NEURASTHENTA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16979, 16 April 1917, Page 6

NEURASTHENTA.

RETURNED SOLDIERS' PROBLEM. One of tho most serious problems in regard to returned soldiers (says the Wellington Post) is that of dealing with men suffering- from neurasthenia, shell shock, and allied complaints. These patients are in a class quite distinct from those recovering from wounds, and their complete recovery can only bo brought about by tho simple life. City life, with its bristle and noise,is not a suitable environment for them. Thero arc returned men suffering from mental strain, tor example, who almost collapse when a motor cycle passes t:u;m, for the rauid sparking of this machino brings back to them memories of tho death-dealing machine gun at the front. Obviousiy the place for such men is the country; where thev can live in tho open and engage in some recreative form of outdoor life, such as fruit-growing, pig-raising, poultry-keeping, and agricultural and pastoral pursuits generally. Realising this fact, Mr J. I. Fox, manager of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Clubhouse Society, recently communicated with the medical superintendents of the leading hospitals and representative farmers inviting their views on a proposal to establish farms in the different districts where neurasthenic leturned men could be sent to bo employed in the occupations indicated. He explained that his idea was to make the farms self-supporting owing to the amount of stock or produce that could be raised on them. Mr Fox has now received several interesting expressions of opinion, all of them favourable, although some of tho writers realise the difficulties that will have to be overcome. A TWOFOLD TROUBLE. Dr Arthur S. Herbert, of the Rotorua Sanatorium , writes: "I am in cordial sympathy 'with your movement. I may state also that I am in cordial sympathy with your future difficulties. I do not like to obtrude my opinions, but make suggestions, as you ask me. From a fairly largo experience of the subject I would point out that the trouble is twofold, one physical and tho other psyshic. aud the latter is at least as formidable as the forme'r. To deal with physical disability first —a special farm will enable you to allot men tasks commensurate with their capabilities; a thing difficult to do on an ordinary farm, and on the whole I think farm work one of the most suitajble of all for fairly convalescent men, as it is 60 many-sided. The psychic difficulty is that men find it extremely difficult to settle down again to the monotony of ordinary work after the upheaval they liavo been through, and were the farm not self-supporting, or nearly so, I think tho task would be hopeless. Another difficulty is the mental Antipathy to work, a war weariness, which is not laziness, and which requires considerable patience, tact, and perseverance on the part of the supervisor if it is to bo overcome. Indeed,, your manager will have to bo a man of exceptional parts, and I think that the success or failure of the scheme will largely turn on his capability." A WIDE QUESTION. Colonel J. R. Purdy's reply was to the effect that the treatment of returned soldiers still in a nervous state when discharged was a very wide question, and required much consideration. Before venturing an opinion he asked for fuller details of tho scheme. "A GREAT PROBLEM." "If such a scheme as tho one you suggest could be inaugurated, especially if it were made self-supporting, it would, to my mind, _be a great boon," says Dr C. M'aguirc, medical superintendent of the Auckland Hospital. "Thero is no doubt that this country i 3 being faced with a great problem in regard to the after-care of men suffering from neurasthenic conditions. The scheme outlined by. you, would, in my opinion, help considerably towards a solution of the difficulty."

GLAD TO HELP. Sir James G. Wilson, president of tho Board of Agriculture, also voiced some interesting- views. Inter alia, ho states: " . . . . The project seems to bo a good one. In fact., it is now ibeing tried in England as a result of the recommendations of a Royal Commission, which was appointed to consider the position of returned men. I was discussing this position with a member of the Agricultural Department, and ho showed mo tho scheme ho had suggested on tho lines of your suggestion for the settlement of a large block of land in the bush district. I should say that such farms, or colonics, as they arc spoken of in England, would require to be under Government control. To depend upon tho public would bo futile, for they would require to be kept up a long time probably. But I should think something of the kind must be taken in hand. You should get into touch with Mr Rollitt, of the Weekly News in Auckland. Ho has a bold scheme similar to yours on a big scale for a settlement on somo of tho country on tho big central plateau. However, in any such work as you propose you have my cordial sympathy, and if I can help you in, anv way I shall be glad to do so." MR G. P- DONNELLY'S SCHEME.

A very informative reply to tho proposal was forwarded by Mr G. P. Donnelly (of Hawkc's Bay), who also sent details of a scheme in tho same direction that he submitted to the Government some time ago. In his covering letter, Mr Donnelly writes: "Should you decide to start bringing your scheme, into operation, I am confident you will receivo generpus support and assistance from, all over tho dominion, as I am sure the necessity of establishing these depots is at last coming home to tho Government and the public." In describing the scheme ho submitted to the Government, Mr Donnelly states: "The suggestion is that a national scheme of subscriptions to a patriotic fund, substantially subsidised by the Government, bo made for tho purposo of acquiring land and providing financial assistance in tho way of clearing, fencing, subdividing, and stocking tho lands, and that military boards bo set up consisting of tho Minister of Lancb> Crown Lands Commissioner, and an independent board of. sav. five or seven of the most practical landed proprietors in each district, who would be free from all political influence, and with no business or monetary interest in the undertaking." After fully detailing his soli-erne, Mr Donnelly adds: "The Imperial Government carried out a similar scheme some 50 years ago in the Auckland Province, and gave grants of land to retired oflicers and men. For instance, Onehunga, Otahuliu and Panmuro were under the control of- the late Colonel Haltane, and other military settlements in the Auckland Province wero under Colonel Peajock. These settlements proved a great success, and turned out some' of the finest men and women in tho dominion. A similar work was most successfully carried out by the late Hon. J. D. Ormond, whon Superintendent of Hawko's

Bay, including all tho bush laud 1 akapau and Woodville. Tho settlers not only cleared their own lands, fenced and .grassed them, but also made their own roads and assisted in building tho railway, and t must bo remembered that in those day 3 we had not men with tho same practical oxpericnce to guide and direct things as could bo got if a military board were appointed as suggested by mo. . . Other replies dealing with the proposal include those received from Mr Duncan Rutherford (Leslio Hills, Calverden), Mr K, S. Abraham (Palmerston North). Mr Win! Perry (Mastarton), Mr A. R. Prentice (score „ary W airarapa Patriotic Association), and SuKgeon-gcn enil Henderson, all of whom evince keen interest in the scheme.