The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-04
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BURE A u
FREDERIC J. HAEKIN. Director.
wazhinston. p. c.
HOSPITALS FOR DISCHARGED
SOLDIERS.
wa.hingtoa. .. c

Washington d. c., Feb. Tine
entire question of what care the
United States is going to give to the
soldiers who have been discharged,
suffering from illness contracted in the
service, is now up before congress
Few persons realize how many of
these men there are, and there is rea-
son to believe that good many OF
the men themselves do not under
stand their rights.
BY the provisions of the war risk
insurance law. every man who has
contracted any illness during his serv-
ice in the army, provided the symp-
toms appear within a year after his
discharge, is entitled to hospital care
at government expense. This means
that if a discharged soldier develops
tuberculosis six months after his dis
charge, the disease being directly
tracea BILE to his exposure and hardship
in the service it is the legal duty OF
the government to care for him in
sanatorium; and if he applies for such
care, the government cannot refuse to
give it.
The situation is complicated by the
fact that, under existing laws, the
army and navy hospitals cannot take
care of discharged soldiers. This
throws the burden of caring for the
discharged soldiers, who are i'll, upon
the third government medical service
the public health and marine hos
pitak service. Qhis growing organiza-
ton is now making a determined eff
fort to persuade congress to pass an
appropriation which will enable it to
give these discharged soldiers the kind
| of care they should have. For the
| efficacy and value of this provision
| in the war risk insurance law de-
| ponds entirely upon how it is carried
| out If the government offers merely
| indifferent hospital service to the dis
| oh Cn1d al nf wv n
have the means will go to private hos
| pitfalls or go to their homes. Doubt
| less a good many will do this in any
case. But the public health service
| takes the view that the government
| should offer to the soldier who is ill
| the very best of care, so that the man
who has no private means shall not
| suffer for that reason. 1t is cruelty
| unjust. they say, that poor man who
| contracts tuberculosis in the army
| should not have just as good care in
a sanatorium-just as good a chance
| in the fight for his life-as the man
| who has money.
| And there are estimated to be a.
| 500 of these soldiers and sailors who
have been discharged from the service
because of tuberculosis. Another big
group, for which the Public Health
Service must prepare. comprise $4,000
cases of psyche neurosis, epilepsy and
| other nervous and mental disorders
| which have been reported from the
army and navy.
OF course, many of these cases will
never come to the government hospi-
tails, and of those that do apply to the
government for medical aid, not al
will come at once. But q considerable
proportion of these men will un-
doubtedly be dependent upon the Pub
lics8Health Service.
There is q bill before congress pro
viding $40, SOC, 900 for the extension OF
the hospital facilities of the service
and hearings have recently been hello
upon it before the senate committee
on public buildings and grounds. A
these hearings some of the senator.
have opposed the measure, not deny.
ing that the soldiers need and deserve
this medical care, but alleging that the
government cannot afford to spend sc
much money for it.
Senator Hardwick. for example
wants to use the hospitals now at this
various cantonnaants for the purpose
of curing the discharged soldiers. Thi:
seems reasonable at first glance, bu
the Public Health officials bring sub
stantial objections against the propo
sition. They say, in the first place
that these are temporary buildings, in
tended to last for only two years. II
the second place, they are not fire
proof, and their safety is dependen
upon the presence of a large force o.
men who can bring much fire-fightint
: apparatus into play on short notice
To leave lot of sick men with few
doctors ana nurses alone in these in
fiammable frame structures, which
{ are generally far from cities or, towns
would, they point out, be not only un
wise but positively wrong.