The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-21

/, returning from war. He was to be
treated as q hero. But when Juan got
or the train, he seemed not to under
stand what 1t was all about, and even
failed to recognize some of his friends.
He was mentally deranged.
NO less than 71,ooo ''psychopathic
cases have been reported as occurring
IN the American expeditionary force.
This includes all kinds of insanity and
nervous affliction, from outright mania
down to- some obscure effect of shell
shock which may have robbed a man
/ of his efficiency without noticeably af-
feeting his general health and conduct
| or these sufferers only a. very small
! percentage have as yet been given
medical care in this country Some Of
| them, of course, are still in Europe,
But thousands of them must be at their
| homes or elsewhere In this country, and
| many Of these are in need of the ex-
pert medical attention which the Pub
asks that they make themselves known,
or that relatives and friends report
these cases to the district supervisor
or to some other representative of the
Public Health Service.
When the armistice was signed, the
Public Health Service had only the
little string of hospitals which il has
maintained for years for the care of
sailors in the merchant marine and GER
tain government employees, 1t was then
confronted with the task of caring for
all the discharged soldiers and sailors
who were suffering from injuries or i'll
nesses contracted while in service. AS
long as man is in the service, he
is under the care of the surgeon gem
eral Of the army or navy, but as soon
as he is discharged, the Public Health
Service is his doctor.
Congress, with its usual tortoise-like
speed, did not get around to making
provision for enlarging the hospital
facilities of the. Public Health Service
until about three months ago. On March
8. last. 1t passed bill providing money
for the building of new hospitals, and
also giving the Public Health Service
certain buildings, sites and equipment.
Ever since then Surgeon General
Stimson and his assistants have been
buslly organizing the system which is
Just now going into action; They have
divided the United States into fourteen
districts, with a Public Health official
In charge of each district. There is an
assistant supervisor in each state, and
a representative in each city and town.
Hospitals are being built rented and
equipped as rapidly as possible. There
will be five or six large tubercular hos
pitfalls owned and operated by the gov
eminent. Insane cases will be cared
for in state institutions whenever DOS
siDle, but three government hospitals !
are being built for psychopathic cases. |
WlSst HHiCIl VIII De |
opened in few weeks, is devoted en- |
tlrely, to cases suffering from nervous |
complaints. AT Danville, New York. a |
sanatorium for insane cases who can |
not be cared for In their home states. |
is being built, A special hospital for |
epileptics Is being built at East Nor |
folk, Mass. These institutions are to |
be models of their kind. Leading men |
in these medical lines will be called to |
them, and it is expected that they will |
AFFORD an opportunity for much valuable |
study of mental and nervous diseases
The fourteen districts into which this |
great hospital and medical service ia
divided are just now being organized.
Not all OF the supervisors have yet been
appointed, but most of them have The
duty OF these district offices of the Pub
lie Health. Service will be, first to PASS
upon the health Of applicants for COM
pensation to the bureau of war risk
insurance, and second, to provide hos
pital. care for discharged service men.
Every discharged soldier who is in need
pr medical attention as a result on
injuries or sickness, contracted in the
service, should avail himself of this on
portunity. This medical care is a part
Of what the nation owes the soldier
Tor his services. and 1t Is of the utmost
Importance to the nation as a whole
that the damage done by war to its
nanpower should be repaired as far as
possible. "'
Subject of Mondays letter "our Farm
Missionaries in France.")