White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-24
BY ELEANOR r. wEMsRipoE.

II is no longer necessary for the
division of physical reconstruction to
state what Is 10 be the future work
of the aids in oceupational therapy In
the wards Of military hospitals. 1t
Is now able to speak In terms of ac-
complishment and say what the aids
have already done and what they are
doing both In the United States and
In Europe.
There are now over 100 women in
this service. Seyenty-four of these
are on duty in France. and nearly
WI hundred more were under orders
and ready to sail for France, but re-
eeIved their transfer to domestic duty
when the armistice was signed.
Perhaps the personal story of one
Of the surgeons, who has just return
ed from France. will give more of an
idea of the work OF these women than
any other description could do. He
describes most wildly his surprise
one morning in the midst Of an in.
spection OF hundreds of arm and leg
cases In a base hospital. when -four
women presented themselves In uni.
forms and announced hat they were
DEMONSTRATION Aids in Occupation
al Therapy.'
"Occupational therapy, whats
thatf' said the major.
"We will show you" said the girls
Morale Quickly Changed.
And with no material at all. (theif
box Of supplies had disappeared en-
route and has never been seen since)
they began their work. Before their
arrival the problem OF keeping the
soldiers contented had been very diff
fcult. There they lay. by dozens
Fifteen in "a row. with compound
fractures of the femur) having told
all the stories that they knew. hav.
ing read all the books that they could
get, and having been reduced 10 shoot
ing craps from one bed 10 another to
pass the time. The aids begged old
scraps OF gauze left from bandages
dyes from the chemical laboratories
burlap that had come wrapped around
the hospital beds; and. on wooder
frames. which they made themselves
the boys were soon occupied hooking
rugs. So great was the popularity
OF the rug that they could not make
them fast enough, and they were usu'
ally sold. provided the boys woulc
consent TO part with them, befors
they had hardly been started. From
making rugs. the boys passed on to
w~ood-carving, discriminating. and tn,
other crafts. as soon as materia
could be devised. The morale Of the
wards was changed from that Of dis
enlargement and inconsistencies 10 thai
OF cheerful activity. which exercised
not only their stiffened joints ane
muscles. but their minds as well.
Thus the major concluded, "wher
1 saw those aids for the first time
/ did not know what they we're for
but / know | never intend ts
have a hospital without them"
Scope Of Work Extended.
From teaching the lighter craft
suitable for bed patients, the aids
have been requested 10 direct porch
work, shop work. the teaching OF
academic subjects preparatory FOL
civil service, the teaching Of English
to foreigners and iIliterstes, the teach.
ing OF the commercial subjects, book
keeping. stenography. and account
ing, and even In a few - the
teaching of gardening. poultry rails
Ing. and photography.
As one enthusiastic patient said
The education which l got In this
hospital Is worth the leg l left BE-
hind"
There lie still a demand for aids,
provided that they apply at once and
are ready for Immediate service In
any hospital In the United States,
Since the work will not continue inr
definitely, their services are needed
without delay. Here is the chance
for skilled crafts women, and for
m with academic and profession.
al training to pay their final debt to
the boys in the hospitals, who were
SO ready to sacrifice their all. when
they turned from civilians into splen'
did soldiers. They must now face the
harder task of changing again from
soldiers and from hospital patients
into healthy, efficient civilians.