Newspapers / The Caduceus (Charlotte, N.C.) / Aug. 24, 1918, edition 1 / Page 18
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fi % 18 REBUILDING PLAN FOR FIGHTING ANEW THE FIGHTING FIRE. . (By Sergeant P. J. Gosgrove.) Up until a few months ago the Med ical Department of the U. S. Army had a difficult problem always presenting itself for solution. N'ot only did this problem materially affest the Medical Department but it also directly cor- cerned the Army as a whole. Soldiers were being admitted lo hos pitals all over the country du ing the first year of our entry into the war— some stricken with disease, some to be operated upon and others brought there as a result of accidents which be fell them. Facilities for the treatment of ‘these cases in the hospitals had been admirably and eificiently estab lished, but the treatment of the .soldier when out of bed and convalescent did not loom large in the eyes of the Med ical Department as a subject for weighty consideration. It was hot, therefore, until the concalescent sol diers had, by their very numbers alone, aroused the interest of the Med ical Department that action was tak en in the matter. Examination of conditions in the large hospitals revealed two negative truths (1) under existing conditions the patients were convalescing slowly and (2) while in hospital the patients were prone to lose their esprit de corps. Besides, in cases of long drawn out sickness or convalescence the men day and a record of each one’s pro- THE CADUCEUS. were, in the words of the Surgeon Gen eral, becoming “hospitalized:” An idea was evolved which had for its objects the separate treatment of convele’scents, and a concrete result of this idea is seen in the six buildings at the U. S. Army Base Hospital, Camp Greene together with the appointment of a special staff of officers to carry on the work. The section of the Med ical Department which deals with the treatment of convelescent soldiers is known as the Reconstruction Depart ment. In the reconstruction work amongst the men great stress is laid upon the inculcation of military discipline. In stead of the familiar sights of men in pajamas and bath-robes lounging around the hospital, we now see these same men clothed in regulation uni form and conforming to all the rules which would govern them were they back with their regiments or com mand. Their day bjegins at six with the call of Reveille and ends at eleven to the call of Taps. Every hour of the day is occupied according to sched ule and each man must participate in whatever drill or exercise his Medical officer assigns him to. Games are an important part of the daily routine and their association with reconstruction work has been greatly emphasized by the Surgeon General. Each man is given an individual daily examination before and after the first drill and exercise period of the gress is filed accordingly. No sick ness of an acute character is treated in the reconstruction department al! cases requiring treatment are transferred to the hospital proper. Shower baths are provided in abund ance and a maximum of sunlight and fresh air pervade the men’s quarters. While yet in its infantcy this new line of wark bids fair for success and even to the casual observer much im provement can be noticed in a few days’ time in those undergoing the treatment. A visit to tne department will find a happy crowd of soldiers, eager and enthusiastic and ever anx ious to get away to join their fellows “over there.” GROWING CLOUD ^ ■ 'k -I ^C\ THE NEW WATCH ON.THE RHINE. THE BROWN BETTY TEA ROOM Solicits your patronage while in the city 14 South Try on Street UP-STAIRS Hot Lunch 12.30-2.30 Dinner 6.00-8.00 Home Cooking
The Caduceus (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 24, 1918, edition 1
18
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