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Table of Contents

CHAPTER IX

A POSTWAR STUDY OF A TYPICAL GROUP OF WARNEUROSES CASES IN 1919-20 AND1924-25

THE 1919-20 STUDY

Reference was made in the beginning of the preceding chapter to the fact thatin 1919 and 1924 studies were carried on, in the United States, of the postwarcondition of certain of the war neurotic patients of Base Hospital No. 117, A.E. F. Plans for these studies were begun shortly after the armistice was signed,when the statistical work on clinical records at Base Hospital No. 117, A. E.F., was extended to include other purposes besides the definition of the natureof war neuroses and the make-up of patients. The preparation of an address listand the tabulation of supplementary data were undertaken to make possible alater study of these typical cases following their return to the United States.

The purpose of the study made in 1919-20 was to determine the condition of atypical group of bona fide war neurosis cases after their return to civilianlife in America. Basically it was a search for tendency data concerning the warneurotic's readaptation to the condition of civilian life. Though adequateclinical conclusions for a medical definition of war neurosis or its aftermathcould not be drawn from these data, because they are social rather than medicalin bias, they nevertheless furnish certain practical insights into the problemof neurosis which may prove of value in directing attitudes toward the problemsand difficulties which confronted the war neurotic in his attempts atreadaptation.

The point of view used in organizing the data for purposes of summary isentirely a practical one. The former patients of the hospital are classifiedherein according to the type of civilian readjustment they have made and theextent to which they were able to be self-supporting. This point of view issimilar to that underlying the military classifications used by the Army inFrance as definitive of the man's future military usefulness at the time ofhis discharge from the hospital.a Theproblem was to find out how well or poorly these men were getting along incivilian life; whether they were working or not, or how much, if they were;whether ill or well, etc.; and to attempt to relate these facts to such data aswere available about them individually and as a group.

As a matter of fact, neuroticism seems to be best defined in terms of thetotal situation-the patient and his environment. Especially is this important

aAll individuals in the American Expeditionary Forces were in one or another of the following physical classifications: Class A, all officers and enlisted men fit for combat service; class B, officers and enlisted men temporarily unfit for combat service but physically fit for other duty and restorable to a class A status within a period of six months after classification as B; class C, officers and enlisted men permanently unfit for combat service but capable of performing service in the Services of Supply; class D, officers and men unfit for any duty within the American Expeditionary Forces.


444

in cases where the persistence of the symptoms depends solargely upon environmental factors of the patient's life. A war neurotic whoshortly after his discharge tries his old work in a machine shop and "goesto pieces," and who later leaves the city, works on a farm, and gets rid ofhis symptoms, would be considered finally cured, in so far as present purposesare concerned. Many of the men of the Base Hospital No. 117 group gave just sucha history upon returning to America. Though a return to their old work doubtlesswould bring on a recurrence of their former troubles, judged from this moreinclusive social viewpoint the men are now cured and are listed below in ourclassification as "normal."

In discussing the neurotic the dual fact of personality andenvironment must be considered, for, according to Southard,1 not onlymust the patient be refitted to his entourage, but the entourage must berefitted to a returned "shell-shocker." So likewise in discussing thereadaptation of the Base Hospital No. 117 group in 1919-20 and in a laterfollow-up group, 1924-25, considered more at length below, categories are usedin terms of social status and ability to work and be self-supporting, as thefollowing discussion attempts to bring out.

EXPLANATION OF THE CATEGORIES FOR PRESENT CONDITION OF THE WAR NEUROTIC GROUP

NORMAL

The first category to be used in discussing these cases is"normal." Under this come those men who, upon return home, went backto work and readjusted themselves to civilian life, or have been able to supportthemselves and their families. Many of them note certain novel tendencies inthemselves, such as tendencies to become angry or excited easily, some littlenervousness, restlessness, forgetfulness, and occasional slight headaches ordizziness (seldom enough to incapacitate them from work), and other like mild,neurotic symptoms. Yet the general health of these men is good; they are able tobe self-supporting and are normally happy.

NEUROTIC

The second group, called "neurotic," consists ofthose who made partial readjustments to their old way of living, yet continuedto suffer from one or more rather severe nervous difficulties. Most of these menwere under a physician's care, or else had at least consulted one about theircondition. They were able to work fairly well, but their own personal lives wereunhappy because of these neurotic troubles. Some were assigned to lighter andeasier work in their old places and were very sensitive about their loweredstatus. One finds among them the residue of symptoms shown in France-occasionally,fine tremors and tics, more often speech defects, weakness, insomnia, jumpiness,distressing inability to concentrate, memory disorders, and "spells"of all sorts. One case, that of a man with combined concussion and gas neurosis,working


445

as an express helper, fainted in a railroad station when a nearby locomotivepuffed suddenly. A great many minor injuries and several serious accidents werereported by men in this group as the result of their nervous condition. The menof this group tended also to lose considerably in weight upon working hard,especially during the summer. In all men who carried over symptoms to civilianlife there was a marked reaction to changes of weather, especially damp weather,which called out moods and depression, seriously handicapping them. In this"neurotic" group there were many men who upon return home tried theirformer work in machine shops or factories but could not control themselves andbecame nervous and tired. As one man put it: "I used to work a pneumaticdrill but I can not any longer; the constancy of action is so much like amachine gun. I tried my best but could not stick it out. I had a semibreakdown"In the cases of some of the men when gas or ideas of gas were involved, indoorwork was difficult. Many of these men, especially during the warm summer months,took positions as salesmen, farmers, sailors, laborers-any position whichwould give them outdoor work. This change in many cases was the basis of cure,for some later wrote that their new work agreed with them and they weregradually getting back to themselves. With difficulty in standing indoor workcame the same inability to remain in noisy places, especially machine shops orfactories. Also some men who were in school or college reported that they foundit very difficult to concentrate upon their work and that their memories werebad.

FATIGUED

Third comes the group called "fatigued." Most of these men can notwork regularly without suffering and being confined to bed. The symptoms hereare ready fatigability, severe headaches, lack of ambition and depression(general neurasthenic coloring). Whereas the "neurotic group" are ableto work, though with much discomfort, this group can work only on the averageabout one-half of the time. Some of them are fortunate in having easy jobs orconsiderate employers and so manage to support themselves after a fashion. Insome cases where the men are married, their wives also are working to meet theexpenses of living.

DISABLED

The fourth group consists of those at the time of the follow up (1919-20)actually rehospitalized for psychoneurosis or reporting a "nervousbreakdown" or some incapacitating medical disease, such as tuberculosis.One would anticipate many physical disorders occurring as an aftermath of theconditions to which the men were exposed in France, and indeed, many of the menhave had some difficulty as a result of these experiences. There may also besome men in the "fatigued" group outlined above who have disabilitiesof an organic nature. A study like the present one made by correspondencenaturally can not make adequate clinical differentiations.


446

PSYCHOTICS

Fifth is the psychotic group, including such conditions as dementia pr?cox,psychopathic personality, and epilepsy. An interesting commentary is theinfrequency of psychotic outworkings among the former patients of Base HospitalNo. 117 as a group. In the 1919-20 study, only one suicide was reported-a man of poor stock and make-up, never at the front, who entered thehospital after the armistice was signed and was evacuated with the diagnosis"neurasthenia." Otherwise there were relatively few men (10, or about1 per cent) whose condition had changed by 1920 from the psychoneurosisdiagnosed at the hospital to a psychosis. By 1925 four deaths had been reportedas suicides. Twelve were definitely psychotic, 14 were returned as either"in hospital; parents uncertain of address," or "lost" witha psychopathic coloring attaching to their disappearance. For instance, one manenlisted in the Navy under his brother's name, causing the family considerabletrouble when he later deserted. The outside total of possible psychotics was 28cases diagnosed psychoneurotic in France, or 3.4 per cent of the group. This isstriking evidence favoring the psychological conception of war neuroses, for themere possibility of insanity developing in 830 men over a period of seven yearswould probably not be less than this total.

In viewing the 1919-20 civilian status of these men in relation to theirphysical classification in France, when discharged from Base Hospital No. 117,several significant considerations arise. First of all, the AmericanExpeditionary Forces physical classification was a practical estimate of futureArmy usefulness. It took into consideration such matters as health, strength,and endurance. Obviously these are factors which would be of significance inboth Army and civilian life. Therefore, if the classifications were adequatelymade, then some positive correlation should exist between them and the 1919-20conditions of the men. Second, it should likewise be appreciated that theability of a man to return to the front calls upon factors in him differing fromthose that would be called forth in his attempting to get back, for example, toclerking or to farming in civilian life. Military conditions facing the man inFrance were obviously very different from civilian circumstances upon his returnhome. It is quite possible for Army misfits to be normal and even verysuccessful in civil life. Third, the Army estimate of the value of a man beforethe armistice, when further battle service was under consideration, and duringthe armistice would be based on different factors; the latter would more nearlyaccord with the criteria of civilian usefulness. Consequently, throughout thisdiscussion figures are given separately for the two groups of cases, thosedischarged from Base Hospital No. 117 before the armistice and those dischargedduring the armistice. The total figures are likewise used when the group as awhole is under consideration. The data on military classification are presentedin several tables, and the conclusions from each of them are given in order.


447

TABLE 7.-Comparisonof the 1919-20 follow-up group and the total Base Hospital No. 117service in regard to physical classification

Physical classification

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Column 4

Totals for follow up

Totals for hospital

Percentage of follow up

Percentage of all cases at B.H. No. 117

A

36

142

8.2

9.7

152

366

47.6

32.6

188

508

24.8

19.6

B

210

696

47.9

47.4

68

316

21.0

28.1

278

1,012

36.6

39.2

C

171

548

39.0

37.4

51

276

15.9

24.6

222

824

29.3

31.8

D

11

32

2.5

2.2

46

139

14.4

12.4

57

171

7.5

6.6

Tb

10

48

2.3

3.3

3

27

1.0

2.4

13

75

1.8

2.9

    

Total

438 (57.8)

1,466 (56.7)

100.0

100.0

320 (42.2)

1,124 (43.3)

100.0

100.0

758 (100.0)

2,590 (100.0)

100.0

100.0


aIn each group of figures, theupper figure indicates cases discharged before the armistice; the second, casesdischarged during the armistice; and the third (below the line) the total numberor per cent.
bTransferred to another hospital, unclassified.

