strenuous exorcise before the soldier
returns to his outfit.
Kxerciso often is given individually
to patients confined to bod. In group
calisthenics for the “in-bed” patients,
they participate ns much as their indi¬
vidual condition permits. During an
arm exorcise, for instance, a soldier
with a broken right arm moves only
his left arm, while a patient will» a
broken leg moves both arms.
Exercise starts immediately after the patient has passed the critical stages.
Above, Sgt. Lester F. Wozney directs “warm-up” arm exercises for
patients with broken legs in one of the wards. (Army Air Forces Photo.)
Helping Them To
Get Well Again
Convalescing soldiers at the
Laurinhiirg-Maxton Air Base
keep their minds and bodies
busy. As a result, their period
of recuperation has been cut
down considerably.
ТПЕ
first “graduating class” nf
the Army Air Forces’ convalescent
training program at Laurinbnrg-
Maxton Army Air Base Hospital re¬
ceived certificates last week denoting
completion of at least 10 hours’ train¬
ing-
Gaining widespread acclaim as a
result of its success in Army Air
Forces hospitals throughout the na¬
tion, this program is designed to pre-
vent a soldier from wasting his time
while a patient, in the hospital. There
arc three chief objectives: to build
morale, to send the soldier back to his
job in the best possible physical con¬
dition, and to improve his technical
knowledge.
The program at Laurinburg-
Maxton, which started in earnest last
fall, has grown so rapidly that it
now covers practically every subject
that is interesting or helpful to a
soldier-patient. Tt ean be broken down,
however, into three main parts: exer¬
cise. manual arts and instruction.
Patients get exorcise through
planned calisthenics, hikes and
games. The training schedule pre¬
pared for each week calls for a half-
hour of calisthenics almost every day.
And there’s usually a hike once a
week.
Convalescent exercise starts imme¬
diately after the patient passes tho
critical stage. Often this is as soon as
one day after an operation. Calis¬
thenics begin with moderate arm, neck
and head movements, increasing to
Divided into Groups
Patients are divided into various
groups, according to their condition.
Each case is considered individually
and the prescribed scale graded to
approach closely, but never to exceed,
the individual’s capacity.
Recreation is an important part of
the exercise schedule, so outdoor
courts are being prepared for soft-
ball, volleyball, basketball, paddle
tennis, bound ball, croquet and arch¬
ery. Competitive games will be held
between teams from the various wards.
Training in manual arts is ob¬
tained by visits to the hospital’s work¬
shop or by work done right in the
wards. In the workshop the patients
turn out some of the most fascinat¬
ing pieces of fancy woodwork you’ve
ever seen.
They have at their disposal a jig¬
saw, lathe, electric sanding machine,
power saws and the usual hand tools.
The patients find relaxation in
turning pieces of wood into such use¬
ful articles as soap dishes, picture
frames, mail boxes, lamps, magazine
racks, cigarette boxes, tables, lawn
chairs, candlestick holders — plus
odd-looking creations that are yet to
he named by the patients who made
them. Some small items are carved
by band by patients in bed.
Most of them are sent home to the
family. Some of the boys give them
to nurses and doctors as tokens of
their appreciation. And girl friends
receive them as keepsakes.
Typical Week’s Schedule
The instructional phase of the con¬
valescent training program, accom¬
plished by movies, lectures ami print¬
ed matter, covers a multitude of sub¬
jects. A typical week’s schedule in¬
cludes films on personal hygiene,
evacuation of battle casualties, aerial
bombs and hand-to-hand combat ; lec¬
tures by qualified speakers on first aid,
world events, mountain warfare and
poisonous reptiles.
Much of the speaking is done by
patients themselves, although “out¬
side” speakers appear frequently to
discuss topics upon which they are
authorities.
Reading material available to the
к
