Evening star., 1947-02-21
Psychiatric Problems
OF Veterans Taken Up
AT Medical Farley

Lie pSyCIlldtilC pIOUlCuLS VI NEJ-
Grams were to be considered today
by the American Legion department
medical advisers. as they continued
their first national conference.
The three-day meeting, which will
close tomorrow, is being held in
the District Medical Society head
quarters, ITO M street NV.
DR.. Winfred Overholser, superin-
tendent Of st. Elizabeth's Hospital,
was to lead the psychiatric discus
sion.
The morning session was devoted
to a review of veteran claims pro-
cedures under Craftsmanship of DR..
A. N. Baggs, American Legion medi-
cal consultant, and a consideration
Of cardiology matters under chair
manship OF DR.. William D. Stroud
professor of cardiology at the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania.
Pay Boost Need Cited.
The Army must be given authority
and funds to pay its medical officers
higher salaries, "or there will be
no medical service for the Army"
Maj. Gen. Norman T. Kirk, surgeon
general, told the group yesterday.
Gen. Kirk said the War Depart
ment wants Congress to approve
legislation to permit payment of 25
per cent above the base pay of their
grade to doctors classified specialists.
|, Admitting the idea of paying some
officers more than others of the
same rank was new TO the Army, he
said it was considered essential as
an incentive.
1--WE want you to be able to ad-
wise young men it is a good thing
to go into the Army instead of
telling them to steer clear of It,
Gen. Kirk told the doctors.
A liberalized promotion policy for
medical officers to permit their
reaching the rank Of colonel after
18 years service Is contemplated, he
said, adding:
"Tt took me a."
Forecasts Best Museum.
Gen. Kirk said "the best medical
museum in the world" can be estab-
lished by the Army if its plans for a
large institute of pathology at For
est Glen, Md, are approved. The
proposed development includes a
1,000-bed hospital.
The present museum on the Mall
then would be abandoned, he said.
Serious social consequence" are
inevitable If greater emphasis is not
placed on medical care OF persons
over As, DR.. Thomas Parran, surgeon
general Of the United States Public
Health Service, declared in an ad-
dress read in his absence by DR.. ].
A. Crabtree of the service.
If current trends persist, more
than 40 per cent of the population
will be in that age group by $780,
he said The index is Is per cent, as
against only 18 per cent in 1860, DR..
Parran reported.
Amputees Give Demonstration.
Approximately $500 amputees
have been discharged to date from
the two naval hospitals treating
such cases, Rear Admiral Clifford
A. Swanson, surgeon general of the
Navy, said.
A group of paraplegics and am
putees from Veterans Administra-
tion hospitals demonstrated their
progress in rehabilitation as part OF
yesterdays program.
Federal Security Administrator
Watson B. Miller, Chief Medical Di-
rector Paul R. Hawley of the Vet
erans' Administration, and Brig.
Gen. Wallace H. Graham, physician
to President Truman, will speak at
a conference dinner at o'clock to-
night in the Army Navy Club.
The meeting will adjourn at noon
tomorrow, after which the medical
advisers will attend Washington
Birthday ceremonies at Mount
Vernon.