what I
can do for those men there? I think
q 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
of the two men who had been shell
shocked.
Flows it coming this morning,
6oys?" he asked.
"F-f-fine, sir" was the answer, lit
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
into sight from the diet kitchen. He
had a 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
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.
eyes, SIR" admitted Sergeant Van.
"How in blue blazes"-began the
captain and paused for lack Of words.
'Tn show you If you like, sir"
81 would like" ordered the captain.
AstonIshes the Doctors.
So Van showed him, though the doc
tor couldn't quite make It out at 'that
3ust what Van did. He stroked their
heads q little and massaged their
throats a bit, and all the time he
talked to them In the quietest voice In
the world. Ten minutes after he be-
gan the boys were asleep, naturally.
without q tremor In the bodies that
had been nerve-wracked for weeks.
The doctor looked at Sergeant Van
helplessly and left shaking his head.
Two weeks later Sergeant Van held
q clinic before q major general Of the
medical corps and several majors and
still more captains and lieutenants--
an men Of reputation in America as
doctors. Two Of his subjects were the
men over whom he worked that first
morning. They came into the clinic,
clear-eyed and straight and rudy as
athletes from the field.
They passed tests that the doctors
couldn't pass themselves.
Since then the shell shock cases have
been in Vans hands. The doctors
shake their heads and wonder.
In the camp and the hospital they
call him the "hypnotist."
'"It isn't that I hypnotized them at
. ALL" he will tell you. 81 just tell them
that they are bigger than their nerves,
and that they can control them if they
really want to. And show them how,
They believe it because tell them 1t
is SO, and then, you see, they are well"
But the doctors continue to wonder
and saw that Van has discovered the