LIEUT. BOONE: stated that the discussions had gone afield, that real social service work is summed up in four or five heads—securing social histories and other data for the use of tuberculosis specialists and psychiatrists, securing reports on home conditions for help of physicians in deciding whether or not to discharge a patient to his home, corresponding with home communities to adjust home situations, thereby making it possible for patients to remain in hospitals, and arranging through local communities for men who return home to have proper care and assistance in adjusting themselves to civilian life. He believed a great deal of this entertainment work should be separated from social service.
ADMIRAL STITT stated that the question had been considered by the Federal Board of Hospitalization, and it had been recognized that only the Red Cross has this tremendous machinery and it was considered that the Red Cross is the proper agency and organization to take care of that sort of thing. The Red Cross should coordinate and control these outside agencies. He announced that the next discussion would be on “Disciplinary Regulations”.
DR. KLAUTZ took up first that in tubercular institutions the rules must always be stricter than in the general government hospital. He emphasized the fact that tuberculosis in a civilian is the same as in an ex-service man, that the same methods of procedure must be applied in treatment, and that the patient must recognize the importance of discipline in the tuberculosis hospital.
SURGEON DEDMAN stated he had taken part in the compilation of General Order #27, and that he found one flaw in it now. This was the clause about giving a man his transportation. He believed that a man would soon get restless and if he could get his transportation home against medical advice many of these men would get some wonderful home trips. He said this would make it one of the hardest things on earth to keep sick men in bed. He said the only way for this to be done would be to deduct the transportation from the man’s compensation. He stated that General Order 27 had put Commanding Officers where they could sleep at night, that before there was simply turmoil and strife, like the boy in France whose wife, every time she wrote to him, nagged him, and he of course was never anxious to get her letters. Finally he wrote to her “Dear Maggie—Received your last letter. For God’s sake don’t write me any more. Let me fight this war in peace!.”
DR.LLOYD: referring to Dr. Dedman’s complaint, stated that in the case of a man discharged for disciplinary reasons the man would not have the means to get home, and the community would have to take care of him, that it was a choice between two evils. In the case of a man who goes home against medical advice, if his transportation were not paid he would just do something and get fired for disciplinary reasons. He asked for some further discussions on the matter of patients being sent back to a hospital when they ought not to be.
SURGEON MILLER: referring to General Order 27, stated that in his hospital the patients were willing to pay their own transportation, and would go whether it was paid or not.
ADMIRAL STITT: asked that those who wished to present resolutions be writing them.
DR. GUTHRIE: requested that the medical officers who have complaints in regard to General Order 27 and do not have time to express then write them out and he would be very glad to have them sent to him.
SURGEON WHITE (Speedway Hospital): asked whether, if a patient stays away over night A.W.O.L., paragraphs 3 or 4 on Page 3 of General Order 27–A would apply.
ADMIRAL STITT asked that Dr. Lloyd answer that question.