[lit-ideas] Re: Mop Rumpchuck


On Feb 27, 2008, at 8:54 PM, John McCreery wrote:


Fascinating. Could you give us some examples?

John
In the years when I was writing my thesis the history of medicine concerned itself for the most part with the doctor's point of view, trying to figure out, to cite a British example, the history of the relationships among physicians, surgeons and general practitioners. I decided I wanted to work from patient records, reading them as notes that came from the pens of doctors but which also revealed what patients said. Here are transcripts of four other ranks' "shell- shock" records in 1914:
93774, Admitted 8/14 to Northern General Hospital. Leeds. Corporal, Age 25, 5 years' service. Pain in chest, 2 yrs. Sept Murmur, not organic. Abdomen tender. Functional. Returned to duty.
93776. Admitted 9/14 to Northern General Hospital. Private, Age 36. Loss of control of himself. Giddy. 5 yrs ago had a "shaking do" from head lasting many weeks. Present symptoms came on with 2nd day's drill. Symptoms obviously neurotic. Col B. suggested a fortnight's further observation with drilling daily. Returned to duty.
93778, Admitted 9/14. Trooper, Age 23, 1 year's service. Blanks out and is wild. Electrical engineer. Nervous man. No bruits. To be watched. To duty.
93786, Admitted 9/14 to Northern General Hospital. Col Sgt, Age 41, 20 years' service. Much work and responsibility for last 3/4 months. Couldn't think. 7 days rest. No benefit. Lost memory. Tremor of hand and leg. "I should be glad of an opinion in this case. There is very little improvement: I scarcely think the man is malingering and yet I cannot feel he is making his best effort. Note rank." To duty.
The charts, penned and signed by AMC doctors in British hospitals (which means that these are the cases that were severe enough to be sent back to Blighty or that happened before the soldiers were shipped overseas) describe what puzzled doctors. Sometimes there were attempts at diagnostic language, "psythchasthenia with hysteria?" but mostly the charts are headed with terse tales, "Gas attack blew mind," "Fell off a bridge in Valley of Marne. Fell back into one foot of water. Thirty foot down," "Pain in knees, in heart," "Shrapnel and bullet wounds. Trembling and sweating on slightest emotion or excitement," "Bullet wound. Severe pain all over," "Shot a man accidentally 14 days ago. Has been upset very much since," "Fell on left part of chest while boxing at his depot," "Headaches, two months. Vomiting after meat," "Lack of nervous stamina."
Civilian psychic ailments were carried into and recognized by the military. But there's much more that complicates the issue. 

I'll write about some of that tomorrow.

David Ritchie,
Portland, Oregon ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
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