Shell-shock and other neuropsychiatric problems : $b Presented in five hundred and eighty-nine case histories from the war literature, 1914-1918Southard, Elmer Ernest
History
Shell-shock and other neuropsychiatric problems : $b Presented in five hundred and eighty-nine case histories from the war literature, 1914-1918
Southard, Elmer Ernest
War neuroses; World War, 1914-1918 -- Medical care; World War, 1914-1918 -- Psychological aspects
It seems no mental weakness had been noticed in the army. It had been
observed, however, that after seeing the first corpses he was deeply
impressed and did not want to see any more. On examination in the
hospital he gave the impression of indifference and low spirits. He had
to be urged to eat and work. No great amount of intelligence defect
could be determined, though his knowledge and capacity were below the
average. The physician examining him thought his depression was either
caused by or increased by his imprisonment; but this examiner thought
that the protection of Section 51 did not extend to the patient at the
time of his desertion. The examiner thought that an examination by a
psychiatrist was not necessary, though both judge and prosecutor urged
it.
When examined in the clinic, he seemed to be disoriented for time. He
claimed to have been able to stand the shooting and the sight of the
corpses. After becoming unconscious, he had wakened and eaten cucumbers
and carrots in the fields, wandering on for a period of three or four
weeks, until he came to a place where he had formerly worked. The
reason he had thrown away his uniform was because Russians had been
about. He had not known that it was his duty to report to the army
again.
It was found that the patient’s father was poorly developed as to mind,
that his brother was subject to periodic mental disturbance so that he
had to be watched. It was found also that K. himself had had a similar
mental disturbance, lasting a week, two years before. Moreover he was
not considered mentally right in his home town. In fact, no one there
wondered really at his desertion because he was so stupid. His school
work had been poor and limited.
He himself said that his people were of sound mind; that during school
days he had felt bad in his head, once running into the woods after
being told something. He was able to give the names of his former
superiors. His calculations were only partly correct. He was poor at
reasoning and at simple distinctions; for example, asked the difference
between a bird and a butterfly, he replied that a butterfly was a bird
too. He did not know the difference between a river and a lake. He
thought Russia, England, and Austria were the enemies of Germany.
He sat about or lay on the floor, motionless and indifferent, with
a newspaper stuffed into his trousers, unoccupied although saying
that he wanted to work, and even allowing his fingers to be burned by
cigarettes he was smoking.
He was tried once more and the first medical expert still adhered to
his former opinion, pointing out that K. was a rifleman and that _only
an intelligent man could be a rifleman_. The court, however, accepted
Kastan’s opinion and granted K. the protection of Section 51.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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