Table 7 is concerned with the problem of the adequacy of sampling of thefollow-up group as compared with the total hospital group from the standpoint ofphysical classification. The selection of cases used in this study is a goodone, especially in reference to the proportions before and during the armistice,i. e., 57.8 per cent compared to 56.3 per cent and 42.2 per cent to 43.3per cent (see totals in columns 1 and 2). Furthermore, the percentages of eachclass of the follow-up group and of each class of the total hospital group arealso indicative of a good sampling (see the figures below the line, lowestfigures of each group of three in columns 3 and 4; i. e., 24.6 per cent comparedto 19.6 per cent, 36.6 per cent to 39.2 per cent; 29.3 per cent to 31.8 per cent; 7.5 per cent to 6.6 per cent; 1.8 per cent to 2.9 per cent). Likewise, thepercentages of each class in the pre-armistice group of the follow up and of thehospital service (given on the top line in each grouping in columns 3 and 4) arenearly identical, i. e., 8.2 per cent compared to 9.7 per cent; 47.9 per cent to47.4 per cent; 39.0 per cent to 37.4 per cent; 2.5 per cent to 2.2 per cent; 2.3per cent to 3.3 per cent. There is more variation in the armistice figures(given in the middle of three in columns 3 and 4) than in the others; but it is,however, a fair sampling from the standpoint of the proportions of each class inthe total hospital group (i. e., 47.6 per cent compared to 32.6 per cent; 21.0per cent to 28.1 per cent; 15.9 per cent to 24.6 per cent; 14.4 per cent to 12.4per cent; 1.0 per cent to 2.4 per cent).


448

Several other facts are to be ascertained upon inspection of the data onTable 7. First, the military fact is apparent from the totals at the bottom ofcolumn 2 that there were almost as many cases discharged from the hospitalduring the armistice as before it. The sudden ending of the war just after theUnited States had thrown our great Army into it, the population of Base HospitalNo. 117 at the time of the signing of the armistice, the use of Base HospitalNo. 117 as a reclassification center for war neurosis cases after the armisticewas signed-these facts are the explanation for the nearly equal figures fordischarges before and after the armistice began. Second, another military fact,it is notable that there was considerable difference in the percentage usage ofthe different classes before and during the armistice; namely, in class A thedifference between its use in 10 per cent of the cases before the armistice and33 per cent after the armistice had begun. The infrequency before the armisticeof the physical classification A indicates that the members of the hospitalpersonnel were only willing to send back to the front immediately 1 man in 10 ofthe discharged psychoneuroses cases, whereas during the armistice one in threewere sent out class A to full duty in an army at peace.

From Table No. 8 we are able to get some idea of the actual prognostic valueof military classification for readjustment in civilian life. The differencebetween the two tests of fitness, that of civil life and earning a living, thatof army life and withstanding the hardships of battle conditions, are obvious.Yet there are enough similarities to justify an expectation of a positivecorrelation between the facts. Reviewing the figures, we find in the column forclass A that 68.1 per cent of the patients reached were carrying on in civilianlife in 1919-20; i. e., 45.2 per cent were "normal" according toour categories and 22.9 per cent "neurotic." Of those given class B,64.8 per cent were carrying on, of whom 41.8 per cent were "normal"and 23 per cent were "neurotic." Of those given class C, 55.4 per centwere carrying on, 33.3 per cent were "normal," and 22.1 per cent"neurotic." Of those given class D, 40.3 per cent were carrying on, ofwhom 21 per cent were "normal" and 19.3 per cent were"neurotic." The T group is too small and indefinite for drawinginferences; usually the neurotic condition was complicated by other medicalconsiderations.

The class B men of before the armistice are as a group readjusting themselves better to civilian life than the prearmistice class A group. Of course,some of the class A group got back to the front again (several were wounded, afew killed in action), others had "relapses" and were returned to BaseHospital No. 117, whereas, since the war ended so soon, few of the B classpatients were used again in battle. There is a corollary to this last in thatalthough about 1 in 2 of thedischarged psychoneurosis cases were sent out before the armistice as class B,only 3 in 10 were so classed after the armistice began. The 47 per cent in classB before the armistice indicated a general optimism that a short time out of thehospital and back among other soldiers would cause these men to become suitableas members of combat units.

The 37 per cent class C before the armistice indicates that it was notpractical with three-eighths of the men to try to so groom them for front-lineduty. The C class discharges dropped from 37 per cent before the armistice


449

to 21 per cent afterwards. The increase in class D after the armistice hadbegun is due to clearing out uncured cases and sending them to hospitals at theports for further treatment or for return to the United States.

TABLE 8.-American ExpeditionaryForces, physical classification of 1919-20 follow-up groupin relation to condition in 1919-20

Class A

Class B

Class C

Class D

Class Tb

Total

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Normal

15

41.7

94

44.9

55

32.2

2

18.2

5

50.0

171

39.0

70

46.1

22

32.8

19

37.3

10

21.7

3

100.0

124

38.7

85

45.2

116

41.8

74

33.3

12

21.0

8

61.5

295

38.9

Neurotic

8

22.2

47

22.4

41

23.9

2

18.2

---

---

98

22.4

35

23.0

17

25.0

8

15.7

9

19.6

---

---

69

21.5

43

22.9

64

23.0

49

22.1

11

19.3

---

---

167

22.0

Fatigued

4

11.1

32

15.1

29

17.0

2

18.2

---

---

67

15.3

28

18.4

13

19.4

12

23.5

11

23.9

---

---

64

20.0

32

17.0

45

16.2

41

18.5

13

22.8

---

---

131

17.3

Disabled

8

22.2

37

17.6

42

24.6

5

45.5

3

30.0

95

21.7

19

12.5

16

23.8

10

19.6

15

32.6

---

---

60

18.6

27

14.3

53

19.1

52

23.4

20

35.1

3

23.1

155

20.4

Psychotic

1

2.8

---

---

4

2.3

---

---

2

20.0

7

1.6

---

---

---

---

2

3.9

1

2.2

---

---

3

.9

    

Total

1

.5

---

---

6

2.7

1

2.2

2

15.4

10

1.3

36

100.0

210

100.0

171

100.0

11

100.0

10

100.0

438

100.0

152

100.0

68

100.0

51

100.0

46

100.0

3

100.0

320

100.0

188

100.0

278

100.0

222

100.0

57

100.0

13

100.0

758

100.0


aThe upper number in each groupindicates cases discharged from Base Hospital No. 117 before the armistice; thesecond number, cases discharged during the armistice; and the number below theline, total.
bTransferred to another hospital, unclassified.

Lastly, Table 8 shows (figures in the "Totals" column) that therecoveries or nonrecoveries from war neuroses of the group studied in relationto military classification gives percentages about the same for those dischargedbefore and those discharged during the armistice. In the two largest groups, i.e., "normal" and "neurotic," the percentages before andduring the armistice are nearly identical (39 per cent and 38.7 per cent and22.4 per cent and 21.5 per cent, respectively). The chances that a mandischarged in class A, for instance, would be normal in 1919-20 were aboutequal for him whether he was discharged before or during the armistice. In otherwords, the prognostic value of military classification for the group of mendischarged from Base Hospital No. 117 before and during the armistice is aboutthe same in terms of civilian readjustment.

By way of conclusion it may be said that the data on 1919-20 condition area verification of the military classification. If the data were to run otherwisethan as they do above, it might reflect seriously upon the categories ofpotential value used by the hospital personnel. The tendency of the dataindicates that the medical staff in France gave a good practical consideration


450

of the make-up and potential value of a soldier beforelaunching him forth with a physical classification to the replacement centersfor further utilization of his services by the army.

DIAGNOSIS IN FRANCE IN RELATION TO 1919-20 CONDITION

Diagnosis in mental disease, especially with thepsychoneuroses, is less absolute and clean-cut than in many of the physicaldiseases. At Base Hospital No. 117 there were 12 possible diagnoses under thegeneral head of psychoneurosis. It is obvious that in making a diagnosis amongthese categories there would be found considerable overlapping of symptoms andmany difficulties in accurately differentiating symptom groupings. The list ofthese diagnoses is given above in Chapter V, page 372.

It must be appreciated that the diagnoses referred to, whichwere devised for the psychoneurosis cases at Base Hospital No. 117, were notused with entire uniformity by the medical officers. Hysteria might be given asthe diagnosis by one, whereas the same symptoms drew the diagnosis concussionneurosis from another. These variations were chiefly attributable to officersassigned to the hospital for temporary duty or for training. On the whole,however, the diagnoses were similarly used, for the majority of the cases werediagnosed by a small group of men, the original staff (or others under theirsupervision), whose notions of the different types of neuroses for the most partcoincided. Thus, the great majority of the diagnoses follow the scheme ofclassification used at the hospital, and the error, above mentioned, though itdoes enter, plays but a minor part.

Our first inquiry into the question of diagnosis and itsrelation to present condition is in regard to the selection of cases in thefollow up. Table 9 gives the frequency of usage of the various diagnoses at BaseHospital No. 117 in France; Table 10 gives the frequency of their occurrence inthe follow-up group compared with the total hospital group. Inspection of thepercentages for totals in Table 10 for each diagnosis (given below the lines)shows that the follow up is a good sampling of the total hospital group. Forinstance, hysteria occurs in 27.6 per cent of the cases in the hospital serviceand 25.9 per cent in the follow up; concussion neurosis occurs in the relativeproportions 22.1 per cent and 22.9 per cent; neurasthenia 12.1 per cent ascompared to 14.4 per cent; others run 2.8 per cent to 3.8 per cent; 5.1 per centto 5.4 per cent; 2.1 per cent to 2.2 per cent; 8 per cent to 6.7 per cent; etc.


