RESOLVED, that in considering the question of line of duty, it should be understood that an officer of the Army or Navy, or an enlisted man of the Army or Navy, who has been accepted on his first physical examination after arrival at a military station as fit for service shall be considered to have contracted in line of duty any subsequent determined physical disability, unless such disability shall be shown to be the result of the patient’s own carelessness, misconduct, or vicious habits at any time, or to have been contracted while absent from duty without permission, or unless the history of the case shows unmistakably that the disability existed prior to entrance into the service.
DR. G. H. YOUNG: stated that it has frequently been a shock to his sensibilities to see the manner in which compensation has been awarded to certain ex-service men who are not in any sense deserving; that assuming John Doe had a disability when he came into the service, it is now going on four years since his discharge and if such disability was exaggerated in service he should be compensated just as if he had been wounded in action; that the question comes up as to how it can be determined as to whether the exaggeration of his disability arose say during six weeks, six months or eighteen months of his military service or in the period of nearly four years which has since elapsed? That he is of opinion that this applies especially to the in-patienthiatric cases.
DR. COBB: suggested that general discussion of the other subjects be taken up and that this very important matter be brought up later.
DR. BREW: referred to the case of a man in hospital with a fracture of the thumb, which was operated upon with the result that it functioned properly and the man was not handicapped in the least. After the operation, which resulted in his total rehabilitation the man was awarded vocational training and drew $80 a month. He referred to the case of another man who had been in every hospital he could reach, obtaining transportation from the Red Cross when he could not otherwise obtain it; this man was inducted into service at Jefferson Barracks and had a military service of 28 days, of which 28 days he was in hospital 14 days, and his disability was amoebic dysentery, which he could not have incurred at Jefferson Barracks; this man was in hospital for 18 months and has been drawing $130 a month for training, which he has been taking for two years. Dr. Brew also referred to the case of a negro, who had syphilis before he went into the service; that he is as well as the average man of his type and is receiving a compensation of $110 a month; that this man has benefited by his military service because he has had a line of treatment that he would not have received in civil life.
DR. WHITE: (Speedway Hospital) thought that the matter of allowing the space of six feet between beds should be adjusted, as this space will greatly reduce the hospital capacity. He also referred to the matter of rations for absentees and stated a man may be away a matter of seven days without leave and asked whether or not the hospital shall charge for that patient’s rations, as the dietary service must prepare for him whether he is there or not, and there is always the possibility of his return the next day; that it also happens that a patient on leave may return two days before he is expected. He thought that if meals are prepared they ought to be paid for.
Dr. White also referred to losses of clothing which take place and thought it was unfortunate that individual lockers were not supplied for use of patients, as if they were supplied they could be rented to patients at a nominal cost, thereby relieving the institution of the custody of the clothing.
The large amount of paper work was also mentioned by Dr. White. He stated that he understands that when a patient is sent to a hospital he receives a compensation of $80 a month automatically, in which case he cannot see the necessity for making additional physical examinations.
With reference to the matter of admissions, transfer and discharges, Dr. White expressed the opinion that officers should require a patient to state whether or not he is receiving compensation; that in the matter of transfers as well as admissions, officers should be required to state in writing, specifically and distinctly, the reason why they desire cases transferred. He mentioned one instance wherein it was stated that a patient had a gunshot wound of the left thigh, and he simply had a scar to show for it. He thought that officers should be required to state in writing the hospitalization needed. Dr. White also referred to cases where it is desired to discharge a man from a hospital for certain offenses, stating that if this is done, compensation of course would be stopped and the man will not feel kindly toward the particular hospital which discharges him. He was of opinion that in such cases a hospital should be required to terminate its own cases and not dump them off on other institutions and stated that at the Speedway Hospital there is no hesitation about reporting such cases as they are found, and if officers who transfer patients would give specific reasons as to why patients need hospital treatment, there will not be so many men coming into hospitals who do not require treatment anywhere.
In regard to G. O. 26, Dr. White inquired as to who is to decide the feasibility and eligibility of patients who are ready to be discharged, stating that he had been waiting for a representative of the Veterans’ Bureau to be sent to his hospital empowered and authorized to make awards of compensation, as if medical officers are expected to do it, their number will have to be increased; that a man should be sent from the Veterans’ Bureau to attend to matters relating to training and who could say definitely to a patient that he can have such and such training, as it is absolutely necessary to have such a man and if he is provided it will prevent a large number of complaints.
DR. GUTHRIE: stated that he would like to have some discussion as to whether the representative referred to by Dr. White should be a medical officer or a layman; that Dr. White stated that he had expected the arrival of such a representative for some time, and as the doctor is a young-looking man, he thought that if he lived long enough he will see this representative get there.