Rehabilitation of the Disabled

The world war has aroused a universal interest in the physical and mental rehabilitation of disabled sol- diers.The instruments of destruction of modern warfare sacrificed millions of lives and disabled a multitude of men.To conserve man power it became necessary for the European countries engaged in the war to study and apply all possible measures to protect the lives and health of the soldier.The use by the central powers of offensive and destructive measures in the way of high explosives, poisonous gases, liquid fire and other devices produced injuries requiring special measures of pre- vention and efficient surgical and medical manage- ment which could be developed only after careful re- search and study.The final year of the war was illuminated by remarkable results of the practical application of known and new measures of prevention of disease, and military surgery reached a stage of tech- nical skill and efficiency heretofore unknown. EUROPEAN METHODS OF REHABILITATIONIn addition to ordinary medical and surgical care, all the European countries engaged in the war adopted measures to hasten physical and functional restoration by the application of special therapeutic measures grouped under the heading of physical and mental reconstruction or rehabilitation.The program of rehabilitation included physio¬ therapy, embracing hydrotherapy, electrotherapy and Read before the Institute of Medicine of Chicago, April 19, 1919.