The Benson signal., 1919-12-13
BEST Of MEDICAL AND SURGICAL RELIEF
FOR DISABLED HEROES OF WORLD WAR
How the Bureau War Risk Insurance Is Meeting the Hecu|ean
Problem Of Examining, Rating and Returning to Physical
Usefulness Minds and Bodies Wrecked in the
Great European War.

WasAington-The war has brought
brand new series of problems. Long
before the armistice was signed, con-
gFess foresaw some of the necessities
Of the situation and, starting from the
broad-angied viewpoint that man
who has been injured in the service
OF his country is not an object of
charity hut person who is entitled
TO compensation and medical relief
exactly as is the man who suffers
hurt at the hands of industry q wise
legislative prOgraln was inaugurated.
This cOntemplates that the director
of the bureau of war risk. insurance
shalt take all the necessary measures
to insure that every person who con-
tracted disease or suffered an in
fury In military service in the line of
duty during the war with Germany
shall be recompensed therefor, and
that he shall receive such medical
and surgical attention which will re-
turn him fo health or at least shall
bring him the maximum relief possi-
BILE I'm his particular case.
Furthermore, should this eX-SOldier,
satIor or marine have lost limb or
eye. or suffered any hurt for which
q mechanical device may he neces-
sa"v. that such apparatus shall be fur
nisi.ed him without cost. In further
ance of this plan congress has en-
al T.: ofy
ent is considering a bill which will
further elucidate its purpose in this
regard
National in Scope.
There is q man n Washington who
sits all day long facing gigantic
map of the United States. On it is
shown every railroad town and ham
let of the nation. Colored pins locate
the hospitals. dispensaries, medical
and surgical consultants and eXamin-
ers, all Of this being the vast field ma
chinery which the government has put
(fl motion to relieve suffering, prOlOng
life, and return to efficiency the men
and women whose minds or bodies
may have been broken in humanity's
war.
Some one asked this officer why he
always sat facing this gigantic map,
why he lifted his eyes to it so many
times during the day? The answer
was: $50 that l may always keep be-
fore me the fact that the problem is
national in it's scope and can be solved
only by the maximum breadth Of
vision"
When congress passed the war risk
insurance act little did anyone dream
Of IFS far-rea%hing effect
No human, brain could have fore
seen the multitudinous variety of
ways i'm whleh this beneficent measure
would touch the lives and happiness
OF thousands of Americans.
Much Detail Involved.
At first glance the problem appears
easy. If discharged soldier sailor,
marine. army or navy nurse. yeO-
man f) or marinette, can show that
he or she received an injury in service
or suffered an aggravatiOn of pre-
existing injury or disease, then COM
pensation and medical and surgical
treatment, if necessary, must inev-
ttably follow. If it were so simple as
This. every one of these persons would
J be able to arrange his compensation
Immediately upon his discharge from
the military forces, and it would be
unnecessary for the government to
employ special examiners and a corps
of medical specialists in order to adj
minister ttle act with justice to the
benpficiaries and to the government.
But such is not the case. In the
first place, 1t must be shown that a
claimant was actually in the military
or naval forces of the United States.
Secondly, that he suffered an injury