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
This afternoon the subject of hospitalizing the tuberculous veteran in
n. p. hospitals was discussed. I rather think it a somewhat sweeping
assertion to say that every tuberculous individual with mental symptoms
should be hospitalized in a t. b. sanitorium. We will all grant that men
with signs and symptoms of an active tuberculosis disease should be
hospitalized in an institution for the treatment of tuberculous. But to
my mind that does not hold where the disability is clearly a mental
disorder; that man is ambulant. The other man gives no trouble whatever
because he is bed-ridden. I have no doubt that every t. b. hospital
commander here today has had such cases. Your ambulant case, with few if
any indications of active tuberculosis but who notwithstanding is
tubercular, when he develops mental symptoms is not only a source of
annoyance in the tuberculosis hospital but is destructive of morale. His
place is clearly in a hospital for the treatment of mental cases.
DR. M. C. GUTHRIE, U. S. VETERANS’ BUREAU: This matter affects us
administratively from a different angle. Many of the general hospitals
have wards for the cure of tuberculosis. We presume that the turn-over
must be fairly rapid. When men have accumulated in sufficient number and
their disposition is determined as to whether they should go to a
tuberculous institution, and they refuse to go, shall we turn them out
or shall we let them stay?
SURGEON L. M. WILBUR, USPHS: If the transfer is suggested in the interest of
the physical welfare of the patient and he refuses to accept that
transfer, he is interfering with treatment. The regulations provide for
that.
SENIOR SURGEON T. R. PAYNE, USPHS: I don’t agree with some of the t. b. men.
I think a man can make a fight if he is dissatisfied and does not want
to go and I think you will do harm in transferring him. If a man is
home-sick and will not improve, I think he will do very much better to
stay just where he is and you ought not force that man to go somewhere
where he will not be satisfied. A sanatorium is a school to teach men
how to live. In a general hospital you will have trouble in enforcing a
rest hour because there are a great many other men in the institution
who are not compelled to do so. The pass privilege is another thing.
Some patients have but one pass a week and other patients get passes
frequently. It serves to dissatisfy the t. b. men as they felt they were
not on an equal footing. That is the only objection I can see.
SENIOR SURGEON J. E. DEDMAN, USPHS (R): There are several things that occur
to me. In the first place there is the question of food. Of course that
is the vital thing in every hospital. In our hospital, as I said before,
we have a large number of negroes and what you give to the white boys in
the north is not satisfactory to the colored patient. I think it is an
important thing to try to give the men what they want in the way of
food.
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