Evening star., 1943-10-17
Bethesda 10 Change ig ) =
Raid Warning 10 Save
Nerves Of Wounded

The disturbing effect of air
raid sirens on the nerves of pa
tients from the war zones at Be-
thesda Naval Hospital will result
in a change in the warning sys-
tenn during practice tests, it was
learned yesterday from a reliable
source.
The matter was called to The
Stars attention by telephone call
frcm patient at the hospital. He
complained the patients were routed
out OF bed in the middle of the
night during practice tests and said
some men went all to pieces" and
had to be restrained forcibly. He
said four men in one ward tainted
at the sound of the sirens wall and
others were forced to sit up in
safety areas until the "all clear"
sounded.
A casualty from the Southwest
Pacific war zone, the patient said
most of the men were given seda-
tives between 9 and 10 o'clock to
induce sleep. He said many who
were aroused from their beds could
not get to sleep again and remained
awake all night. After previous
blackout tests, he said some of the
men were restless for two and three
days.
Hospital Bans Comment.
In the absence of Admiral Charles
w. o. Bunker, in charge of the
Navy's modernistic medical center,
no one at the hospital would COM
ment on the matter and it was not
disclosed what steps would be taken
to correct the trouble.
F. o. Huntsinger, civilian assistant
to Admiral Bunker, said the officer
In charge Of the war fatigue ward
was cognizant of conditions there
during a practice blackout test and
that every precautlon had been
taken to ease the shock Oh the men.
War fatigue is the phrase used
to describe a condition called shell
shock in the World War.
Naturally, any noise is going to
agitate somebody in that ward"
Mr.. Huntsinger said, but the los
pital has taken special precautions
for those men. Friday light it did
seem that the sirens shrieked louder
and longer than usual 1 don't know
whether it was because of weather
conditions, but someone remarked
he thought the noise would never
end.
Precautions Taken.
TN the past we have done everv-
thing possible to minimize the noise
and cushion the shock for the pa
tients and have taken every care to
safeguard them while making the
hospital ready for any emergency.
I don't know just what else could
be done"
At the hospital it was said some
OF the patients statements sounded
rather far-fetched. although it was
not denied that the noise affected
the men.
Army officials at Walter Reed Hos
pltal said patients there had not
been unduly upset by the sonorous
steam-whisle sounding the raid
warning in that area.
ut doesn't disturb the patients
any more than it would anybody
else" said Maj. J. w. Mollaun, adju-
tant of the hospital. Inquiries
among several other officers brought
the same answer, he said.
The Bethesda patient who COM
planned said it was foolish to play
war at the Naval Hospital when
almost all the men here have been
through the hell of actual combat.
To them an air raid warning means
the real thing with tons Of bombs
raining down on them. 1t brings up
a vivid picture of what they have
been through and in cases where
the men are recovering from shell
shock it shakes them all to pieces"
The hospital has received air-raid
warnings through the Potomac
River Naval Command. the naval
counterpart of the Washington
Military District, according to
Albert E. Brault, director of
civilian defense in Montgomery
County. He said the county had no
jurisdiction over the hospital in
such matters.