The New York herald., 1922-05-28
HOSPITAL ALPATIENT
FINANCES ROMANCE
Earns $1,000 in 8 Months by
Making Articles and Now
Plans to Wed.
WORK AIDED HIS CURE
Occupation Therapy in Recon>
struction Hospital Gain
full and Curative.

June. month of brides this year will
furnished F1atbush apartment for his
prospective bride with $1,000 he earned
since last September while a patient in
the Reconstruction Hospital. The sum
was earned by the sale of table runners.
baby blankets and similar articles he
made in the hospital while receiving
after-care for fractured shin.
This is one of the romances of that
rather formidably named modern cura-
tive aid. occupation therapy, which is
SO important in the work of this first
hospital Of national scope dedicated IL.
industrial cases. The bridegroom elect
was disabled while serving in the Navy
during the war. He was sent to the
Reconstruction Hospital last Year, where
second operation followed by electric
baking restored the use oil his leg.
After his operation he was persua d. ii
by the occupation therapy director to
try weaving. He proved fast. indus
trious worker. The work, begun as a
means Of passing the time, quickly pro-
duced articles which, when sold for him
by the department. netted money enough
to enable him to marry on leaving the
hospital. Moreover. he will be ready.
TO go TO work when he is discharged az
cured. self-confident. in muscular trim
and with the earning habit revived.
Occupation therapy has definite
curative value" said DR.. w. Gilman
Thompson. president of the Recon-
struction Hospital. Take case of an
industrial worker whose earning hand
has been maneled in an accident and
stiffened in healing. Idle days of think
ing about his disability while under
treatment would work against improve
ment.
Give him something to do. Your
confidence in his ability &c work checks
his destructive introspection and sets un
healthful self-confidence. The work in
prescribed to At his strength and to re-
educate his disabled muscles, either 10
do their old work, if possible, or for some
other gainful work. The necessary con-
centration takes his thoughts from his
troubles, physical or economic
Instead Of retarding his improvement
by fretting and tossing, he is absorbed
busy. His surroundings inspire efforts
to regain his working power. Instead OF
finding himself among idle, complaining
patients who talk morbidly and de-
structively of their troubles, he is sur
rounded by busy, cheerful men. working
in Their beds and determined to get back
into the world of productivity.
This is one of the lessons learned in
the world war work for the disabled
For years occupation therapy was used
in a small way for mental disease cases.
Only since the war has it been applied in
a scientific way to medical and surgical
cases II is not cure all, but a real aid
to effecting cures. At tie Reconstruc-
tion Hospital the occupation work is CO.
ordinated with Other forms Of treatment
to the common end of turning patient
to earning condition in the shortest time.
Patients from industrial life suffer
more keenly than any others when dis
abled or diseased in way to prevent
their earning living. For them occupa-
ton therapy is invaluable. 1t keeps up
their morale. exercises them in work ana
often fits fo- new work those who can
not go back to their old purs suits.
Thirty-fve patients az the Reconsfr'''-
tion Hospital made 500 sa'abe articles
In April The articles they made in one
month sold for $4,000.