Conference of Officers in Charge of Government Hospitals Serving Veterans of the World War
History
Conference of Officers in Charge of Government Hospitals Serving Veterans of the World War
Medicine, Military; Military hospitals; World War, 1914-1918 -- Veterans -- Medical care -- United States
As to these cases, very much the same program is carried out as Dr.
Kolb’s. Complete preliminary physical and neurological examinations are
made and patients are placed under observation of one man, who observes
them and makes notes from time to time. As for the treatment of these
men, there is little to be done in a way. I think it resolves itself
into occupation mostly. I think the occupational measure as applied to
the epileptic is the only solution. I think they should be kept busy
every moment, for many reasons. They are naturally fault finding and if
they have something to do it will lessen the time they have to think of
these things. It will promote interest in their surroundings. It will
lessen the liability of deterioration but as the thing now stands that
cannot be done, under the present method of hospitalization. The
solution covering that is, I believe, for the Government to formulate,
properly taking into consideration these districts, and build an
epileptic colony, under proper supervision, and I believe from an
economic standpoint, it could be made almost self-supporting.
In regard to the medical treatment, we have been instituting at East
Norfolk a very careful treatment,—careful observation—to determine the
real value of luminol in the treatment of epilepsy and we have found
that it has been beneficial in many ways; that it lessens the severity
of the shock, prolongs the intervals between shocks and in many
instances effects complete cessation; the patient becomes more alert,
more active, more interested in his surroundings. This treatment must be
continued day after day. If there is a cessation, or lack of it, or a
failure or inability on our part to obtain luminol, these men
immediately react to the lack of it. I should say we have had at least
four deaths at East Norfolk due absolutely to the lack of luminol.
DR. WILBUR: At Chicago we developed a diagnostic clinic at the Marine
Hospital and had two departments: in-patient and out-patient
departments. We had a capacity for in-patients of about 150. The
out-patient department was unlimited and developed to approximately 160
to 175 patients at one time. The in-patient department is divided into
five groups for the investigation of cases;
1. Cases which would be immediately transferred to some other hospital
as soon as arrangements could be made;
2. Certain disorders taken up under direction of an officer particularly
interested in such disorders and investigated as fully as possible;
3. Hyper-thyroidism, following operations, where the pulse is still
high. When such cases were sent to us, an attempt was made to stabilize
the patient and bring him down to a nearly normal basis so that he could
go out and take Federal Board training.
4. Psycho-neurotics.
5. Epileptic and hysterical cases.
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