451

TABLE 9.-Frequencyof usage of diagnoses and physical classifications of psychoneurosiscases discharged from Base Hospital No.177

Diagnoses

Physical classification

Totals

A

B

C

D

Tb

Hysteria

30

119

208

19

3

379

93

92

98

49

6

338

123

211

306

68

9

717

Concussion neurosis

17

236

64

0

9

326

112

79

38

17

1

247

129

315

102

17

10

573

Neurasthenia

14

69

95

0

9

187

15

18

56

37

1

127

29

87

151

37

10

314

Hypochondriasis

2

10

41

5

0

58

4

1

18

16

0

39

6

11

59

21

0

97

Exhaustion

13

49

7

1

2

72

28

30

9

0

0

67

41

79

16

1

2

139

Effort syndrome

3

17

7

0

1

28

3

8

12

3

3

29

6

25

19

3

4

57

Anxiety neurosis

4

55

55

2

2

118

14

24

15

3

0

56

18

79

70

5

2

174

Concussion syndrome

42

112

11

1

15

181

37

30

7

0

3

77

79

142

18

1

18

258

Psychasthenia

3

4

18

2

1

28

2

2

2

6

0

12

5

6

20

8

1

40

Timorousness (state of anxiety)

1

3

11

2

3

20

11

6

15

1

0

33

12

9

26

3

3

53

Anticipation neurosis

0

4

18

0

0

22

1

0

2

2

2

7

1

4

20

2

2

29

Gas neurosis

2

11

8

0

0

21

11

13

3

3

0

30

13

24

11

3

0

51

Gas syndrome

0

2

1

0

---

3

1

6

0

1

---

8

1

8

1

1

---

11

Traumatic neurosis

1

1

1

0

1

4

Gastric neurosis

0

0

0

1

0

1

Post-operative neurosis

1

1

1

1

1

5

No disease found

10

4

3

---

2

19

34

7

1

---

11

53

44

11

4

---

13

72

    

Totals

142

696

548

32

48

1,466

366

316

276

139

27

1,124

508

1,012

824

171

75

2,590

aThe upper number in each groupindicates the cases discharged from Base Hospital No. 117 before the armistice;the second, cases discharged during the armistice; and the number below theline, the total.
bTransferred to another hospital, unclassified.


452

TABLE 10.-Comparison of the 1919-20follow-up group and the total population of Base HospitalNo. 117 in regard todiagnosisa

Diagnosis

Totals for follow up

Totals for hospital group

Percentage of follow up

Percentage of hospital group

Hysteria

101

379

23.1

25.9

95

338

29.7

30.1

196

717

25.9

27.6

Concussion neurosis

98

326

22.4

22.2

76

247

23.7

22.0

174

573

22.9

22.1

Neurasthenia

63

187

14.4

17.8

46

127

14.4

11.3

109

314

14.4

12.1

Hypochondriasis

12

58

2.8

3.9

9

39

2.8

3.4

21

97

2.8

3.8

Exhaustion

21

72

4.8

4.9

17

67

5.3

5.9

38

139

5.1

5.4

Effort syndrome

10

28

2.3

1.9

6

29

1.7

2.6

16

57

2.1

2.2

Anxiety neurosis

40

118

9.1

8.1

21

56

6.7

4.9

61

174

8.0

6.7

Concussion syndrome

53

181

12.1

12.4

19

77

5.9

6.9

72

258

9.5

10.0

Psychasthenia

8

28

1.8

1.9

7

12

2.2

1.1

15

40

2.0

1.6

Timorousness (state of anxiety)

13

20

2.9

1.4

4

33

1.3

2.9

17

53

2.2

2.0

Anticipation neurosis

12

22

2.8

1.5

0

7

0.0

0.6

12

29

1.6

1.1

Gas neurosis

5

21

1.1

1.4

10

30

3.1

2.7

15

51

1.9

1.9

Gas syndrome

1

3

0.2

0.2

0

8

0.0

0.7

1

11

0.1

0.4

Traumatic neurosis

0

4

0.0

0.3

Gastric neurosis

0

1

0.0

0.1

0

5

0.0

0.2

Post-operative neurosis

1

19

0.2

1.2

No disease found

10

53

3.1

4.7

11

72

1.4

2.8

    

Total

438

1,466

100.0

100.0

320

1,124

100.0

100.0

758

2,590

100.0

100.0


aThe upper number in each group indicates the cases dischargedfrom Base Hospital No. 117 before the armistice; the second, cases discharged during the armistice; and the number below the line, the total.


453

Table 11 gives the relationship of diagnoses to condition in1919-20. The psychotics are combined with the organic group; individualstatistics for those classed psychotics here are to be found in Table 12. Someof the diagnostic groups are very small. They are included in part for the sakeof completeness, for, since they are a representative sampling of the totalhospital service, their proportionate size is a just index of their frequency ofoccurrence in Base Hospital No. 117 in France.

TABLE 11.-Condition in 1919-20 in relation todiagnosis in France

Normal

Neurotic

Fatigued

Disabled and psychotic

Total

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Hysteria

26

25.7

29

28.8

20

19.8

26

25.7

101

23.1

34

35.8

18

18.9

20

21.1

23

24.2

95

29.7

60

30.6

47

24.0

40

20.4

49

25.0

196

25.9

Concussion neurosis

44

44.9

28

28.6

8

08.2

18

18.4

98

22.4

29

38.1

17

22.3

18

23.7

12

15.8

76

23.7

73

41.9

45

25.9

26

14.9

30

17.2

174

22.9

Neurasthenia

27

42.8

10

15.9

15

23.8

11

17.4

63

14.4

9

19.6

9

19.6

15

32.6

13

28.2

46

14.4

36

33.0

19

17.4

30

27.5

24

22.0

109

14.4

Concussion syndrome

29

54.7

6

11.3

9

17.0

9

17.0

53

12.1

9

47.3

6

31.6

1

5.3

3

15.8

19

5.9

38

52.8

12

16.7

10

13.8

12

16.7

72

9.5

Anxiety neurosis

17

42.5

13

32.5

4

1.0

6

15.0

40

9.1

9

42.9

7

33.3

4

19.0

1

4.8

21

6.7

26

42.6

20

32.9

8

13.1

7

11.4

61

8.0

Exhaustion neurosis

11

52.4

0

0.0

4

18.6

6

28.6

21

4.8

8

47.0

4

23.5

1

5.9

4

23.5

17

5.3

19

50.0

4

10.5

5

13.2

10

26.3

38

5.1

Hypochondriasis

3

25.0

1

8.3

2

16.6

6

50.0

12

2.8

4

44.4

2

22.2

0

0.0

3

33.3

9

2.8

7

33.3

3

14.3

2

9.5

9

42.8

21

2.8

Psychasthenia

3

37.5

0

0.0

1

12.5

4

50.0

8

1.8

2

28.6

2

28.6

2

28.6

1

14.2

7

2.2

5

33.3

2

13.3

3

20.0

5

33.5

15

2.0

Gas neurosis

1

20.0

2

40.0

1

20.0

1

20.0

5

1.1

6

60.0

2

20.0

1

10.0

1

10.0

10

3.1

7

46.8

4

26.6

2

13.3

2

13.3

15

1.9

Anticipation neurosis

4

33.3

4

33.3

1

8.3

3

25.0

12

2.8

0

0.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

4

33.3

4

33.3

1

8.3

3

25.0

12

1.6

Effort syndrome

1

10.0

3

30.0

0

0.0

6

60.0

10

2.3

4

66.7

1

16.7

1

16.7

0

0.0

6

1.7

5

31.2

4

25.0

1

6.2

6

37.5

16

2.1

Timorousness

5

38.5

2

15.4

1

7.7

5

38.5

13

2.9

3

75.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

1

25.0

4

1.3

8

47.1

2

11.8

1

5.9

6

35.3

17

2.2

Gas syndrome

---

---

---

---

1

100.0

---

---

1

0.2

---

---

---

---

0

0.0

---

---

0

0.0

---

---

---

---

1

100.0

---

---

1

0.1

No disease found

0

0.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

1

100.0

1

0.2

7

71.0

1

10.0

1

10.0

1

10.0

10

3.1

7

63.7

1

9.1

1

9.1

2

18.2

11

1.4


aThe upper number in each groupindicates the cases discharged from Base Hospital No. 117 before the armistice;the second, cases discharged during the armistice; and the number below theline, the total.


454-455

TABLE 12.-Condition in 1919-20 in relationto diagnosis and physical classification


456

If we combine for each diagnosis the normal and neuroticgroups, that is, the patients of the hospital who were engaged in some pursuitin civilian life in 1919-20, and compare the various diagnoses on the basis ofpercentage working and percentage disabled (fatigued, disabled, or psychotic)some interesting data come to the surface. For instance, if we rank the variousdiagnoses on the basis of the percentage of those reached in 1919-20 who wereworking in civilian life we get the following figures:

TABLE 13.-Rank order of diagnoseson the basis of the percentage of thosecarrying on in civilian life in 1919-20

Diagnosis

Per cent

Diagnosis

Per cent

1. Anxiety neurosis

75.5 (N-61)

8. Timorousness

58.8 (N-17)

2. Anticipation neurosis

75.0 (N-12)

9. Effort syndrome

56.2 (N-16)

3. Gas neurosis

73.4 (N-15)

10. Hysteria

54.6 (N-196)

4. No disease

72.5 (N-11)

11. Psychasthenia

53.3 (N-15)

5. Concussion syndrome

69.5 (N-72)

12. Neurasthenia

50.4 (N-109)

6. Concussion neurosis

67.8 (N-174)

13. Hypochondriasis

47.6 (N-21)

7. Exhaustion neurosis

60.5 (N-38)


Thus it is seen that the typical war neuroses-notably theconcussion, gas, and anxiety types-rank very high in percentage of successfulreadaptation, while the more pronounced constitutional types rank lower. Acommentary of no little interest here is that the conclusions offered by thesedata approach very nearly the prognoses made by the medical staff of thehospital, while the men were still in France, as to the future well-being of thevarious types of these cases. The exhaustion, concussion, and anxiety cases weregiven the best prognosis, the effort syndrome cases, the cases of neurasthenia,psychasthenia, and hypochondriasis the worst. Hysteria was placed in betweenthese groups. And no one predicted any marked number of psychotic outworkingsfrom these symptoms. These facts are in the most part borne out by the abovefigures. The fact that the true battle neuroses-the concussion cases, forinstance-are readjusting themselves better proportionately than the timorous,neurasthenic, or hypochondriacal types is interesting, showing, as it does, howincorrect are the popular notions of war neuroses. Men who developed nervoussymptoms in the cantonments at home are usually viewed with suspicion byordinary persons and regarded almost as malingerers by many. The facts hereindicate that the hypochondriasis, psychasthenia, neurasthenia, and timorousnessgroups, due perhaps to the long continued nervous state before the onset ofsymptoms, often playing upon constitutional susceptibility, do not readjustthemselves nearly so well as the actual concussion cases; in other words, manymen who never saw action have a more serious aftermath in symptoms than thosewho were actually in the thick of it, and were concussed by exploding shells ordriven into an anxiety state by the fearful conditions and terrible sights atthe front.

