LETTER OF TRANSMISSION I have the honor to submit herewith Volume XIII of the history of the MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY IN THE WORLD WAR. The volume submitted comprises two parts, the first being entitled "PHYSICAL RECONSTRUCTION AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION"; the second, "THE ARMY NURSE CORPS." Lieut. Col. FRANK W. WEED, M. C., Editor in Chief. EDITORIAL BOARD" Col. BAILEY K. ASHFORD, M. C. Col. THOMAS R. BOGGS, M. C. Col. GEORGE E. BREWER, M. C. Col. W. P. CHAMBERLAIN, M. C. Col. C. F. CRAIG, M. C. Col. HAVEN EMERSON, M. C. Brig. Gen. JOHN M. T. FINNEY, M. D. Col. J. H. FORD, M. C. Lieut. Col. FIELDING H. GARRISON, M. C. Col. H. L. GILCHRIST, M. C. Brig. Gen. JEFFERSON R. KEAN, M. D. Lieut. Col. A. G. LovE, M. C. Col. CHARLES LYNCH, M. C. Col. JAMES F. McKERNON, M. C. Col. S. J. MORRIS, M. C. Col. R. T. OLIVER, D. C. Col. CHARLES R. REYNOLDS, M. C. Lieut. Col. G. E. DE SCHWEINITZ, M. C. Col. J. F. SILER, M. C. Brig. Gen. W. S. THAYER, M. D. Col. A. D. TUTTLE, M. C. Col. WILLIAM H. WELCH, M. C. Col. E. P. WOLFE, M. C. Lieut. Col. CASEY A. WOOD, M. C. Col. HANS ZINSSER, M. C. The highest rank held during the World War has been used in the case of each officer. IV PREFACE In the first part of this volume, which concerns physical reconstruction and vocational education, an attempt has been made to show, first, the provisions for the central organization of the division of physical reconstruction. Reconstruction was a new field of activity in so far as the Army was concerned. Since there was every necessity for having a clear conception in War Department of the situation as a whole, with the view of anticipating and avoiding duplication and conflict of effort on the part of nonmilitary governmental agencies that were or might be concerned with the question of the physical reconstruction and vocational education of our soldiers, inevitably many details were considered and much time was consumed before War Department authorization was given for the establishment of facilities by the Medical Department to initiate and carry on the work; therefore, the records pertaining to all this have been used quite fully. Following this are discussions of the activities of the specialty in the various kinds of military hospitals-that is, not only in hospitals for the care of general cases, but also in hospitals especially designated for the care of particular types of injury or disease. In this connection it will be apparent that throughout the description of the educational service is presented more in detail than the physical reconstruction. This is because of its greater variety and complexity and because of its general interest. The application of the educational service to curative purposes is also more novel than that of the better-established scientific procedure in physiotherapy. The wider divergence of opinion regarding value and procedure in occupational activities also justifies a more detailed account and more critical analysis. Though development battalions were instituted primarily to relieve combat divisions and other organizations of all unfit soldiers and the physical reclamation of such men, the Medical Department's interest in these battalions was great. This interest centered in the division of physical reconstruction in the Surgeon General's Office; therefore, a chapter has been devoted to this subject and to that of convalescent centers which, following the signing of the armistice, absorbed the functions of the development battalions of which there now was not the insistent need that obtained while the Army was rapidly expanding. Morale work among the patients of our military hospitals was essential to the successful accomplishment of the reconstruction plan; therefore a section has been devoted to this subject. Though War Department prescribed that no disabled patients in military hospitals would be separated from the service by discharge until after they had attained complete recovery, or as complete recovery as could be expected, considering the nature of their disabilities, both functional and vocational |