The Penn's Grove record., 1919-06-13
EEWSY CAPITOL NOTES

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From the Penns Grove Record : own
Correspondent
Washington, d. c., June 8, 19l9.I
have lust returned from an interesting
and entertaining trip through Tide
water. Virginia. The War Department
desiring the public to know how n
returning soldiers from overseas, par
ticularly the sick and wounded, are
being cared for, gave me every OPP
p~ortunity to endeavor to reueVe II
anxiety of the countless mothers,
wives, sisters, sweethearts, fathers
and brothers of these men, whose con-
dition forced them to undergo treat
ment in general hospitals upon their
return to these shores.
As a result of my inspection tour,
lasting more than two weeks, l can
sum up my observations IN a few
words to those anxious ones at nome.
Do not worry, your boy gave his all
for his country and the United States
rrulv intends TO offer its all and best
for him. Give the Government time
70 reDair and nurse the stricken nerves
or the healing wound; if it fails, 1t WILL
not be because he did not receive good
food. the finest surgical skill and
trained nursing, the splendid superVl-
sion of competent, interested military
and scientific care and the help of n
.'Greatest Mother in the World" n
American Red Cross.
During my trip | visited Fortress
Monroe. the battIeship feet in Hamp7,
ton Roads, the new Genera hoSpItai
10 at Hampton, Va, for the so-called
shell shock" cases, the d~ebarkat!on
at Newport News, the E~mbarkatlon
Hospital at Camp Sturat and the camp
tself. Camp Morrison, the Naval
Operating Base at Norfolk and finally
inspected one of the model hospital
trains. which the Government is using
to transport its sick across the con-
tinent.
At Fort Monroe, Old Point Comfort,
| met General Chamberlain in COM
mand Of the coast defenses of the
Chesapeake, who informed me that
10000 men had been discharged at that
point and in future it would be a thlr-
teen company post with about 15oo
men, all of the coast artillery.
For five days | remained at Hamp-
ton gathering material for our article
on the treatment and care of the in
a n patients that are being central
lied at this excellent hospital. For
merly the Old Soldiers Home, its
many buildings are rapidly beng
turned to guarded wards where all
neuro-psychr aics, the medical term for
those nervously and mentally afflicted,
landing on these shores from France
will be sent for a period OF four
--.%l. e., Oh-1r--, %sNo : OF tho pnn
of that time they prove incurable they
are to be turned over to the War RISK
Bureau, who in turn will assign them
to a public health service hospital
nearest their home.
There is a wide view of what really
causes shell shock but the opinion
given to me by Col. Alexander Stark,
Medical Corps, a member of General
! Pershings staff and chief surgeon OF
tAe tirt Army in France, impressed
me mere wildly than any others that
| heard. We We're seated in the Hotel
Chamberlin, one Sunday evening",
General Chamberlin, Lieut.. Col. G.
Garcia, Medical Corps, and Mrs. Gar
ella also being present, when the sub
iect came up for discussion.
No nan a to show fear, par
ticularly in the presence of his fellow
man. said the Colonel, " and it is his
intense desire to restrain this emotion
that causes him to lose his mental bal
ance. War neuroses is divided into
three classes, LIST, melancholia; End
dementia praecox, and third, maniac
Oppressive. Men, afflicted with any
one Of these three, require constant
occupation-they should be doing
something at all the time"
At Hampton every preparation i!
being made to follow out this practice
and during the time that l was there
visited all of the wards with Captain
Brush, formerly of the Phipps Clinic
at John Hopkins University, and saw
many poor unfortunate weaving mat!
and rugs and engaged on bead work
which showed wonderful patience OF
the part of the instructor, generally ;
nurse, and exceptionally rapid learn
ing on the part of the pupil. Singu
Z I9TiV did mot 500 ono yioIanf oac.