Show Caring for War far Cripples es F w. w Il w. w 3 Trades for Legless Men NEW YORK July 22 An An extremely interesting contrast to the horrors of the he war with its awful toll toil of maimed and tad killed literally the greatest war of all ill history In this respect is the magnificent mag mag- development of the care for forthe forthe the he crippled d soldiers which has oc occurred oc- oc The story of this chapter of the he wars war's history will add many a new new and interesting para paragraph raph to the history his tory Cory of humanitarianism A generation generation genera genera- tion ion ago surgeons planned their amputations and their treatment of crippling crippling crip crip- pling ling wounds so as to safeguard the tile patients patient's life for tor the time but without much nuch regard to his to-his his future usefulness Now while every effort is made to pr preserve erve all possible tissue and expectant expectant tant treatment is the rule rather than the he nicely projected supposedly oos- oos cos cosmetic amputations of a generation ago the he surgeon bears constantly in mind the he necessity for tor arranging for or such results of his treatment as will Weave his mis patient as well able to care for himself himself him him- him elf self as possible Above all he is concerned concerned con con- con con- with that Important after problem problem lem em Jn the life lite of his patient that crippled crippled crip crip- pled led limbs and amputation stumps may maybe maybe mayme be me adjusted to various kinds of apparatus apparatus appa appa- ratus atus that will make up however Imperfectly imperfectly im Im- perfectly for missing parts Not only Is this true so far as the surgeons surgeon's actual operative work is concerned concerned con con- con con- but surgeons now feel teel it their duty luty after atter recovery is as assured ired to help their patients In Jn the obtaining of whatever whatever what what- ever ver apparatus will be best adapted to tos s supply them with such aid as Is needed for or locomotion and for foi their occupation occupation occupation tion In life The soldiers of our ciVil war had to depend almost entirely on instrument makers of various kinds s many of whom at the beginning at lit least of their manufacturing careers understood very little about abou the he true m mechanics of the human body and learned only by experience how to fit and make apparatus though that experience had to be gained at atthe atthe atthe the expense of ot the crippled soldiers Soldiers have helped In the development development development develop develop- ment of this kind of apparatus until now mechanical feet and legs have reached such an evolution that men even lacking both feet teet or legs may still sUJI take up serious occupations requiring re requiring requiring re- re quiring them to move about rather freely One hand Is supplied very well welland and even both hands may maj mabe be made u up p to spore some extent by apparatus which en enables enables en- en ables even the handless patient to handie handle handle han han- dle die a a. fork or hold a pen or to accomplish accomplish plash a number of useful movements By the time the war is over there Undoubtedly undoubtedly undoubtedly un Un- un- un will be a a. great simplification n In the economical manufacture of ot these thes e apparatus so as to put them within the reach of even the very poor andin and andIn andin d In the meantime charity chanty is supplying g for the lack of funds Occupation of Mind and Hand A second phase of this care for th the e war cripples In which p physicians a awell as asWell aswell s well as surgeons have been very mud much h interested is the obtaining for them o of ot f occupations by which they may no not t only be able to make a livelihood but bu t also be relieved of the tedium of in in occupation for having time hang hea heavy on their hands almost inevitably makes make s for tor the exaggeration of their com corn complaints plaints It has been found over an anand and d and over oer again that in the midst of ot crippling wounds and In amputating st stumps ps nerves gives a great deal of ot whenever patients have no occupation pation of mind In which they are deeply interested W We have any number number number num num- ber of accounts on record of soldiers who have complained of feeling a cramp crampin cramp crampin in the he toes of a foot that had been amputated and buried some considerable considerable consider consIder- able time before In not a few cases patients have complained com com- so much and have had the feeling that if they could only straighten straight straight- en those toes all would be well with them that the amputated limb has In some cases actually been exhumed when It was available and the straightening straightening straightening straight straight- ening done Just to satisfy their mInds mind with the very curious and to some people surprising result that a number of these patients have been relieved of ot their discomfort Almost needless to say It the manipulation of ot the amputated and already putrefying foot root that had relieved them nor did my straightening of toes relax the rampy feeling they had It was the effect upon their minds that cured I their heir complaint and not a real ion lon