SHELL-SHOCK CASES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14985, 12 August 1919, Page 3

SHELL-SHOCK CASES.

PRffl-'EST AGAINKT TREATMENT

OF SOLDIIiRS

The matter of th c . treatment ■of returned soldiers suffering Ivom shellyhock and temporary mental ailments, mid their ' confinement with civilian patients, was the topic of discussion v". yesterday's mee'.ing of the Citizens' Dose nee Committee, wlu-u a le'.ter was rend from an ex-resident of (.Hsborne now livj'tnrj m Auckland, to the effect that a district soldier returned from the front *orne months ago and though suffering I'rom shell-shock, was discharged. Afl«>; ; lapse of time he suffered a relapse and i was sent, to the Gisborne hospital for treatment. It was soon seen that tlm institution was nob the place for him nd it was eventually decided— after representations had been made hy -hi: committee and others to the military vthoritios— that 'he; should b e sent t*j Avondale, where the .parents of tbi •yciing man and. ihe local patriotic bod'V were led to believe there was a speci:i." 'nnexe for returned men suffering from shell-shock. He duly arrived at Avon •'•rile, but was not taken to any specia* hospital, but to the ord : n ii'v mental hospital: There he' novr. ' is. ,'P-ere are no special quarters for return•d men suffering- from shell-shock, who •»t keot -and yarded with the ordinary ■ntientsV The men are receiving no special treatment for shell-shock. a 1 though there are about 30 returned mtr ; -i the institution. Colonel Fietcher said, he considered' a strong letter of protest, should be se?>t to the Minister againsii mixing the sold:or capes with the civilian patients. He mderstnod there were £0 w>ldie.rs m the Mititu'-ion. m question, and "if "that wra •'h© case then surely the. Government •hrmld provide one institution, for the 'roatment of soldiers , exclusively. Cnc eoMier, he had heard,-' was alongside a •nin who had gouged out, the eyes oi hiv children. ItV was ; hot/ fair : to th f> so'dior, and he considered /that at least lbs men should be placed m an annexe if not m a separate institution altogether. . Mr. G. 8.- ; Oman said the committee. recfin*lr deputatipnised the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, arid he promised to give 1 b*. matter attention. H^.-' moved: "That th : s committee . strongly resents the honf;i tUmetit. of i he Government- promise m rot providing, homes m the four centre^ for men. suffering from shell-shock, infitead of putting them into the ordinary asvldfais;" : ; . Th© speaker said that some of the nun were all right unless startled, and if kept quiet and loked after, he felt the men would soon recover. Mr. R. M. Birrell- seconded the motion, and said the Government was too much inclined to make the troubles pre- «• or ones. He objected to the principle of the thing. The- Qpvernment promised to put up special establishments for the treatment of these cases. Personally he would like to pee the resblution s ronger to reveal the rcpcntment at the treatment' accorded such men. "Viv. O. Darton, said Ult6 Hon. W. D. ! P. Mac Donald also, promised export services, as .well as special 'wards. The men needed attention by myen specially tra:n---t-d m these c»i: r .o*. -■ . : >rr. W. J. vSinclair pointed but that .■•ho man, was reinstated m the military forces to avoid- putting him m a civilian !"Vitntion.. . Mr. J. W. Bright favored putting the resolution m way of a protest, as otherwire they rubbing it m to the Min-. : st«*r, and was not- advisable. Mr. Omnn agreed to the amendment. i Mr. T. E. Biekford said the matte- ! should be made public, excluding of cntirse. tho name of the man. : It wai:' t'n p the ("Tovefnmevit was doing Romej thing, for . these men. They; were .i' l let-ivning. and provision should have b~r % i mane for thepe. cases before nnwl Colonel Fletcher said he : -.-:'had in.tervie.ved the paronta of the -soldier m question, -who deaired t hat no mentior shrnld be Tnade.of the, case.in the pres.'. Mr. DeGosta said' the circumstances of the case should nevertheless be published*. .■ ' ■'.. '..: '■'.;■■,■ ■ ■ ; Mr. Wildish said the circqmstan-jf o uld be made public without mentionin? tl <*. name of the case. . Mr. Birrell poiftjtedput.'hat^n. artidlf' was recently" published;" m Tthe Poyertv Bay Herald^ • : Mr. Barry believed publicity! should b.- 1 driven to the subject. If it was true that there 1 were SO men. from, this ■ am' o'hor districts, the ■number df cases sl;oild fciirely ensure a "special institution for their treatment. It was rt' scandaloir ?t;tte of affairs. ■■'■''Mr. Humphreys said the Governmen" had had any amount of time to go into (he matter of proper institutions. i these men were treated properly the-y (lui.ild be soon, restored <-o normal ami become/useful citizens. , 1 be motion was carried. ■ '1 he chairman then moved that th< letter be published without mention of ibe nanie. Mr. Sinclair seconded, 1 and the motioi wag carried. v Mr. Oman moved further that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to patriotic societ/ies m the Dominion for their support. . i l\is was added to the original mo tioni with the seconder's permission. %I.v. Birrell said that i£ the letter wa* pent, to -the Advisdrj' Board it would be circularised by them..', ■ ' : . The^chairman suggested that the letter "be eeiit. on to the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald aiid, 'Sir James , Carroll, both of whom are at present m Wellington. The former might riot. have, had time to 'give ; the matter his attention, and the letter would serve to remind him. ,■ Mr. Wildish pointed out that if all the patriotic societies m the Dominion were written to, it would take considerable time before anything definite was "done. For that reason he favored the suggestion of the chairman. , ( .Air. Humphreys asked if the committee wanted this "particular man. removed from his present environments. The chairman ; K We want all of them removed,: He moved that letters be for-, warded to the members for the district and Mr. Dar*on seconded the motion, wl '<ih was carried, t r r. DeCosta suggested that a letter be written to this soldier's parents, in-, fovmiritr them aqtion the committee bar} taken. - r The- chaii'man «aid :the letter would be answered m the -ordinary course of "events. "... : -; •."■■ ' " v "" ■■" -. ', ■ . ' '.. CLAIMS COMMTTTEE'S ACTION ENDORSED, ; ' The ch.iirmain of the Claims Committee reported on ' the work among soldiers. jMr. R. M. Birrell, chairman of tin- CTa'ims Committee, m. the course vi outlining the work do.no hv the. Claims CoinmUtee of.tho society, staid that during the past fortnight 829 cases had been dei>'t with. The sum of £753 16s lOd had hebn expended to assist soldiers wlin made personal application, and £84 103 had been authorised for cases outside— who had appKed to other societies— making a total of £838 6a lOd, -which wns very big. He had seen the, Wellinjrton returns, and m comparison ours were very big. Wellington dealt with 426 cases m one month., All the men returning wanted to have n rhare of the funds, and they were roalIv -retting back again to the right of .tei'vice grant. He wanted the action of Ivs committeen endorsed, as to whether it U'as doing the right, ihing or not. The AdHsory Board . would not meet for some time and it was for the society to doiide whether or not they were' doincf the right thing. The soldier appMoants were not turned down, provided they had a K oo^' case. He wished it mnde clear if the committee was not anting m. conformity with the regulations of the society. At the rate they ■ were jroing on at the present time there' fould be no endowments. The society, had no noed to trouble about the £10,0b0 for loans, as the Repatriation Department w.'is meeting that demand. The society had a lady visitor who v ; sHod dependents to see, that their circumstances were all right. The chairman : There was a committee set up to go into the matter of limiting the stun to be expended m relief to soldiers, and m their report of July 7. which was adopted, they fixed the Hnvt at £10!00p. As far .as th t e temporary loans up to, £2GQ were concerned, : h&3&id, waa oi^Jy £>W0

