The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1921-01-10
FOR CARE Of
WAR VETERANS
COMMITTEE BEGINS HEARING
ON ROGERS BILL.

Washington, ID. c., Jan l0.-Not
cent of the money so far appro-
priated by congress for the care of
war veterans suffering from disabil-
| ity or wounds incurred in service has
been spent for hospitals for the treat
ment of insane. the house commerce
committee was informed today BY
DR. Thomas W Salmon. of New
York adviser on mental diseases 10
the Rockefeller Foundation. The
statement was made at a hearing on
| the Rogers bill 10 consolidate into
one bureau the several government
agencies dealing with relief for for
mer service men.
As a result of this failure 10 pro
vide proper facilities, Dr.. Salmon
added. veterans suffering from men
tai ana nervous diseases are in many
| Instances being committed by the
government TO institutions in which
criminal insane. drug addicts and
vicious degenerates are segregated.
In addition 40 DR.. Salmon those
who urged passage of the bill in
cluded DR.. II. a. Patterson, of New
York. supervisor of medical service
of the national tuberculosis associa-
ton; F W. Galbraith. national COM
mander of the American Legion and
several other officers of the latter
organization. Mr. Patterson stressed
the need for government hospitals
! for the treatment of veterans suffer
| ing from tuberculosis while Mr. Gal
braith suggested that decentraliza-
tion of authority in dealing with dis
| abled men had put many of them in
''frightful" predicament
DR.. Salmon, who was in charge Of
| the treatment of neuro-psychiatric
cases i'm the American expeditionary
force, gave a graphic description of
the plight of men suffering from
shell shock and other mental and
| nervous troubles. One-third of the
ex-service men receiving treatment
at government expense are neuro-
psychiatric, he said. and six of each
ten men so inflicted are insane.
In declaring that the government
was Obliged to send insane veterans
to local asylums, almshouses. and
sanitariums operated for private
| gain, Dr. Salmon said:
Men so committed as rule are
neved visited by federal officials TO
see whether they are properly cared
for or whether the Institutions in
/ which they are confined are even
| fireproof or fit for human beings.
| He added that in some instances pro-
prietors of private sanitariums We're
pocketing as profit as much as 60
cents on each dollar received for the
care of ex-service men.
| DIR. Salmon also charged that un-
4 der the present method insane serv-
ice men must be adjudged insane
uaupers" in court before they can be
/ committed to state or county asy-
lums.
Many a mother has told me, he
| said. that she would rather see her
son under a cross in France than
have him adjudged an insane pauper
and committed to state lnsutu-
tion." AS a result of this sentiment,
he added, some men are lurking al
home afraid TO come forward, get
ting worse all the time"
DR.. Salmon added that this "un-
seen army" would not come forward
until the government provides suit
able institutions for their care. He
estimated that so per cent of the mer
suffering from nervous and mental
Affections, with proper treatmeni
could be returned to society :eithel
, well or socially recovered"
j Discussing the tuberculosis situa
ton, DIR. Patterson denied what hs
said was a common theory-tha
many service men are tubercular al
result of having been gassed II
France. Gas has little TO do witt
bringing on tuberculosis. he deciar
ed.
The main causes of an increas'
of tuberculosis among war veterans
IDr. Pattison described as due to epi
denies such as influenza and meas
les which were prevalent in man,
| camps during the war, and also Il
J the intensive physical training Il
: which men were subjected upon en-
D teriug the service.