from which they were s suffering With Vilh regard to other ailments and specially so c called or neurotic Gains jains worse In rainy weather and on lamp days for which old soldiers are many amous amous many of ot them come to be I luite reliable barometers it it has been that more can be accomplished ward oward relieving them by obtaining for tor hem an occupation of mind that keeps leeps hem from much Introspection and about themselves than in any an rather ther way This will not cure all nil the mains and aches for many of them are on the disturbed condition It d f tissues consequent upon their in- in ury but It will lessen the annoyance upon all of them and tends o 0 obliterate many of them entirely Tence the Interest of physicians and at the present time In obtain- obtain ng occupations for their patients that till Ill gIve them something to think about resides themselves and their orts and at the same time will enable hem hein to be self sel supporting so far as hat is possible The he French surgeons rave lave been particularly active in this Clatter and the account of all that has een done for maimed soldiers not as asI but in helping them to help I and be useful and even members of the community a 1 spite of their crippling is to be one f the Interesting chapters In the his his- ory of the war as as a aIt it has developed the sources of medicine and of social ervice low Useful Cripples Can BeThe BeThe BeThe Be The marvel of the record as it has is how much these apparent- apparent r I helpless cripples learn to accomplish hen even a little aid Is afforded them nd d they have the sympathy and co- co of those around them All orts of ot occupations have been found d i Dr Jr r them to afford them at once em- em I and a means of support I soldiers who have been ren ren- I ered quite unfit for military service e re still thoroughly capable or useful In munitions factories an anre and andre d re thus employed by bythe the govern government ent ut all France Franco has been gone over a as s ith a a. fine tooth comb to supply post ons for tor the loss of a hand or th the thess thess e ss ss of ot a leg or even of both legs does doe s ot of render a man unfitted to assume assum E Eme le me responsibility and give the care car e is the most important element elemen t r certain occupations I Maimed soldiers have hate haye become th the e of national monuments o of r rious kinds the Janitors and guard guard- 1 ins of public buildings the private privat e I at park gates and s os a on gentlemen's estates estate Especially j motorcycles enable them t to toI o I be messengers and postmen postmen- they postmen they have become became the sacristans of ot churches and cathedrals and those gifted with voices have become singers in village and i town fawn churches and other occupations of ot this kind While the war has c compelled the employment employment em- em em em- I of women in many male occupations oc oc- ocI I such as conductors and andev I ev even en dri drivers driers ers of buses and guards on motor trains of various kinds in positions positions positions in the departments of street cleaning and fire inspection as well as asin asin asin in in the health department and the s school hool department some of the returned soldiers soldiers soldiers sol sol- diers especially those who have lost l legs gs or feet teet have proven thoroughly capable of ot adapting themselves to many feminine occupations They have learned knitting and crocheting and lace making and while the coarse coars a awkward fingers of older men can do only rougher grades of this work many of the younger crippled soldiers and and unfortunately this war has been boen particularly hard on the young young prove prove thoroughly capable of taking up in their slim readily Adaptable f fingers even oven the finest work that was dyne dorje by women In these lines Tapestry Weaving A rather interesting i incident i was told In this rl regard ard not long ago when two crippled soldiers happened to wander wander wan wan- der into a workroom in which women were weaving ing tapestries tapestries tapestries-by by a s1 special ecial method The workshop had really been heen kept kepl open after hostilities commenced which ruined so man many trades solely In order to afford atford employment and some Bome wages wages to a a. few women who would otherwise be almost starving The tapestry tapestry tapestry tap tap- estry thus made however was Just beginning beginning be be- g ginning inning to have a vogue and the women were making waking a rather good living There was question of ot obtaining obtain obtain- ing more hands but they were not easy to get et because it required rather care carea ful work and a longer training during an unproductive period than most women cared to undertake seeing the chances of the tho occupation in the fu future fu- fu ture The discharged soldiers espe dally those wounds from the service service service ser ser- vice vice are welcome everywhere because i it t is felt that they have made almost I a s. s supreme sacrifice for their country The men looked on with fascination at the busy and deft fingers which were making the intricate patterns and af after after ater at- at t ter er having watched for hours houra came back to see the finished pattern and the beauty