Mr. Broadhurst ■. More than that. Tho chairman. : Anyhow, not £1000?— No. Mr. M. Ken way proposed a motion; expressing confidence m the report ol the chairman of the committee. The chairman: You are out of order, as the committee's report referred to authorised them to spend up to £10,000. Mr. J. W. Bright pointed out. that Mr. Birrcil asked merely for the society';. {•ndorpenu'ir.. of the action of hip com- ; irtteo and the method of expenditure. Mr. Barry: Un\x mtich has been paid >»t-? Mr. Birrell : £838 6s lOd. Mi*. Barry : How many men lias that mney been expended amongst. Mr. Birrell : About 229 — an average r ;>bou'. £6. ■ Mr. O. E. -Bickford asked if any men had gone befoi'e . tlie Olaims Committee | m several occasions. There were a numSer of men out of "work at tiie present "ime, and this might lead some, of thoni oing to the committee/for relief. Mr. "Birrell said he had a report howiner 36 men out of work. As 'o i he applications for relief, each case was taken on its merits. If a man, came a eoond t ; me be: would have to have aorne iripressive evidence. Some men ' received a larger amount than others accord- '■■"? to the circum stances, but every case I was treated on its merits. Mr. Sinclair • Does . this £800 repree'it depletion of moneys. . The pecretary : Yes, expenditure. '' Mr. Ken way's motion was then put to '•'a meeting and carried.