The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1919-01-13
MED|CS PUZZLED
BY doctor" Van
His Cure of Shell Shock Cases in
France AStonishes
Physicians.
never STUDIED MEDICINE
Sergeant AccompIishes Wonderful Re-
suits in Treatment of Patients Suf-
fering From Nervous Attic
tions-Says He Is Not
Hypnotist.

He is a 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 1 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 a 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 !
can do for those men there? I think
I 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, 60 ahead, Van," the captain
agreed. 'rDo- 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.
''How's it coming this morning.
boys?" he asked.
"F-f-fne, 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 I 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
'Pll show you if you like, SIR
II would like" ordered the captain
Astonishes the Doctors.
So Van showed him, though the doc.
tor couldn't quite make it out at that
just what Van did He stroked their
heads little and massaged THEN
threats 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 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
clinic before a major general of the
medical corps and several majors and
still more captains and lieutenants-
all 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 ruddy 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"
ct isn't that 1 hypnotized them al
ALL" he will tell you. 81 just tell then
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 il
is so, and then, you see, they are WE'LL
But the doctors continue to wonder
and say that Van has discovered the
first really successful treatment fol
shell shock.