Diseases of the nervous system / edited by Archibald Church.

Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Diseases of the nervous system / edited by Archibald Church. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1169/1256 (page 1127)
    salient point in the treatment of traumatic neuroses consists in getting the patients to work, and that compared with this all mechanotherapy and sim- ilar measures are far behind. Recognizing these facts a society has been formed in Berlin which attempts to secure this action on the part of the cooperative associations. The “ So- ciety for Accident Cases ” in Berlin will aid persons suffering from accident by giving them an opportunity to work, or does this through their own so- cieties. The Society is still young and inexperienced, but there is no doubt of its beneficent work. Some large industrial establishments—for instance, a large brewery in Berlin—have adopted similar methods of aiding their in- jured workmen. The furnishing of suitable work to those only partially disabled I must designate as the chief thing to be provided for in the readjustment of accident insurance. Another but less important change would be to modify the regu- lations concerning work so that only complete disability and three or four grades of partial disability should be recognized. Small weekly payments should be altogether tabooed, and indemnity should consist of a single payment. Experience seems to indicate that by these or similar changes much of the baneful excitement which now attends the payment of weekly indemnity for accidents might be avoided. More might be done in this direction if cooperative institutions were to discard some of their irritating officialdom, and conduct affairs in a more business-like way. Even trivial things must be considered in establishing a new law; its enforcement and beneficent effect depend in a high degree upon psychical coaction.