Evening star., 1944-04-30
Veterans Hospital Peak Seen in 1875
Bureau Prepares Handle 100000 Cases From All Wars
BY EdwudA. .Hnris

our purpose, we get experience from
year to year, to change them and project
the curve, making necessary corrections.
But think Our building program should
be continued with the prediction we
wrong"
This building program as detailed by
Gen. Hines calls for "a ,134 hospital and
domiciliary beds by the end of 1945, and
101 ,522 beds by the close of 1946 Yet
Gen. Hines chart of estimated peak
loads predicted that by 1945 there will
be 105,200 individuals to be cared for.
This would indicate deficit of 11,066
beds in l945, but the discrepancy was
not explained in the testimony before
the House committee.
Sees 10 Per Cent Disabled.
Such apparent discrepancies have
given rise to the fears that the facilities
of the Veterans Administration, even
under the planned expansion program,
will be inadequate to meet the needs
DR.. Alexander Dumas, the agency's own
psychiatrist, believes that In two or
three more years of war there will be
a quarter of million discharged from
the Army for psychiatric reasons and
from half to three-quarters of a mil
lion more for lesser mental ailments.
James l.. Monnahan, national COM
mander of the Disabled American Vet
Grams, has estimated that 10 per cent
of our armed forces will returned dis
abled.
The 101 ,522 beds that will be available
by the end of 1916 include only 9,252
new beds to be built with the $50 1000, 900
the Veterans Administration is seeking,
and will undoubtedly obtain, from Con-
gress. The new beds will include 9,052
for neuropsychiatric patients, and 100
each for tuberculosis patients and gen.
eral medical and surgical patients.
Gen. Hines said that while he believes
a maximum of 300,0 900 beds will be re-
quired by 1875, this will mean the con-
struction of facilities for only 100000
new beds by that year, since, in addition
to the 101 ,522 beds that will be available
by December 81, 1916, it Should be pos
sible" to take over at least 100000 beds
in Army-Navy establishments when the
war is over.
The Veterans Administration at pres
ent operates 81 hospitals and soldiers
homes. OF the 9,252 additional beds
planned by the end of 1916, 1000 will
be located at existing facilities, by ex-
panding the number of buildings or add
ing wings and the balance at new loca-
tions.
Cost Is High.
From 1882 to 1888, Gen. Hines said,
the average cost per new bed was 81 ,929,
covering building construction, neces-
sary materials and similar factors. At
present, he pointed out, the average
cost is s2,940 per bed, due to increased
labor cost and a rise in the price of ma
terials.
Discussing the fact that the great ma
jority of those entering veterans hos
pitals are mental cases, Gen. Hines told
the House committee most of them COM
ing from the present war were weeded
out in the basic training period I'M
proved preinduction physical tests have
cut down the potential number of
mental cases, he added. but 1t is very
difficult to detect certain types of neu-
representatives in the short time given
to such tests.
"A few of them are psychotic, but not
a great majority he stated 1T is
probably more or less of a neurosis,
where man is subject to his environ
ment, and they put him through a train
ing period and he goes into combat and
becomes subject to a nervous condition
so that he cannot stand it."
The Army is taking greater precau-
tions in trying to rehabilitate nervous
cases before discharging them now, Gen.
Hines added.
printed by Special Advancement With the
st. Louis Post-Dispatch)