Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-30
SHELL SHOCK" GIVEN BLAME
FOR TOO MANY ARMY ILLS
Change of Environment Really Responsible
for So Many Mental Breakdowns Among
Former Service Men and Soldiers.

"Shell-shock" grew to be a popular
! term during the war to describe SOL
diers suffering from mental trouble sup
posedly brought about during the strain
of battle. The designation sprang from
the theory that the explosion of shell
often caused the victim to lose control
of his mental faculties. with the at
tending symptoms 50 often associated
with "shell-shock."
But specialists il. nervous diseases
found the term to be erroneous. Sol
diers who never reached France We're
stricken with nervous breakdowns in
cantonments on this side of the water.
their symptoms similar in every respect
to those attending a case Of shell
shock" originating on the field of battle.
Today, more than a year and half
after the signing of the armistice. the
public health service has discovered
that what is popularity known as "shell-
shock is brought about BY the stress
of peace as we'll as by the strain of &C
tual warfare. The patients are suffer-
ing from a failure in social readjust-
ment."
Cases Not Increased.
Records at the public health service
show that contrary to popular opin-
ion, there are no more cases of insan-
ity after the war than there were be-
fore the war. True. there are more
soldiers suffering from insanity. but
comparatively the number has not in
creased. On the other hand, there is
a tremendous increase in the numser
Of soldiers and ex-soldiers with men
tai trouble closely resembling, on the
surface. insanity. These cases. which
HN-c, ,<,Tn nc IN 10 wi 4.
cases. are men who lacked the mental
stability to adjust themselves to a
change from the military to the civil
life, or who are still suffering from
their inability to change from the
civil to the military life.
Eek soldiers under the care of the
Public Health Service of the United
States. and under care of those hos
pitfalls with whom the government has
contracted to take care of eX-soldiers.
are increasing at the rate of approx
mately 900 month. At present there
are 1900 cases under care of these
hospitals. an increase of 10000 in the
last ten months The total number is
grouped by the Public Health Serv-
ice into three classes. First, those suf-
fering from tuberculosis; secondly.
those classed as general and surgi-
car cases, and. thirdly, those suffering
from mental troubles. This is only a
general classification naturally adopt
ed because there are about one-third
under each heading.
Mental cases are grouped under five
heads, including insanity, epilepsy,
nervous troubles and phycho-neurosis,
or shell shock" patients.
Bring Sympathy to Bear.
1t is with the latter patients that
all the care and skill of the physi-
clan and the sympathy of the nurse
In Itrhf 70
tients can be cured, but the cure is
difficult and sometimes a very long
time in coming. The symptoms vary
with the patient. There are few
| whose breakdowns are similar in
every respect The mental trouble
often is reflected in physical all
ments-for instance. paralysis. some
; times lasting only a few weeks,
sometimes lasting many months.
| Many soldiers. bolstered in their
| and comrades and the general ex-
citement attending the change from
| civilian life to Army life, were able
| to stick it out" They went sue
cessfully through the period of train
| ing on this side of the water and came
| They may have had to fight tend
ency to give up" brought on by their
| mental instability. but they won the
| fight and returned to this country
to be mustered out OF the Army.
| Having gone through the change from
] civilian to army life. they faced another
| change. back from the army to civilian
! life. The GLORY" of the war was over.
The patriotism was still there. but lack
| ing in spirit and display evidenced at
| the beginning of the war. 1t was a hard.
| cold proposition, and some have not
been able to stand it.
Beginning of Breakdown.
| of he hou
| toms of nervous troubles by their in
ability to get along, with those who
| surround them. Where a man was
popular in his outfit" in the Army. he
has grown extremely unpopular in the
Office. From one job he was switched
to another, in each case the same
| trouble cropping up and resulting in
another transfer or pcssb:e Gis..i IS
This might be only the beg nliips ., d