THE SHOCKS OF THE WAR

Evening Star, Issue 16991, 13 March 1919, Page 4

THE SHOCKS OF THE WAR

SOLDIERS FOR TREATMENT.

NEURASTHENIA AND HYSTERIA. An Interesting- reference to shell shock cases was mad© recently by Colonel J. W. Springthorpe, who returned to Australia from, service overseas by the Nestor. Colonel Springthorpe stated that at first some of the shell shock sufferers who had no apparent wounds were considered more or less to he malingering, and it took a little time for the authorities to satisfy themselves that such was not the case. The general opinion of those who have come into contact with those cases, however, is that malingering is exceedingly uncommon. Under the on© head of shellshock has been grouped a number of cases with somewhat different conditions. A certain number of people are naturally neurasthenic, and the tendency is accentuated and made active by the strain of war. Then, in otherSj a tendency to hysteria receives maximum expression through war. “ The real shell shock," said Colonel Springthorpe, “is different, although it may be complicated by neurasthenia or hysteria. In my series of cases about 50 per cent, were men who up to the moment of shook were practically well, although, of course, a number were suffering more or less from strain. A high explosive shell bursts near a man. He may be rendered unoonecious or dazed for an indefinite period, during which he may wander off, and even be arrested for desertion, without necessarily showing symptoms to the ordinary eye that would prove anything but voluntary action. Most of the shell shock cases suffer more or less from tremor's, loss of memory, become temporarily deaf, dumb, or blind, stammer, and thei£ powers of intelligent concentration sometimes become defective. They may have varying troubles of heart, muscles, or nerves. "Paralysis is another symptom. Some of these symptoms are known ae hysteroid or traumatic hysteria, and they are, as a rule, easily and rapidly reliovable, by proper treatment, although to th© lay mind they appear, most serious and the cures most remarkable. For example, people stricken dumb have recovered tbeir speech by t-ecing the picture of a mat© on a cinema screen, by a pot of paint falling ever the head, by a slight electrical shock, or by anything which suddenly dominates the mental belief that they cannot speak. Referring to other cases of shell shock. Colonel Springthorpe said that some of them were by no means easy to deal with, and the effects remained for a, considerable period. It was yet too early to say what would be the ultimate result in some cases, although it was isrobable that recovery more or less complete would lie achieved in a large majority of them. What amount of future strain they would he able to stand. however, was one of the problems involved. One remarkable feature was that when a mar. suffered physical concussion prior to or coincident with the shock he almost entirely escaped the symptoms of shell shock. JTiis was on© reason why some, men were thought to be malingerers. For this .end other reasons it was generally aCcepted : that shell shock was emotional rather than concussional, and the treatment was thus largely ideational and psychical. One thine was accepted by all: that these cases coind nob and should not—-and now did not—go back to active eervico. It might, however, be quite a different matter with some of the neurasthenic, and even the hrs-tenc-al sufferers, who, under certain conditions, might, be better doing something than left to 'their own devices. Many such cases could go back to some other form of active service.