beauty of it Day after day they came because the work proved so interesting in interesting interesting in- in and the results so charming finally they asked as a favor to be al allowed allowed al- al lowed to try their hands at it it It ap appealed all ap pealed to them as a a. sort of puzzle which they should like tike to be he able to 10 solve Their request was granted rather In inthe inthe j the way that one permits a child t to take up something so as to satisfy its H its curiosity than for an any other reason certainly without any thought of their taking up ramp the work To the time surprise of every everyone one perhaps most of ot all to 10 the surprise of the soldiers elves who in their theft healthy condition condi condl- condi- condi condition tion b before fore the tho war would have scoffed at the t idea ea of their occupying themselves themselves them them- I selves with such feminine trifles the soldiers soon proved themselves not only perfectly capable of dolner deine the I I work well but even even artistically THey were taken on as workmen and the word soon went round It was not long before other soldiers applied and proved to be just as efficient at the I work Today there is a large workroom workroom work work- I room on one of the Paris streets where I Imore more than fifty soldiers earn a good living by weaving t tapestries The fact that now this is a crippled soldier industry in- in has brought tapestries back even more into fashion and there seems good reason to think ink that their products products prod prod- will be disposed of to reasonably good advantage Trades for Legless MenThe Men The war cripples however are aie being taught all sorts of trades their individual individual indi indi- vidual tastes and aptitudes being consulted consulted con con- as far as possible There are a great many trades that have to be can- can ducted in a sitting position or br where whereat at least a man who is seated can accomplish accomplish accomplish ac ac- with his hands practically as much as a whole and hearty workman Among these trades are such occupations as those of tailors shoemakers coopers tinsmiths machinists and various various vari yari- I ous branches of these trades tradE's as they h have ve developed In large factories Men who have some previous education learn typewriting and bookkeeping and industrial designing College students and gr graduates are giver given occupations in libraries and in catalogue making and I the like Typesetting proofreading school teaching especially in the coun coun- try all try all these occupations are now being being be be- ing sought and particularly for the crippled soldiers The surprise that is greatest of ot nil nils is s that not a few of the soldiers who were without any but the most rudimentary rudimentary rudi rudl- education when they entered the army and had been engaged in manual labor before the time war actually seem Slem to to get along better in their maimed condition than they did previously pre pre- Not a few tew of them have developed de- de developed de de- hitherto unsuspected aptitudes for craftsmanship of one kind or another an another an- an other and it is not surprising that they have succeeded in bettering their economic eco eco- status What is above all noteworthy noteworthy note- note worthy however is the fact that these maimed soldiers have now become the special care of ot the community They are given wl wise direction e they are the hard over places and everybOdy everybody every every- body is willing to do whatever can be done to bett better r their condition and so they get along The great heart of humanity sympathizes with them and that makes all the difference between the appalling prospect of striving to get along without sympathy and apparently apparently ap ap- ap- ap with every mans man's hand against one because of the utter indifference of ot those around and the encouragement encourage encourage- ment which comes from feeling that everyone wishes you well and Is ready to help Just as much as possible Setting Legless on Their Feet The Trench French will have their Joke and much has been said about the way in which these men without feet have been placed on their feet again A great many men who without legs and feet teet faced what seemed to them to b ba bea be bea e a life of ot beggary and destitution and 1 practically complete dependence dependence have e made themselves self supporting In a a. comparatively short time When th the e technical schools for the teaching of trades and occupations of various s kinds for these maimed soldiers were organized their founders thought that flora t at least a year eai would be required t to tomake tomake o make each maimed worker self sup supporting porting parting To the astonishment an and ana d above aboe all the great relief of all those interested not much more than halt half f that time as a rule has been en necessary notes sary nary It 11 is said that a a. months month's practice tice flee is sometimes sufficient for fol a reasonably rea sea clever young man to learn dear n I I I I enough of shoemaking to be able to tomake tomake I make a living liv ing at this trade After this this' he can learn by doing and if it ho Imo hohas has ability and can acquire skill a rather good future is assured |