Among the cases of hysteria, the majority are havingdifficulty getting along in civil life, and, though earning their own living andseemingly carrying on their work, still they are constantly unhappy because ofneurotic residues in the form of headache, insomnia, jumpiness, speechdisorders, and often tics. On the whole, the men who had hysteria retain enoughof their old condition


457

to handicap them seriously in their personal lives, thoughnot always directly in their business activities. A little more than one-half ofthem are able to earn their living and ask financial aid of no one, but thegreat majority are nevertheless constantly seeking advice from physicians. Thesymptoms in France were usually so gross and vivid that one may believe theyprobably tended to lay stronger habit foundations than any of the other symptomgroupings. An interesting point in reference to neurosis aftermath applicable tonearly all neurosis types, is derived from a physiological truism to which Mott2refers in discussing psychoneurosis: "Consciousness of the existenceof an organ or structure interferes with its normal automatic or habitualaction." War neurotics, who were sensitive for months to every change intheir bodily feelings, who were keenly introspective and analytic of theexistence of the various organs and structures of the body, are guilty ofcontinuing even now this search for symptoms in themselves. And it is rareindeed that this search is unrewarded; for example, anyone can produce aheadache by introspection of the contents of the cranium continued over severalminutes. These men are slow to recognize the feeling of well being, quick tonote any signs of possible ill being. This morbid practice may be the basis ofmany of their present difficulties.

The effort syndrome cases also tend to be seriously andpermanently affected by their symptoms. The great cause for the persistence ofsymptoms among these cases is that the facilities for treating the men in Francewere not adequate for the needs. Time and special care, both vital factors inthese cases, could not be offered at a hospital where beds were constantly indemand and where there was no room for chronic cases requiring lengthytreatment. The result was that these patients were for the most part sent tolight duty in the Services of Supply. Unfortunately, the officers assigning mento duty at replacement camps as a rule did not consider the mental condition ofthe men so much as their physical appearance. Many men, not only in this groupbut in all groups, were sent to duty too soon.

The group diagnosed as state of anxiety or timorousness showa great number as being permanently affected by their condition in France. Theexplanation in this case, as in some of those diagnosed hypochondriasis, restsin the make-up of the individuals. These were men who as a group were ofinferior intelligence, dull normals, or even morons. The cure of a neurosis inan intellectually inferior person is usually very difficult.

The men diagnosed as "Psychoneurosis, no diseasefound," were an anomalous group, and generally some other medical diagnosisfollowed this one. Base Hospital No. 117 being only for psychoneurosis cases,that diagnosis in some form had to be given on the patient's discharge slipwhen transferred to another hospital for treatment. The percentage of successfulreadjustment among members of this group represents cures from diseases otherthan psychoneurosis.


458

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN RELATION TO CONDITION IN 1919-20

AGE AT TIME OF HOSPITALIZATION

The follow-up group under consideration is a good sampling ofthe entire group of patients at Base Hospital No. 117 in the matter of age. Thisis shown by the fact that the median age for the follow-up group is 24.46 years,while that for the total hospital population is 24.66 years. The numbers foreach age are given in Table 14.

TABLE 14.-Ages athospitalization in France of follow-up group in relation to condition in 1919-20

Age

Normal

Neurotic

Fatigued

Disabled

Psychotic

Totals

16

0

1

0

0

0

1

17

0

0

0

0

0

0

18

2

2

2

2

0

8

19

13

10

7

8

3

41

20

15

7

10

6

0

38

21

28

13

2

8

1

52

22

37

19

15

15

0

86

23

37

26

16

15

0

94

24

40

13

16

24

1

94

25

22

16

14

12

0

64

26

27

13

9

12

0

61

27

12

9

5

6

0

32

28

15

6

10

3

2

36

29

9

6

4

2

1

22

30

3

5

6

8

1

23

31

9

8

3

8

0

28

32

3

4

3

6

0

16

33

3

1

0

1

0

5

34

2

1

0

0

0

3

35

1

0

1

0

1

3

36

0

1

0

0

0

1

37

---

1

---

1

---

2

38

---

---

---

1

---

1

39

---

2

---

---

---

2

40

---

---

1

1

---

2

41

1

---

---

---

---

1

42

---

---

---

---

---

0

43

---

---

---

---

---

0

44

2

---

---

---

---

2

45

1

---

1

1

---

3

46

---

1

---

---

---

1

47

---

---

---

---

---

0

48

---

---

---

---

---

0

49

---

---

---

---

---

0

50 plus

1

---

---

---

---

1

N

=283

165

125

140

10

723

Medians

=24.25

24.38

23.69

24.69

26

24.46

Q

=2.125

2.625

2.32


(Median for total hospital group, 24.66 years.)

In so far as these data are significant, the factor of ageenters but little in relation to the type of social readjustment of the BaseHospital No. 117 group of war neurotics in 1919-20. The median of the"fatigued" group is a little over one-half a year less than that ofthe "normal" group, and the median for the "disabled" groupalmost one-half a year above the "normal" group median. The median is24.47 years for the combined "normal" and "neurotic" groups(that is, for those who were carrying on in civilian life in 1919-20) and 24.68 years for the combined "fatigued" and "disabled"groups. Thus, a comparison of medians indicates a slight tendency for youngermen to be doing better in civil pursuits than the older men. When distributionsfor the groups are studied


459

from the standpoint of dispersion on the basis of thepercentage of men 21 years of age and under, and the percentage of men 36 yearsof age and over in the various groupings of present condition, as Tables 15 and16 show, there is also indication of a slight tendency for the younger men to bereadapting themselves better than the older men.

TABLE 15.-Distribution of cases within the normal, neurotic, fatigued, and disabled groups according to age

Age

Normal

Neurotic

Fatigued

Disabled

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

21 years and younger

58

20.5

33

18.2

21

16.8

24

17.1

22 to 35 years (inclusive)

220

77.8

127

78.8

102

81.6

112

80.7

36 years and older

5

1.7

5

3.0

2

1.6

4

2.2

Total

283

100

165

100

125

100

140

100


TABLE 16.-Distribution of cases within each age group according to condition in 1919-20

Condition

21 years and younger

22 to 35 years (inclusive)

36 years and older

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Normal

58

42.7

220

39.2

5

31.25

Neurotic

33

24.3

127

22.7

5

31.25

Fatigued

21

15.4

102

18.2

2

12.5

Disabled

24

17.6

112

19.9

4

25

Total

136

100

561

100

16

100


PERSONAL AND FAMILY HISTORY (SEPARATELY AND COMBINED), PRIOR TO HOSPITALIZATION, RELATED TO CONDITION IN 1919-20

Often the opinion is expressed that those who, after the war,were not fully recovered from war neuroses were for the most part men ofinferior stock and make-up. In other words, persistence of symptoms is supposedto be related primarily to neuropathic make-up. The accompanying data tend toconfirm this opinion. In the matter of personal history prior to hospitalizationas shown in Table 17, there are 56.4 per cent of those who are now normal whogave a negative history; 47.5 per cent of the neurotic group and 47.6 per centof the fatigued group who were negative; and 45.4 per cent of the disabledgroup. For family history, likewise, the normal group has the highest percentageof negative cases; i. e., 52.8 per cent; the neurotic 46.8 per cent; fatigued44.8 per cent; and disabled 45.5 per cent. When family and personal history arecombined the same tendency is present; for Table 17 also shows that 42.2 percent of the normal group, 31.2 per cent of the neurotic and of the disabled,32.2 per cent of the fatigued group were negative. There is thus a definitetendency for those of good stock and make-up to readapt themselves better tocivilian life than those in whom personal or familial taint is found; still,many war neurotics are now disabled who gave a good history, and a number arenow carrying on who were of poor stock and make-up. Thus, evidently, accordingto these data, stock and make-up alone, though significant, do not afford asufficient basis for the prognosis of civilian readaptation.


460

Table 18 shows that on the whole the follow-up group are anadequate sampling of the hospital group from the standpoints of family stock andpersonal make-up.

TABLE 17.-Family and personalhistories (positive and negative) in relation to condition in1919-20, numbers and percentages

Family history

Personal history

Combined family and personal history

Positive

Negative

Positive

Negative

Positive

Negative

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number 

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Normal

127

47.2

142

52.8

117

43.6

151

56.4

159

57.8

116

42.2

Neurotic

84

53.2

74

46.8

82

52.5

74

47.5

110

68.8

50

31.2

Fatigued

69

55.2

56

44.8

65

52.4

59

47.6

84

67.8

40

32.2

Disabled

78

54.5

65

45.5

77

54.6

64

45.4

96

68.1

45

31.9

Total

358

51.5

337

48.5

341

49.5

348

50.5

449

64.1

251

35.9


aExclusive of psychotic cases, the number of which is too few (eight) for comparative purposes.

TABLE 18.-Family and personalhistories (positive and negative) of follow-up cases comparedwith 1,000unselected cases from Base Hospital No. 117,numbers and percentages

Family history

Personal history

Combined family and personal history

Positive

Negative

Positive

Negative

Positive

Negative

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

One thousand
unselected cases

508

50.2

505

49.8

527

51.9

488

48.1

643

63.5

370

36.5

Follow-up

358

51.5

337

48.5

341

49.5

348

50.5

449

64.1

251

35.9



SOCIAL STATUS IN RELATION TO PRESENT CONDITION 

PRE-WAR OCCUPATION

The first question that arises regarding occupation is theadequacy of sampling of the follow-up group when compared with the totalhospital service. Using the categories of the Bureau of the Census, the totalscolumn of Table 19 shows that a somewhat greater proportion than the expectedquota answered of those engaged in agricultural (15.5 per cent compared to 11.5per cent) and professional work (10 per cent to 7.2 per cent) and that theproportion of replies from those engaged in trade (8.6 per cent to 11.1 percent) and clerical work (12.7 per cent to 15.9 per cent) was slightly less thanquota. On the whole, the sample was a representative one, for the other itemsused in the United States census, the differences were less than 1 per cent fromexpectation in terms of the total hospital group, namely, 2.2 per cent comparedto 2.3 per cent; 33.3 per cent to 34.7 per cent; 13.5 per cent to 13.8 per cent;2.1 per cent to 2 per cent; 2.1 per cent to 2.5 per cent.


