Evening star., 1927-05-21

"Canst thou minister to a mind
diseased"
What long span it is in medical
practice from the bleeding" of
patients for all kinds of ailments, as
done by the doctors of half century
ago or more, to the present-day am
nouncement, made at this weeks con-
ference Of the American Medical
Associat ton, that the doctors should
now use mental therapy in healing
"broken hearts" and readjusting dis
located mentalities, Only few years
ago one smiled incredulously at the
Partisan ''unmedicaP' specialist VINO
professed actual cures through having
the patient repeat, I'm getting pet
ter in every way, day by day. NO"
the scientific doctors of the American
Medical Association are getting better
day by day." for they recognize tnaI
mind has almost unlimited contTol
over the bodily functions, and that
.there's nothing either good or nad
hut thinking makes it So" Shake
sneare found that out centuries before
the American Medical Association dld.
Even the Christian SCientists-but no
matter
At all events, the United States
Veterans Bureau seems TO nave
beaten the general practitioner, ana
also the specialist. TO the idea that
the influence of mind is the one FACTOR
of supreme Importance in the bu-
reau's tncreasin problem of relieving
or curing the afflicted veteran or the
World War. At the last session Oh
Congress the bureau was given tull
authority to take over control ana ao,
ministration of ''occupational therapy
and. social service" in all its nos
pitfalls. That work hitherto mas
been carried on by the Red Cross SO,
ciety, the knights of Columbus ana
other philanthropic organizations, but
TODAY the surgeons recognize that the
benefits must come through not
merely unmethodical social enter
tainment." or recreation, but that
such aids are more necessary in treat
ment of all kinds of ailments than is
the prescribing of drugs. The work.
therefore, under the new law, will be
taken over July / directly by the Vet
erans' Bureau doctors. The Red
Cross Society will continue to serve,
but will serve according to definite
and individual prescriptions from the
doctors, Just as the dispensary func-
tions in filling medical prescriptions.
The knights of Columbus Will With
draw entirely.
Contrary to misunderstanding III
some quarters, this does not mean
that there will be less recreation, nor
less social service, but it does mean
that both will be scientifically admin
istered toward the relief. not the mere
entertainment" or financial profit of
the patient.
This is a comparatively new science
developed in and since the World
War. While it applies most conspic-
uously to mental adjustment, it also
affects diseases of the heart, abdo-
men, and, in fact. all diseases.
Y * 4
In the British hospitals. 'shell
shock" is recognized as a genuine
nervous collapse, but in America it
is the fashion to deny that there ever
was such a disease as shell shock
and to declare that the thousands of
soldiers who claimed to have Neen so
afflicted were either malingerers or,
after the wal seekers of notoriety or
maudlin sympathy. The explanation
is that they were not shocked by the
explosion of shells or the terrors of
battle, but--well, they We're just
'shocked"-that's all. The inference
Is THAT III JiiOSt \ooCo @AACy "SA Y
previously emotionally or mentally in
clined toward "psychoneurosis"- men
tai weakness which predisposed to-
ward insanity. Much of this dis
avowal of shell shock is now attributed
to the ignorance of the surgeons be-
fore systematic research. Predisposi-
ton to insanity Is more common than
most of us like to admit
A medical authority. DIR. c. M. Bow
man, examined certain regiment
and found that 1853 per cent of the
men gave positive findings
evidences of insanity, either person
ally or of parents or near relatives.
The soldiers who showed personal
positive findings" were 3S.43 per cent.
However, only 2.2 per cent were so
deficient as to be discharged from the
service. In another examination of
200 men, 63. As per cent showed .'posi-
tive' indications. either personal or
family.
On the contrary, Mott. in the
British Medical Journal Q919I. said:
'Shock-and by that I mean not
only commotional but emotional shock
due to terrifying or horrifying con-
ditions of this war, may induce
hysterical manifestations in a neuro-
potentially sound individuai--in fact,
in a soldier who by Ills record has
shown that he is neither of a timid
49,. ~