Evening star., 1919-04-13
DISABLED FIGHTERS
ITO HAVE FREE CARE
Plans Being Perfected for
Curing Soldiers, Sailors
and Marines.
1000 BEDS READY NOW

Great strides toward perfected or
ganization for free medical attention
for any soldier sailor or marine who
was accepted for service during the
war with Germany and who has been
discharged for physical disability con-
tracted in the line of duty are oelnS
made by the war risk insurance ou-
,reau and the public health service. to
which the duty of caring for these
men has been assigned by law.
The public health service. 1T was
learned yesterday. has upward OF
1000 beds for the discharged military
and naval patients in newly ACQUIRED
hospitals. and is rapidly acquiring
more The professions is;sion pefsehne tbe nublic
health service in the last month mas
been doubled. officers being assigned
from other divisions and seventy-nVe
reserve officers having been called In
$e, ,o0o, 900 for Hospitals.
Under the law passed by Congress
just before 1t adjourned the pupllc
So. 900, 900 to be used in the purchase
lease and construction OF hospitals
| to be used in the care OF the dlsa aoleo
| soldiers and sailors who are dls-
charged. One of the items was S55o.-
600 to erect hospital in the District
Of Columbia on government-owned
land The public health service at
present is able to look after the men
who are discharged here now. ana
! the need Of the new hospital IS not
| therefore, to build a hospital here
which shall be In every way q model.
Sites have been discussed in an In
formal way, but SO far nothing has
| ~A4@ hvr w
that the matter will be taken up soon
and that the erection OF the hospital
| will begin.
In a statement given out by the war
risk insurance bureau last night. 1t
was announced that all men who are
can trace their disability to their
military or naval service will receive
| the free medical treatment.
| Do Not Know of Law.
Due to the fact that a large majority
| of the discharged men are not aware
of their rights under the war risk in
surance- act. the bureau has not yet
been able to bring under medical at
tention a large proportion of those
! whom 1t seeks to serve and who are
entitled by law to this service, it was
said.
! Medical authorities estimate that
more than $4,000 men have been dis
charged from the service with tuber-
icular trouble. Less than 5000 of those
men have yet availed themselves of
the privilege of free treatment. Large
numbers of men have been discharged
from the service with organic dis
orders and many with peculiar nerv-
Gus disorders. They are entitled to
medical treatment and it will be fur
nished them upon their application to
hr9r af n "a N n q
provided their troubles disable them
to the extent of 10 per cent. Under
the Interpretation of the war risk in
surance act. any man accepted as
physically At for service was sound
and any disability which may have
become apparent is assumed to be due
to causes sustained in the line of duty
Not only is the man entitled to treat
ment. but he is also entitled to COM
jpensation at a fixed rate each month
in proportion to his disability.
Apply to q. S. Health Officer.
Any discharged soldier or sailor dis
| abled during his service may make
application for treatment to the United
States public health officer of his dis
! trict. through whom he will receive
immediate attention If his case de-
| mands 1t. If the case does not de-
,mand immediate attention the disabled
person should communicate directly
with the bureau of war risk insurance
in Washington. making claim fol
monthly compensation and medical at.
tention.
/ Under the act of Congress providing
that the public health service should
look to these discharged and disabled
men, direction was made that the hos.
pitals in many of the camps should be
turned over to that service. The base
hospital. Camp Sewer, S. c., is being
used for tubercular patients. The base
hospitals at Camp Logan. Tex: Camp
lBeauregard. La; Camp Hancock. Ga.
Camp Sheridan. Ala, and Camp John
| ston. Fla, are in the process of being
taken over now. At least a part of the
government nitrate plant at Perry.
Vile, Md, will be used for hospital
purposes.
Nervous Disorders Treated.
The act of Congress provided $780,
900 for the purchase of hospital build.
service for the discharged men. A
building at Wausheka, Wis. already
has been purchased. and medical Off
GERS are being ordered there now. Al
this hospital nervous disorders will
be treated. 1t has hitherto been used
as a sanatorium.
The Hines Hospital-the Speedway
Hospital-which the government has
purchased for this use. will have a
capacity of 1000 patients. 1t is being
completed now. with some alterations
in the original plans. and will be
ready to receive patients within the
next three or four months. The es-
tablishment of large laboratories in
connection with the hospital is under
contemplation. The base hospital al
Camp Fremont. Calf. also is ready for
the discharged patients.
Named to Receive Applications
Yesterday officers were appointed
by the public health service to re-
iceiue annlica finns in nractically every