461

TABLE 19.-Relation of pre-war occupationato condition in 1919-20

Normal

Neurotic

Fatigued

Disabled

Psychotic

Total of follow-up

Total hospital serviceb

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Agricultural

34

13.9

14

10.4

25

22.5

22

16.8

2

33.3

97

15.5

261

11.5

Mining

4

1.6

2

1.5

2

1.8

5

3.8

1

16.7

14

2.2

53

2.3

Manufacturing

79

32.3

51

37.8

35

31.5

43

32.8

1

16.7

209

33.3

789

34.7

Transportation

24

9.8

20

14.8

19

17.1

22

16.8

---

---

85

13.5

313

13.8

Trade

26

10.6

8

5.9

5

4.5

13

9.9

2

33.3

54

8.6

253

11.1

Public service

3

1.3

4

3.0

1

0.9

5

3.8

---

---

13

2.1

45

2.0

Professional

29

11.9

16

11.8

9

8.1

9

6.9

---

---

63

10.0

163

7.2

Domestic service

5

2.1

2

1.5

4

3.6

2

1.5

---

---

13

2.1

57

2.5

Clerical

41

16.5

18

13.3

11

9.9

10

7.6

---

---

80

12.7

339

15.9

Total

245

100.0

135

100.0

111

100.0

131

100.0

6

100.0

628

100.0

2,273

100.0


aExclusive of 51 who gave occupation "labor" and 42 who gave "student" (12.9 per cent).
bExclusive of 293 classed as "labor" and 194 as "student" (15.5 per cent).

TABLE 20.-Relation of1919-20 condition to pre-war occupation

Agricultural

Mining

Manufacturing

Transportation

Trade

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Normal

34

35.0

4

28.6

79

37.8

24

28.2

26

48.1

Neurotic

14

14.4

2

14.3

51

24.4

20

23.5

8

14.8

Fatigued

25

25.8

2

14.3

35

16.7

19

22.4

5

9.3

Disabled

22

22.7

5

35.6

43

20.6

22

25.9

13

24.1

Psychotic

2

2.1

1

7.2

1

0.5

---

---

2

3.7

Total

97

100.0

14

100.0

209

100.0

85

100.0

54

100.0


Public service

Professional

Domestic service

Clerical

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

 Per cent

Normal

3

23.0

29

46.0

5

38.4

41

51.2

Neurotic

4

30.8

16

25.4

2

15.4

18

22.5

Fatigued

1

7.7

9

14.3

4

30.8

11

13.8

Disabled

5

38.5

9

14.3

2

15.4

10

12.5

Total

13

100.0

63

100.0

13

100.0

80

100.0


aExclusive of 51 who gave occupation "labor" and 42 who gave "student" (12.9 per cent).

TABLE 21.-Rank order of percentage of men of each occupation of the 1919-20 follow-up group now able to work

Rank order

Occupation

Number

Per cent

Rank order

Occupation

Number

Per cent

1

Clerical

80

73.7

5?

Domestic

13

53.8

Professional

63

71.4

7

Transportation

85

51.7

3

Trade

54

62.9

8

Agriculture

97

49.4

4

Manufacturing

209

62.2

9

Mining

14

42.9

5?

Public service

13

53.8


aCombined ''normal" and ''neurotic" groupsinTable 19.

Tables 19 and 20 bring out the general facts of tendency. Thesignificance of the data is conclusively shown in Table 21 which gives the rankorder of the percentages of men in various occupations now able to carry on. Theranks are arrived at by adding together the percentages of "normal"and "neurotic" for each occupational group as given in Table 20. Withthe exception of mining


462

(N-14) and domestic and public service (N-13 in both),the groups are all large enough to draw significant comparisons. From thesefigures it is evident that the clerical and professional groups are making thebest readjustment of all the occupational groups. Trade and the mechanical andmanufacturing trades come next, and at the bottom are transportation,agriculture, and mining. Lastly, it is to be noted that, in general, men fromthe higher types of occupations, those requiring somewhat more intelligence forperformance, are in better shape proportionately than men from some of theseoccupations demanding less intelligence for successful participation.

COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR THE 1919-20 CONDITION OF THE GROUP ASA WHOLE RELATED TO THEIR CONDITION AT DISCHARGE FROM BASE HOSPITAL No. 117

In comparing the civilian value of this group of men in termsof our categories of readjustment, with their military worth based upon thehospital's classification, an estimate is obtained of the social value of thegroup of men reached in the follow-up in two different social situations; first,the Army at war and during an armistice, and second, civilian life in America in1919-20. Tendencies regarding these facts may be noted by comparing thoseclassified A upon discharge with those now reporting themselves"normal," the B class with the "neurotic," C class with"fatigued," and D and T combined with "disabled" and"psychotic" combined. Furthermore, the class A and class B groups maybe combined and compared with the "normal" and "neurotic"figures.

Table 22 gives us a summary of the 1919-20 condition ofmembers of the group on whom we have data. Practically 61 per cent, thecombined "normal" and "neurotic" groups of the men locatedin 1919-20, were self-supporting in civil life or sufficiently strong and wellto be on active duty in the Army or to be attending school or college. Of this61 per cent, there were 22 per cent in the "neurotic" group who wereable to support themselves, though, from a health standpoint, they were by nomeans well. The remaining 39 per cent in the "fatigued,""disabled," and "psychotic" groups were either in hospitalswhen last heard from or were having difficulties of various sorts. The"fatigued" group were the only ones of those last mentioned who wereable to work at all, and they could work, on the average, only two or three daysa week.

Table 22 is, in effect, a comparison of the militaryclassification of usefulness to an army of a group of neurotics, as a group,with their civilian value in terms of usefulness to society and to themselves ayear or so later, after returning home. It is a striking fact to be gatheredfrom the table that whereas there are almost twice as many of the follow-upgroup proportionately who are "normal" and of full usefulness in civillife as there were those who were class A and presumably of full use to theArmy, still, when one gets the sum of percentages of those of full use (class A)and of prospective full use (class B) and compare with it the sum of those"normal" and those "neurotic," the figures are practicallyidentical (i. e., 61.4 per cent as compared to 60.9 per cent). There are aboutthe same proportions who are now (1919-20) partially or wholly disabled, anddrags on society, as there were of men who were almost, or actually, useless forcombat service.


463

TABLE 22.-Comparison of physical classification in the American Expeditionary Forces and the 1919-20 condition of the follow-up group, arranged so as to show cases discharged from hospital before the armistice (upper figures of each group) and during the armistice (lower figures of each group)

Physical classification

Number

Per cent

1919-20 condition of follow-up group

Number

Per cent

A

36

8.2

Normal

171

39.0

152

47.6

124

38.7

188

24.8

295

38.9

B

210

47.9

Neurotic

98

22.4

68

21.0

69

21.5

278

36.6

167

22.0

C

171

39.0

Fatigued

67

15.3

51

15.4

64

20.0

222

29.3

131

17.3

D (and unclassified)

11

4.8

Disabled, psychotic

102

22.3

46

15.4

63

19.6

57

9.3

165

21.7


When individual items in Table 22 are compared, though thesame tendencies hold, the discrepancies are greater. For instance, theproportion of class A of theprearmistice group compared with the proportion of "normal" of theprearmistice group gives 8.2 per cent class A and39.0 per cent "normal." On the contrary, for the armistice group thereare 47.6 per cent class A and only38.7 per cent "normal." In class B, thefigures are reversed, the "neurotic" group of the prearmisticedischarge from the hospital contain 22 per cent of the cases whereas class B comprised 47.9 per cent of those discharged before thearmistice; the percentages of class B and"neurotic" are identical for the armisticegroup. And the proportions of Army and civilian disabled in the twogroups for the armistice group are practically identical.

A general conclusion which may be drawnfrom the above facts is: When the civilian status of an unselected group of 800war neurotics returned to civilian life, is estimated in 1919-20 with the fivecategories used here, "normal," "neurotic," etc.,and the proportions of each status compared with the estimates of Armyusefulness (military physical classification) made in France in 1918, we findthat although there is a tendency for a greater proportion to be first-ratecitizens (normal) than first-rate front-line material (class A), still, by and large, the group is as great a weight upon societyb asit was upon the Army in war times inFrance.

At first sight, for 39 per cent of a hospital's service tobe disabled in later life would seemto be a very high figure. And, indeed, in the case of an ordinary hospital, itwould be so. For if, of every 100adults who were in a hospital for operations and diseases during 1918,two-fifths were still to be disabled, healthy and fit men would be at a premium.These figures loom large for the

bIn attempted explanation of the serious carry-over ofsymptoms by the men of the follow up, it is necessary to include, of course, aconsideration of the significance of the pension issue in relation to presentcondition. Psychoneurotics are liable to be seriously influenced by factorsrelated to Government compensation. An estimate of the relationship between thepresent condition of the former patients of Base Hospital No. 117 andexaggerated desire for Government aid is extremely difficult of definition andbeyond the scope of this study.


464

Base Hospital No. 117 service, but small in terms of thetotal American Expeditionary Forces cases. The Base Hospital No. 117 admissionswere of two strains: First, more or less "chronic" cases sent fromother nonpsychiatric hospitals in France; and second, cases from the advancedneurological hospitals. The former cases were usually inadequately treated insome way or other, with consequent fixation of symptoms. Of the latter we havemore definite knowledge. They represent approximately 15 per cent (the severe,resistive cases) of the total neuroses so classified during the St. Mihiel andMeuse-Argonne operations. For every 100 war neurosis cases which developedduring the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne operations, 15 were sent from theforward area hospitals to Base Hospital No. 117. If now, of those 15, two-fifthsare disabled, it means that at least 6 out of every 100 cases developed duringthis period referred to were unable to carry on in civil life in 1919-20.

It is a fair statement to make that the cases discharged fromthe forward area hospitals as class A, and ready to return to the front, whichamounted to 85 out of every 100, would be probably much superior in potentialcivilian well-being to the class A patients of Base Hospital No. 117. Thereforesince 67 per cent of the A cases at Base Hospital No. 117 are now carrying on incivilian life, it follows, if our premise is adequate, that at least two-thirds,or 57 of the 85 admitted to these forward-area hospitals and sent out class A,would be carrying on in civil life. Our estimates, therefore, would be that of100 cases of war neuroses which developed at the front, at least 57 of theadvanced hospital service, and 9 more of those sent from this service to BaseHospital No. 117, or 66 in all, are now carrying on in civil life. Theprobability which may be sustained by future research is that when the warneuroses were handled by specialists at the front the percentage of cure and oflater civilian readjustment is much greater than is found here to be the casefor the Base Hospital No. 117 service, where some of the men were hospitalizedelsewhere before admission, and those from the special service at the front wereespecially severe cases and evacuated to the rear for that purpose.

