The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-07-17


Which Exercised Not Only stif,ened
Joints and Muscles, but Their
Minds a. Well.
BY ELEANOR r. WEMeRiDGE.
Gin Garry On.")
It Is no longer necessary for tho
division Of physical reconstruction to
state what Is to be the future work
Of the aids In occupational therapy In
the wards OF military hospitals: It
is now able to speak in terms Of &C
complishment and say what the aids
have already done and what they are
doing both In the United States and
iii Europe.
There are now over 1900 women in
this service. Seventy-four Of these
are on duty in France, and nearly
two hundred more were under orders
and ready to sail for France, but re-
ceived their transfer to domestic duty
when the armistice was signed.
> Perhaps the personal story Of ono
Of the surgeons, who has just return"
"a from France, will give more OF an
tdea OF the work Of these women than
any other description could do. He
describes most wildly his surprise
ole morning In the midst Of an IN
epection Of hundreds Of arm and leg
cases in a base hospital, when four
women presented themselves in uni
forms and announced that they were
Reconstruction Aids in Occupation
II Yherapy."
~,"tOccuPational therapy, what's
th9tr' said the major. J.
awe VIII show you" said the girls.
l. Morale Quickly Changed.
And with no material at all, (their
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 row, with compound
fractures Of the femur) having told
all the stories that they knew, hav'
ine read all the books that they could
get, and having been reduced to shoot
ing craps from one bed to 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 wooden
frames, which they made themselves,
the boys were soon occupied hooking
rugs. So great was the popularity
of the rugs that they could not make
them fast enough. and they were us'l-
ally sold, provided the boys would
consent to part with them, before
they had hardly been started. From
making rugs. the boys passed on to
Woodworking, basket-making, and the
other crafts, as soon as material
could be devised. rhe morale Of the
wards was changed from that Of dis
enlargement and inconsistencies to that
: Of cheerful activity. which exercised
not only their stitfened joints and
muscles, but their minds as well.
Thus the major concluded. when
I saw hose aids for the first time,
I did not know what they were TO-,
but now l know I never intend to
have hospital without Them"
Scope Of Work Extended.
From teaching the lighter crafta
suitable for bed patients, the aids
have been requested to direct porch
work, shop work, the teaching OF
academic subjects preparatory for
civil service. the teaching of English
to foreigners and illiterates, the teach
Ing Of the commercial SUBJECTS book
keeping. stenography, and account
Ing. and even In few cases the
tp"chirg of gardening, poultry rails
ins. and photography.
AS one enthusiastic patient said,
"'rhe education which I got in this
hospital is worth the leg l left be-
hind"
Their. Is still demand for aids.
provided that they apply at once and
arr ready for immediate service in
any hospital in the United States.
Since the work will not continue in
definitely. their services are needed
without delay. Here IS the chance
for skilled crafts wotnen. and for
women with academic and profession
al training to pay their final debt to
the boys in the hospitals, who were
go ready to sacrifice their all, when
they turned from civilians into splen.
did soldiers. They must now face the
harder task IF changing again from
soldiers and from hospital patienh
Into healthy. efficient civilians.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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