MILITARY PATIENTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 27, 26 October 1917, Page 3

MILITARY PATIENTS

HOW CURES ARE CHECKED

DR. VALINTINE v SUGGESTS REFORMS

Dr. Valintine, Director of "Medical Services, nud Chief Inspector of Hospitals, waited on tko Advisory Board of the patriotic societies yesterday afternoon, to urge the societies in all parts of New Zealand to do their utmost to look after the returned men between the time of their discharge from any of the hospitals oi' homes until they reach their destinations. He quoted 6ome distressing cases where men, after leaving an in6titution, had been supplied with liquor by well meaning but 6adly ill-advised people until they became much the worse of drink, and went on a spree, possibly undoing a great deal of the good which had been done them during their stay in the institution. He instanced one such case from the Cambridge .Sanatorium, and said that it was well known that alcohol was the very worst thing a consumptive patient could take._ 1 . In reply to a question, Dr. Valintino said that he meant that tho societies all over New Zealand might pay attention to this matter. There were about seventy hospitals and homes in New Zealand. All of them did not have patients the whole of the time, but most of them did most of the time. If the societies would lend their aid lie would see that the medical superintendents advised the societies concerned when men were going to be discharged. A good deal of tact would have to )>e exercised, but the men were really like children, and amenable to almost any influence after a long stay sin' these .institutions. What he wanted to bring about was that there should be as little delay as possible between the time a man was discharged from an institution and tho time he arrived at his home, whether it was near the place or five hundred miles away.

Fell Influences. There were men, for example, who ar-, rived in Wellington at about 3 pirn., and were not to leave for the south until 8 p.m. In that interval they were amenable to afiy of the fell influences, such as those people who insist on supplying such men with liquor. These men were very easily ,led. It needed tact, but -a great deal of good could be done if members of the patriotic societies would take up the work. The chairman asked whether men on being discharged were supposed to be cured. Dr. Valintine: Practically so—all lias been done for them that could be done for them. They only needed to look after themselves. The members wero all agreed that Dr. Valintine's idea was a sound one, and on tho motion of Mr. Hope-Gibbons it was decided that the. secretary should communicate with all the patriotic socie-' ties on the subject, urging them to attend to this mattor. It was also decided to write, requesting the co-operation of tho returned soldiers' associations and clubs. Another Reform Urged. Dr. Valintine also referred to tho folly of not allowing' soldiers to go back to work until they wero finally He had met men in-uniform the worse of drink, and on his protesting tactfully tho men had said: "Well, what are we to do? We'are not allowed to work, and there's nothing elso to do but drink!" That\position was absurd—a man should be allowed tg work as soon as he was able, as it would be a means of keeping him straight, and thereby healthy. He had already written to the military authorities on the point, and ho thought that a little pressure by tho board would bring about the desired result. Re-enlistments. Dr. Valintine pointed o.ut, too, that there would bo mote re-enlistments if a man, on re-onlisting, wero allowed to 1 rejum hio old unit. He had iieard that in different parts of the country, and believed that the number of re-enlistmonls would be increased from 5 to 50 {«■;• out. It was only human nature, too. Now a man on ro-eulisting had to start right from the bottom at Trentham, instead of joining up witli his old a nit or uonipany. Fatigue Uniforms for Pati-.nts, Dr. Valintine mentioned that it was intended to put all patients into hospital fatigue uniforms as at Homo. All patients ivouid have to wear them, and it would be a penal offence for i-jiynne to givo or sell that man liquor of ,any kind. Wonderful Rotorua. In speaking of tho treatment of bad joints and nervous complaints, Dr. Valintine said that Eotorna had advantages over any place in the Empire. ■ In addition to the special treatment, they had the thermal springs, and it had been found that men suffering from the troubles mentioned did better there tliiwi. anywhere else in the world. Such was the recognition of that fact that it was proposed that Botorua should be thrown open to the whole of the Imperial Forces.. Ilaumer was even better for cases of shellshock than Rotorua, on account of the coldness and stillness of the air—the cures'that were being effected there were really Temarkable, better in shell-shock cases than Rotorua. Mr. Dougall expressed the deep appreciation of the board to Dp. Valintine for his timely and veiy wise words, which would he very helpful to the societies.