THE 1924-25 STUDY

The purpose of this study was identical to that of the 1919-20study described above.

Table 23 is concerned with the problem of the adequacy ofsampling of the follow-up group as compared with the total hospital group fromthe standpoint of physical classification. The selection of cases of the followup is in general a good one from the standpoint of physical classification.While there are variations in the relative size of prearmistice and armisticefigures, yet the totals of prearmistice and armistice cases for eachclassification are usually close in both sets of data. For example, the totalsof class A are 23.5 per cent for the follow-up group and 19.6 per cent for thetotal hospital group,


465

for class B, 39.2 per cent and 39.1 per cent, respectively,class C, 29.3 and 31.8 percent, class D, 5.9 per cent and 6.6 per cent, etc. (Table 24.) For the totalgroups likewise the prearmistice and armistice selections are good samplings(60.5 per cent of the follow up are prearmistice, compared to 56.3 per cent ofthe total hospital group and 39.5 per cent are armistice compared with 43.3 percent of the total hospital group). Thus, the 1924-25 follow-up group are arepresentative sampling of the hospital's service from the standpoint ofphysical classification.

TABLE 23.-Comparison of the 1924-25 follow-up group and the total Base Hospital No. 117 service in regard to physical classification

Physical classification

Totals for follow up

Total for hospital

Physical classification

Totals for follow up

Total for hospital

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

A

35

7.6

142

9.7

D

8

1.7

32

2.2

154

51.1

366

32.6

36

12.0

139

12.4

189

23.5

508

19.6

44

5.9

171

6.6

B

241

52.1

696

47.4

Tb

6

1.3

48

3.3

58

19.2

316

28.1

2

0.7

27

2.4

299

39.2

1,012

39.2

8

1.5

75

2.9

C

172

37.2

548

37.4

    

Totals

462

60.5

1,466

56.3

51

16.9

276

24.6

301

39.5

1,124

43.7

223

29.3

824

31.8

763

100.0

2,590

100.0


aIn each group of figures,the upper figure indicates cases discharged before the armistice, the lower,cases discharged during the armistice, the figures below the line, total.
bT=cases transferred to another hospital, unclassified.

From Table 24 we are able to determine the prognostic valueof physical classification for civilian readjustment in 1924-25. Although in aperiod of seven years there have been many ups and downs, fortunate events, andalso difficulties and discouragements, to change the mood and outlook of thesemen, we still find a positive correlation between physical classification andcivilian readjustment, despite all the circumstances that would enter to impairsuch a relationship. In the column for class A we now note 83 per cent carryingon (40.7 per cent normal, 42.3 per cent neurotic); of class B, 85.9 per cent arecarrying on (39.1 per cent normal, 46.8 per cent neurotic); of class C, 73.9 percent are carrying on (30 per cent normal, 43.9 per cent neurotic); of class D,72.7 per cent are carrying on (40.9 per cent normal, 31.8 per cent neurotic).Members of class B, as a group, are adjusting themselves better to civilian lifethan class A. Though a slightly smaller per cent of class B are normal, the 4.5per cent greater number of class B now neurotic makes the total of men able tocarry on (i. e., either normal or neurotic) for class B 2.9 per cent greaterthan for class A. Class C and class D are smaller in percentage of recoveriesthan class A and class B. Thus, the hospital estimates of potential militaryvalue are again found to be of some significance for the group as a whole asprophecy of future civilian readjustment.


466

TABLE 24.-Physical classification of 1924-25 follow-up group in relation to condition in 1924-25

Class A

Class B

Class C

Class D

Tb

Totals

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Normal

18

51.4

94

39.0

48

27.9

2

25.0

2

33.3

164

35.5

59

38.3

23

39.7

19

37.2

16

44.4

0

0.0

117

38.9

77

40.7

117

39.1

67

30.0

18

40.9

2

25.0

281

36.9

Neurotic

11

31.4

113

46.9

79

45.9

3

37.5

2

33.3

208

45.0

69

44.8

27

46.5

19

37.2

11

30.5

1

50.0

127

42.2

80

42.3

140

46.8

98

43.9

14

31.8

3

37.5

335

43.9

Fatigued

3

8.6

20

8.2

27

15.7

1

12.5

2

33.3

53

11.5

15

9.8

4

6.8

2

4.0

1

2.8

0

0.0

22

7.3

18

9.5

24

8.0

29

13.0

2

4.6

2

25.0

75

9.8

Disabled

3

8.6

12

4.9

17

9.9

0

0.0

0

0.0

32

6.9

6

3.9

3

5.2

9

17.6

8

22.2

1

50.0

27

8.9

9

4.7

15

5.0

26

11.7

8

18.2

1

12.5

59

7.7

Psychotic

0

0.0

2

0.0

1

0.6

2

25.0

---

---

5

1.1

5

3.2

1

1.7

2

4.0

0

0.0

---

---

8

2.7

5

2.6

3

1.0

3

1.4

2

4.6

---

---

13

1.7

    

Totals

35

100.0

241

100.0

172

100.0

8

100.0

6

100.0

462

100.0

154

100.0

58

100.0

51

100.0

36

100.0

2

100.0

301

100.0

189

100.0

299

100.0

223

100.0

44

100.0

8

100.0

763

100.0


aThe upper number in each group indicates cases dischargedfrom Base Hospital No. 117 before the armistice: the second number, casesdischarged during the armistice: and the number below the line, the total.
bT=Cases transferred to another hospital, unclassified.

DIAGNOSIS IN FRANCE IN RELATION TO CONDITION IN 1924-25

In attempting to learn what relationships prevailed in 1924-25between the various diagnostic groups and civilian readjustment, our firstquestion again is concerned with the selection of cases. Table 25 gives thefrequency of usage of the various diagnoses in the total hospital service, withtheir occurrence in the follow-up of 1924-25. It shows that the follow-upgroup is a good sampling of the total hospital service from the standpoint ofdiagnosis; for example, the percentage of cases of hysteria in the follow-up is27 and in the total hospital group 27.6. Concussion neurosis is even closer toexactness, 22.2 per cent of the follow up and 22.1 per cent of the totalhospital group; neurasthenia is 12.5 per cent of the follow-up and 12.1 per centof the total hospital service.

Table 26 gives the relationship of diagnosis to presentcondition; the psychotics are combined with the disabled group. Some of thediagnostic groups are small, yet since this smallness is representative of theiractual proportional number, their inclusion is desirable. If we combine for eachdiagnosis the normal and neurotic groups (that is, the patients who wereself-supporting in civilian life in 1924-25) and compare the various diagnoseson the basis of percentage carrying on and percentage unable to carry on(fatigued, disabled, or psychotic) significant features of the data are broughtto light. In Table 27 the various diagnoses are ranked on the basis of thepercentage of those reached in 1924-25 who were carrying on in civilian life.


467

TABLE 25.-Comparison of the 1924-25 follow-up group and the total population of Base Hospital No. 117 in regard to diagnosis

Diagnosis

Totals for follow-up

Totals for hospital group

Per cent of follow-up

Per cent of hospital group

Diagnosis

Totals for follow-up

Totals for hospital group

Per cent of follow-up

Per cent of hospital group

Hysteria

119

379

25.8

25.9

Psychasthenia

7

28

1.5

1.9

87

338

28.9

30.1

3

12

1.0

1.1

206

717

27.0

27.6

10

40

1.3

1.6

Concussion neurosis

93

326

20.2

22.2

Timorousness (state of anxiety)

10

20

2.1

1.4

77

247

25.6

22.0

5

33

1.6

2.9

170

573

22.2

22.1

15

53

1.9

2.0

Neurasthenia

56

187

12.1

12.8

Anticipation neurosis

6

22

1.3

1.5

39

127

13.0

11.3

0

7

0.0

0.6

95

314

12.5

12.1

6

29

0.8

1.1

Hypochondriasis

10

58

2.1

3.9

Gas neurosis

10

21

2.1

1.4

12

39

4.0

3.4

9

30

3.0

2.7

22

97

2.9

3.8

19

51

2.5

1.9

Exhaustion

31

72

6.7

4.9

Gas syndromea

5

3

1.1

0.2

19

67

6.3

5.9

2

8

0.7

0.7

50

139

6.6

5.4

7

11

0.9

0.4

Effort syndrome

9

28

1.9

1.9

Traumatic neurosis

3

4

0.7

0.3

2

29

0.7

2.6

Gastric neurosis, postoperative

1

1

0.3

0.1

11

57

1.4

2.2

4

5

0.5

0.2

Anxiety neurosis

40

118

8.7

8.1

No disease

2

19

0.4

1.2

12

56

4.0

4.9

13

53

4.3

4.7

52

174

6.9

6.7

15

72

1.9

2.8

Concussion syndrome

61

181

13.2

12.4

    

Totals

462

1,466

100.0

100.0

20

77

6.6

6.9

301

1,124

100.0

100.0

81

258

10.6

10.0

763

2,590

100.0

100.0


(The upper number in each group indicates the casesdischarged from Base Hospital No. 117 before the armistice, the second, casesdischarged during the armistice, and the number below the line, the total.)
aThe discrepancy intotal hospital and follow-up statistics is due to the fact that gas syndrome wasused a few times as subsidiary diagnosis.

Again the typical war neurosis, such as gas syndrome,exhaustion, concussion, anxiety, show the best recovery, except for gas neurosis(N-19); whereas the more pronounced constitutional types (neurasthenia,psychasthenia, effort syndrome) rank lower. There are, as one might expect, somesignificant changes in rank among the 1924-25 group as compared with the 1919-20group (given in Table 13); for example, exhaustion neurosis goes from rank 7 torank 2, with 48 of the 50 men, or 96 per cent, carrying on. In this connection,it is surprising, in view of the nature of their difficulties in France, thatthey did not rank higher in 1919-20; however, the fact that by now 48 out of 50 of them have been able to return to theposition of being self-supporting is a significant proof of diagnosis exactitudein the hospital service. Likewise, that the concussion and anxiety cases havemade a good readaptation is a justification of their diagnosis and the generalopinion of their condition held by the Base Hospital No. 117 staff in France. Onthe other hand, that the effort syndrome group is still in difficulty was wellnigh predictable, as functional heart conditions are liable to chronicity.Hypochondriasis, neurasthenia, psychasthenia, are about at the relative rankpredicted by the


468

medical experts of the hospital. The best insight into themeaning of war-time diagnosis is found by comparing the percentage of recoveryin 1924-25 from Table 27 with the same facts for 1919-20 in Table 13. Atonce it is apparent that practically all of the diagnostic groups show a higherpercentage of readaptation at the later date. Gas neurosis, no disease, andeffort syndrome have not shown an improvement from a percentage standpoint. Onlyanticipation neurosis (which forms a small group of six cases) has shown adecrease in percentage of men with that diagnosis able to carry on.

