Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-11-04
PATIENTS GIVEN
WORK CURE FOR
MANY AILMENTS
Occupational Therapy Prac
ticed in U. S. Hospitals
With Success.
REACH EXTREME CASES

WASHINGTON, d. C Patients in
forty FIVE Government hospitals are hav-
ing work prescribed for them tor cura-
tive purposes.
The ward doctor making his ronnd
stops at the bed of a man recovering
from a broken arm:
"A little stiY." comments the doctor.
Needs something to loosen you up
And he pulls out large blank. and
checks it in various places so that it
Prescribes one hour day for light
crafts work In the ward, as a therapeutic
measure.
The blank is turned over 10 a recon
struction aide, who proceeds diplomatic
ally to find out If the patient has any
interest in weaving, drawing. basketry.
or wood carving.
II he is apathetic. she tries to arouse
his interest gradually. without making
him feel shat he is being forced.
Usually cases of extreme depression
can be reached and benefited by hand
work OF some sort or another.
DOCTORS
CONVERTED
At first many doctors III the hospitals
were skeptieal Of the physical good to
be derived from pounding with a ham
mer or designing book cover.
But confronted with statistics from
their own hospitals and seeing the effect
on the patients in their care. the Gov
eminent physicians have nearly all been
converted to firm BELIEF IN occupational
therapy.
This method Of treatment doubtless
reminds YOU of the work done In the
Army Hospitals, by reconstruction aides,
and it is an outgrOwth of that, though
different in many ways.
The idea started years ago. when some
hospitals and similar institutions had
convalescent patients do light work. as
much for a help TO the institution as for
the exercise it gave the patient.
Then some fifteen years before the war.
two or three civilian hospitals obtained
workers who could teach patients handi
crafts to employ their minds. and per-
haps keep their muscles from getting
stiff from idleness.
TREATMENT
WAR HERITAGE.
There the matter stayed until during
the war 1t became an institution In the
Army and Navy hospitals as educational
and reconstructive work with the idea of
giving mutilnted men some new interest
and useful occupation.
But all this time there was no definite
curative values of the different types Of
work
This is being worked out now in the
hospitals Of the Public Health Service,
and the surgeons in charge say that they
are just beginning to see the posi-
bilities Of work IS therapy.
Adaptation Of the work to the lndi-
vidusl is extremely important, accord
ing to DR.. Hugh S. Cumming. surgeon
general Of the Public Health Service.
Unless he is guided in selection of work
the active tubercular patient may be at
tracted by heavier work than is con
sidered TO be beneficial, such as car
pentTy.
Basket work with large reeds often fits
In well with eXcitable mental cases.
simple pattern with no complica-
tons Of elaborate design or unusual shape
Is given them, because the monotony
of weaving round and round without
much need for thought has a quieting
effect.
The active tubercular patient. on the
other hand. is rarely given reed work.
rs 1t requires considerable effort.
But he can make intricate designs in
IRfia basketry, as this type Of work
keeps the mind fully occupied. but does
not require very great exertion on the
part OF the patient.
no STUDY CASES
IN DETAIL
These are crude classifications, and the
doctors are well aware Of 1t.
As time goes on, however, they expect
TO study the cases in more detail, in
order to know more accurately the value
of motion and effort used in the crafts
and IN different kinds Of garden work.
DIR. Maddox explains that the cura-
tive influence of a suitable occupation is
more often mental than physical.
There are nearly always in a hospi-