USE FOR SEA SHELLS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22475, 9 January 1943, Page 6

USE FOR SEA SHELLS

Medical Treatment

American Innovation

An interesting feature of the neuropsychiatric treatment which is being applied in United States war hospitals in New’ Zealand to men wno have returned from the firing line suffering from nervous strain is the use of New Zealand sea shells as one of the means of restoring their peace of mind. This phase of treatment is now being carried out at an American hospital in the Wellington province by Major Merrill Moore, a noted American psychiatrist now in the United States Army, under the supervision of the commanding officer. “These men have been evacuated from some pretty terrible places where they have been without rest or comforts.” said the psychiatrist. “Here we are able to give them such comforts for the first time since they were withdrawn. First Tried in Auckland “It takes time for war nerves to heal, and that time must be occupied. They get better more quickly if they are busy. Therefore, in most of the wards we try to promote psychiatric treatment in the form of group activities and personal projects of the hobby nature. “The use of New Zealand sea shells was begun in Auckland,” the doctor said, “and I managed to get a good number of patients there interested in a collection of them. The hospital is fortunately so placed that the Auckland War Memorial Museum can be easily reached. Mr A. W. B. Powell, the acting director of the museum, who is a well-known conchologist, not only contributed generously to the work by giving me large quantities of the most beautiful examples of New Zealand shells from the reserve stores and duplicate collections of the museum, but came in person to the wards and helped to distribute the shells to the patients. “When I came to the Wellington district I brought nearly a barrel load of shells with me, and these are all distributed among the patients here. You would be surprised how much they appreciate them. Surgical cases after operation enjoy having shells to look at and listen to, and men who have arm injuries like to have a shell to grip and squeeze. They use it to reeducate and exercise their fingers. “Some of the men develop a scientific interest in them, and others become interested from the artistic point of view. Still others are interested from the handcrafts angle, at which some become highly proficient. Other Methods Adopted “All these activities, together with the surgical and medical treatment, are doing a great deal to promote the recovery of sick and wounded, and the shells are only one of the means facilitating this. Other things are being done, such as wood carving, stamp collecting, and jewellery making, as occupational therapy and psychotherapy. This is probably the first time in history that this treatment has been applied so early after wounds have been received.” The doctor, who is himself a keen conchologist, and is the author of articles on the subject published in American periodicals, remarked that probably no place in the world is so rich and so beautiful in its molluscan life as New Zealand.