TABLE 26.-Condition in 1924-25in relation to diagnosis in France

Normal

Neurotic

Fatigued

Disabled and psychotic

Totals

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Hysteria

32

19.6

60

29.0

15

28.9

12

32.4

119

25.9

33

28.1

33

25.9

8

36.4

13

38.2

87

29.0

65

23.2

93

27.9

23

31.1

25

35.2

206

27.1

Concussion neurosis

42

25.8

39

18.9

10

19.2

2

5.4

93

20.3

31

26.4

35

27.8

6

27.3

5

14.7

77

25.7

73

26.0

74

22.1

16

21.6

7

9.8

170

22.4

Neurasthenia

16

9.8

26

12.6

8

15.4

6

16.2

56

12.2

13

11.1

18

14.1

2

9.1

6

17.7

39

13.0

29

10.4

44

13.2

10

13.5

12

16.9

95

12.5

Concussion syndrome

20

12.3

28

13.5

9

17.3

4

10.8

61

13.4

6

5.1

12

9.4

0

0.0

2

5.9

20

6.7

26

9.3

40

11.9

9

12.2

6

8.3

81

10.7

Anxiety neurosis

19

11.5

17

8.2

1

1.9

3

8.1

40

8.3

5

4.2

3

2.3

2

9.1

2

5.9

12

4.0

24

8.6

20

6.0

3

4.1

5

7.0

52

6.9

Exhaustion neurosis

16

9.8

13

6.3

2

3.9

---

---

31

6.8

11

9.3

8

6.3

0

0.0

---

---

19

6.3

27

9.6

21

6.3

2

2.7

---

---

50

6.6

Hypochondriasis

0

0.0

8

3.0

---

---

2

5.4

10

2.2

3

2.5

6

4.7

---

---

3

8.8

12

4.0

3

1.1

14

4.2

---

---

5

7.0

22

2.9

Psychasthenia

3

1.8

1

.5

1

1.9

2

5.4

7

1.5

2

1.6

1

.8

0

0.0

0

0.0

3

1.0

5

1.8

2

.6

1

1.3

2

2.9

10

1.3

Gas neurosis

3

1.8

4

1.9

1

1.9

2

5.4

10

2.2

4

3.3

3

2.3

0

0.0

2

5.9

9

3.0

7

2.5

7

2.1

1

1.3

4

5.8

19

2.5

Anticipation neurosis

3

1.8

1

.5

1

1.9

1

2.7

6

1.3

0

0.9

0

0.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

3

1.1

1

0.3

1

1.3

1

1.4

6

0.8

Effort syndrome

2

1.2

3

1.4

1

1.9

3

8.2

9

1.9

1

2.5

0

0.0

1

4.5

0

0.0

2

0.7

3

1.1

3

0.9

2

2.7

3

4.3

11

1.5

Timorousness

5

3.1

3

1.4

2

3.8

0

0.0

10

2.2

3

1.7

1

0.8

0

0.0

1

5.9

5

1.7

8

2.8

4

1.2

2

2.7

1

1.4

15

1.9

Gas syndrome

2

1.2

3

1.4

---

---

---

---

5

1.1

1

0.9

1

0.8

---

---

---

---

2

0.7

3

1.1

4

1.2

---

---

---

---

7

0.9

No disease

0

0.0

1

.5

1

1.9

---

---

2

0.4

4

3.4

6

4.7

3

13.6

---

---

13

4.3

4

1.4

7

2.1

4

5.5

---

---

15

1.9


(The upper number in each group indicates the cases discharged from Base Hospital No. 117 before the armistice, the lower, cases discharged during the armistice, and the number below the line, the total.)


469

TABLE 27.-Rank order of diagnoses on the basis of the percentage of those carrying on"a in civilian life in 1924-25

Rank

Diagnosis

Per cent

Rank

Diagnosis

Per cent

1

Gas syndrome

100.0 (N-7)

8

Neurasthenia

76.8 (N-95)

2

Exhaustion neurosis

96.0 (N-50)

9

Hysteria

76.7 (N-206)

3

Concussion neurosis

86.5 (N-170)

10 

Gas neurosis

73.6 (N-19)

4

Anxiety neurosis

84.6 (N-52)

11

No disease

73.3 (N-15)

5

Concussion syndrome

81.5 (N-81)

12

Psychasthenia

70.0 (N-10)

6

Timorousness

80.0 (N-15)

13

Anticipation

66.7 (N-6) 

7

Hypochondriasis

77.2 (N-22)

14 

Effort syndrome

54.4 (N-11)


aSee p. 456 forcomparative figures of 1919 follow-up group.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN RELATION TO CONDITIONS IN 1924-25

AGE

In getting data on age, the men were asked for their agesdirectly in the questionnaire sent to each, instead of using the age at time ofhospitalization. Thus the median age at the time of hospitalization would haveto be increased by six years to make it comparable with the median for the ageof the group reached in the summer of 1924, which is on the average six yearsafter hospitalization. The two medians are then quite similar-30.66 years fortotal hospital group, 30.39 years for this follow-up. (Table 28.)

As far as the factor of age enters toexplain readjustment in 1924-25, there does seem to be a tendency for theextremes of the distribution to be less well readapted than the more centralgroups. In Table 29, the figures show that there is a higher percentage of casesin the fatigued and disabled groups at the extreme ages than in the middleranges. Likewise, in Table 30, the percentages of cases having difficulties ishigher at the extreme ages than in the middle range of ages, i. e., from 28 to35. There is thus a tendency for the extreme age groups, the younger and theolder men, to be making poorer readaptations than the men of the middle range ofages.

TABLE 28.-Ages of follow-up groups in relation to condition in 1924-25

Age

Normal

Neurotic

Fatigued

Disabled

Psychotic

Totals

22

1

1

---

1

---

3

23

1

2

1

---

---

4

24

7

12

1

---

---

20

25

9

18

5

6

---

38

26

21

20

9

6

1

57

27

21

21

7

4

---

53

28

33

52

8

3

1

97

29

34

46

20

9

2

111

30

35

34

8

6

3

86

31

21

26

4

5

---

56

32

24

34

6

3

---

67

33

19

19

4

3

1

46

34

8

20

4

4

1

37

35

11

12

2

2

1

28

36

14

8

7

4

---

33

37

5

9

2

2

---

18

38

2

2

2

2

1

9

39

2

2

---

1

---

5

40

---

2

1

1

---

4

41

4

1

---

---

---

5

42

1

---

1

---

---

2

43

---

1

---

---

---

1

44

---

1

---

---

---

1

45

---

1

1

---

---

2

46

---

---

---

---

---

---

47

2

---

---

---

---

2

48

---

---

---

---

---

---

49

---

---

---

---

---

---

50 and over

5

3

---

---

---

8

N

280

347

93

62

11

793

Median

30.39

39.06

29.80

30.58

30.67

30.93


470

TABLE 29.-Distribution of cases within thenormal, neurotic, fatigued, and disabled groups, according to age

Age

Normal

Neurotic

Fatigued

Disabled

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

27 years and younger

60

21.4

74

21.3

23

24.7

17

27.4

28 to 35 years (inclusive)

185

66.1

243

70.0

56

60.2

35

56.3

36 years and older

35

12.5

30

8.7

14

15.1

10

16.3

Totals

280

100.0

347

100.0

93

100.0

62

100.0


TABLE 30.-Distribution of cases within each age group according to condition in 1924-25

Condition

27 years and younger

28 to 35 years (inclusive)

36 years and older

Number

Per cent

Number 

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Normal

60

34.5

185

35.7

35

39.2

Neurotic

74

42.5

243

46.8

30

33.7

Fatigued

23

13.2

56

10.8

14

15.7

Disabled

17

9.8

35

6.7

10

11.3

Total

174

100.0

519

100.0

89

100.0


FAMILY AND PERSONAL HISTORY (SEPARATELY AND COMBINED), PRIOR TO HOSPITALIZATION, RELATED TO CONDITION IN 1924-25

The data in Table 31 indicate that, in so far as they applyto this group, previous familyand personal histories are not in themselves very significant determiners forpresent condition. In fact the group now classed as normal herein gives a poorerpersonal history than the neurotics, and a poorer combined personal and familyhistory than the neurotics and fatigued. Of course, not all the cases areincluded, as the data were missing on some cases from the clinical historieswritten in France. Furthermore, all data on family and personal history are aptto be unreliable unless collected for specific purposes and under definitedirections, which is in many cases not true of these data. But from the dataavailable family and personal histories, as previously shown in the 1919-20study, are not very significant in themselves in relation to civilianreadaptation. Whereas in the 1919-20 group a slight tendency existed for abetter readjustment to be made by those giving negative histories, by 1924, thistendency has decreased almost to insignificance.

Table 32 shows that on the whole the follow-up group are anadequate sampling of the hospital group from the standpoint of family stock andpersonal make-up.


