The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1919-12-19
BEST OF MEDICAL AND SURGICAL Relief
FOR DISABLED HEROES OF WORLD WAR
How the Bureau Of War Risk Insurance Is Meeting the Herclean
Problem Of Examining, Rating and Returning to Physical
Usefulness Minds and Bodies Wrecked IN the
Great European War.

Washington-The war has brought
the government face to fnce with q
brand new, series Of problems. Long
before the armistice was signed, con-
gress foresaw some of the necessities
of the situation and, starting from the
brOad-angled viewpoint that man
who has been injured in the service
of his country is not an object of
charity hut II person who Is entitled
to compensation and medical relief
exactly as is the man who suffers a
hurt ut the hands Of industry. Il wise
Legislative program was inaugurated
This contemplates that the director
of the bureau of war risk insurance
shall take all the necessary measures
IN insure that every person who con-
tracted disease or suffered an in
Jury 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 to health. or at least shall
bring him the maximum relief possi-
Bile in his particular ease.
Furthermore. should this ex-soldier,
sailor or marine have lost n limb or
eye, or suffered any hurt for which
Il mechanical device may he neces.
sary. that such apparatus shall be fur.
nished him without cost. In further
ance of this plan congress has en-
acted enabling legislation and mt pres
ent is considering a bin which will
further elucidate it's purpose in this
regard.
National in Scope
There is Il man in Washington who
SITS all day long facing II 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-
er>, all Of this being the vast field ma
chinery which the government has put
in motion To relieve suffering. prolOng
lfe and return to efficiency the men
and women whose minds or bodies
may have been broken in humnnity's
war
Some one asked this officer why he
always sat facing this gigantic map.
why he lifted his eyes tn it SO many
times during the day? The answer
was: $50 that may always keep be-
fore mo the fact that the problem is
national in its scope and can be solved
~ fhA hrn pf
vision
When congress passed the war risk
insurance act little did anyone dream
OF its farrea9hng effect.
No human brain could have fore
seen the multi,n,linous variety of
ways in which this beneficent measure
would touch the lives and happiness
of thousands of Americans.
Much Detail Involved.
At first glance. the problem appears
easy II IL discharged soldier. sailor
marine. army ar navy nurse, yeo-
nan (f) or, marinette. can show that
he or she received an injury in service
or suffered an aggravatiOn NJ Il pre-
existing injury or disease. then COM
pensatiOn and medical and surgical
treatment. II necessary. must inev-
i'ahiy follow II II We're So simple as
this. every one of these persons would
be able tn arrange his compensation
Immediately upon his discharge from
the military forces. and 1t would be
unnecessary for the government to
.:.,l =
OF medical specialists in order tn adj
minister the act Will, justice to the
heneficiarieS and to the government.
But such is not the ease In the
first place. II must be shown that Il
claimant was actually in the military
or naval forces Of the United States
Secondly that he suffered an injury