471

TABLE 31.-Family and personal histories in relation to condition in 1924-25

Family history

Personal history

Combined family and personal history

Positive

Negative

Positive

Negative

Positive

Negative

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number 

Per cent

Normal

128

56.6

98

43.4

112

51.6

105

48.4

149

68.0

70

32.0

Neurotic

141

53.0

125

47.0

124

47.1

139

52.9

163

62.4

98

37.6

Fatigued

36

58.1

26

41.9

64

52.5

58

47.5

81

67.9

38

32.1

Disabled

21

42.0

29

58.0

24

52.2

22

47.8

32

68.1

15

31.9

Total

326

53.9

278

46.1

324

50.0

324

50.0

425

65.8

221

34.2


TABLE 32.-The follow-up cases (1924-25) compared with 1,000 unselected cases from Base Hospital No. 117

Family history

Personal history

Combined family and personal history

Positive

Negative

Positive

Negative

Positive

Negative

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number 

Per cent

Total Base Hospital
No. 117 patients

508

50.2

505

49.8

527

51.9

488

48.1

643

63.5

370

36.5

Follow-up group

326

53.9

278

46.1

324

50.0

324

50.0

425

65.8

221

34.2


Lastly, it is a rather interesting commentary on the wholeconception of "neuropathic" taint that there are so many men (overfour-fifths) now able to carry on in thisgroup of men, and (by comparison with the findings in 1919-20, which was aboutthree-fifths) an increasing number and proportion who give a neuropathic (i. e.,war neurotic) history. Smith and Pear3 have expressed very well the loosenessand inadequacy of all explanation of nervous or mental disease in terms ofso-called "neuropathic" taint. It is noteworthy that this group showsno very significant relationship between these factors of make-up and thecapacity of readaptation to civilian environment.

SOCIAL STATUS IN RELATION TO PRESENT CONDITION 

PRESENT OCCUPATION

Again the adequacy of sampling of the follow-up compared tothe hospital service is important. It must be realized at once that when onlythe present occupation is considered, the psychotic and disabled patients willautomatically be excluded, for they are not at work. Likewise many of thosereported at work were doing things describedin a way difficult to allocate withthe Bureau of the Censuscategories. Taking the 562 cases which remain in the 3 groups,and comparing them with the proportionsof the total hospital group, we find (in Table 33) that the samplingis a selected one in the divisions of transportation (7.7 per cent of this follow-up group instead of 13.8 percent in the total hospital figures),trade (18.1 per cent instead of 11.1 per cent), public service (5.5 percent instead of 2 per cent),clerical work (11.2 per cent insteadof 15.9 per cent), though uponinspection of the other categories(agriculture, mining, manufacturing, professional) it isnoted that the sampling is a goodone.


472

TABLE 33.-Relation of occupationa (1924-25) of follow-up group and total patients of Base Hospital No. 117 to working capacity

Normal

Neurotic

Fatigued

Total of follow-upb

Total of hospital service

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Agriculture

9

3.7

49

17.0

10

32.3

68

12.1

261

11.5

Mining

9

3.7

4

1.4

---

---

13

2.3

53

2.3

Manufacturing

79

32.5

95

32.9

10

32.3

184

32.8

789

34.7

Transportation

16

6.6

25

8.7

2

6.4

43

7.7

313

13.8

Trade

51

20.9

49

17.0

2

6.4

102

18.1

253

11.1

Public service

16

6.6

14

4.9

1

3.2

31

5.5

45

2.0

Professional

23

9.5

13

4.5

---

---

36

6.4

163

7.2

Domestic service

10

4.1

7

2.4

5

16.1

22

3.9

57

2.5

Clerical

30

12.4

132

11.1

1

3.2

63

11.2

339

15.9

Total

243

100.0

288

100.0

31

100.0

562

100.0

2,273

100.0


aExclusive of those who were "disabled" orpsychotic at time of writing, who were by definition out of work.
bExclusive of 293 classified as "labor" and 194 as"student" (15.50 per cent).

Tables 34, 35, and 36, give the facts of occupation relatedto present condition in the Bureau of the Census categories of general types ofwork. Again, as in the 1919-20 followup (i. e., Tables 19, 20, and 21), thoseengaged in agricultural work and those in transportation are making the poorestreadaptation. Mining is too small a group (N-13) to be significant, but thosereporting show the highest percentage as normal. The professional group aremaking the next best readaptation. Then come public service and trade, thenmanufacturing, transportation, and last of all agriculture. These facts aregiven in a rank-order presentation in Tables 35 and 36. In Table 36 the samefacts are given for those now reporting themselves as neurotic or fatigued. Thepercentages are of course the complement of those in Table 35, since the twotables include the total number of men now at work in each occupation.

TABLE 34.-Relation of condition in 1924-25 to occupation in 1924-25

Agriculture

Mining

Manufactur-
ing

Transporta-
tion

Trade

Public
service

Professional

Domestic
service

Clerical

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

Normal

9

13.2

9

69.2

79

42.2

16

37.2

51

50

16

51.6

23

63.9

10

45.4

30

47.6

Neurotic

49

72.1

4

30.8

95

51.5

25

58.1

49

48

14

45.1

13

36.1

7

31.8

32

50.8

Fatigued

10

14.7

---

---

10

5.4

2

4.7

2

2

1

3.2

---

---

5

22.7

1

1.6

     Total

68

100.0

13

100.0

184

100.0

43

100.0

102

100

31

100.0

36

100.0

22

100.0

63

100.0


TABLE 35.-Rank order of percentage of men of each occupation of the 1924-25 follow-up group now normal

Rank order

Occupation

Number

Per cent

Rank order

Occupation

Number

Per cent

1

Mining

13

69.2

6

Domestic service

22

45.4

2

Professional

36

63.9

7

Manufacturing

184

42.2

3

Public service

31

51.6

8

Transportation

43

37.2

4

Trade

102

50.0

9

Agriculture

68

13.2

5

Clerical

63

47.6


473

TABLE 36.-Rank order of percentage of men of each occupation of the 1924-25 follow-up group now either neurotic or fatigued

Rank order

Occupation

Number

Per cent

Rank order

Occupation

Number

Per cent

1

Agriculture

68

86.8

6

Trade

102

50.0

2

Transportation

43

62.8

7

Public service

31

48.4

3

Manufacturing

184

57.8

8

Professional

36

36.1

4

Domestic service

22

54.6

9

Mining

13

30.8

5

Clerical

63

52.4


Since our comparison in Tables 35 and 36 is practicallybetween the normal and the neurotic group (there are so few cases comparativelyin the fatigued group), we also get a suggested estimate of what line of work aformer war neurotic is now able to engage in as a normal healthy person, and inwhat general kinds of work he is able to carry on though still somewhat morenervous and unhealthy than the ordinary workman in that line of work, so far aswe know. This last might suggest an answer to the question: In what lines ofwork can a psychoneurotic, still suffering from mild but quite annoyingsymptoms, be able to get along and be independent? The answer is agriculture farabove all others, then transportation, clerical work, trade and the variouslines of manufacturing. It is noteworthy in this connection that the historiesof some of the men are in line with this. Many who had difficulty working atmanufacturing trades in towns or cities have been able to make a fairlysuccessful readaptation in agricultural work. Some have even so improved as tobe entirely self-supporting and gradually losing all their symptoms.

PRESENT CONDITION OF THE GROUP AS A WHOLE

The five years intervening since 1919-20 saw thedevelopment of good improvement in the Base Hospital No. 117 group. Whereas in1919 the percentage of those reached who were able to carry on (that is, normalor neurotic), was only 60.9; by 1924-25 this had grown to 80.8 as shown inTable 37. The fatigued group who were able to work but half the time amounted to9.8 per cent as compared with 17.3 per cent in 1919-20, and the disabled orpsychotic who were practically unable to work at all, amounted to 9.4 per centinstead of 21.7 per cent in the previous study.

When further comparison is made of the military value andcivilian usefulness of these men, we find 62.7 per cent of good actual orpotential military value (classes A and B) and 80.8 per cent of good civilianusefulness (normal and neurotic). There is a greater proportion (36.9 per cent)who are of full value as civilians (normal) than who were immediate front-linematerial (23.5 per cent) in France (class A) but almost equal proportions (38.2per cent) of potential front-line material (class B and somewhat nervousindividuals (neurotic) of not quite full civilian efficiency (43.9 per cent).The 1924-25 follow-up group is of much more usefulness to society now thanthey were to the Army at the time of discharge from the hospital. This is a verysignificant improvement over the conditions in 1919-20 of a similar-sizedgroup of war neurotics reached at that time who were as much a burden to societyas they were to the American Expeditionary Forces.


474

TABLE 37.-Direct comparison of physicalclassification in France and condition in 1924-25 of the follow-up group

Classification

Military classification

Classification

Present condition

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

A

35

7.6

Normal

164

35.5

154

51.1

117

38.9

189

23.5

281

36.9

B

241

52.1

Neurotic

208

45.0

58

19.2

127

42.2

299

39.2

335

43.9

C

172

37.2

Fatigued

53

11.5

51

16.9

22

7.3

223

29.3

75

9.8

D and T

14

3.0

Disabled, psychotic

37

8.0

38

12.7

35

11.6

52

7.4

72

9.4


(The upper number in each group indicates the casesdischarged from Base Hospital No. 117 before the armistice, the second, casesdischarged during the armistice, and the number below the line, the total.)

There are once more discrepancies in individual items in thiscomparative study as shown in Table 38. The proportion of class A of theprearmistice group was 7.6 per cent, but 35.5 per cent of the armistice groupwere normal in 1914. On the other hand, the armistice class A amounted to 51.1per cent and only 38.9 per cent of this group are now normal. The prearmisticeclass B amounted to 52.1 per cent but the prearmistice cases now neurotic areonly 45 per cent; the armistice, class B were 19.2 per cent and the armistice neurotic42.2 per cent. Both the prearmistice and armistice proportions of"fatigued" cases are considerably smaller than the class C cases. Andlastly, those of the prearmistice group now seriously handicapped constitute 8per cent of the group as compared with only 3 per cent of D and T dischargesbefore the armistice.

These figures show a marked tendency for improvement amongthe men of the follow-up group as a whole in the interim of five years since thestudy made in 1919-20. What the causes are that underlie the improvement is adifficult problem for complete analysis. A few that might be cited are the vismedicatrix ofnature in that length of time, the improvement of business conditions, offeringmore opportunities for civilian reestablishment, and, perhaps most essential ofall, the various governmental and social agencies focused upon the problem ofsoldier after care. At any rate, whatever the causes of improvement, thehospitalized war neurotics of the American Expeditionary Forces have now becomemore of a social asset in civilian life than they were in 1919-20 andconsiderably less of a problem as a group to themselves, to their families andto the American people.

REFERENCES

(1) Southard, E. E.: Shell Shock and After. The Shattuck Lecture. Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, 1918, clxxix, No. 3, 73.

(2) Mott, F. W.: War Neuroses. British Medical Journal, 1919, i, April 12, 439.

(3) Smith, G. Elliot, and Pear, T. H.: Shell Shock and its Lessons. 2d Ed. Longmans, Green & Co., 1917, 88.

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