Mr. Chairman, the record has been there for all to see. Twenty-five years of organized effort on behalf of the disabled have produced only limited results. The war periods were favorable, not because of a change in attitude, but because of need. Certainly we must continue this struggle against the monster of prejudice. Certainly we must arouse the general public and the professions to their responsibilities. But fundamentally and in the final analysis, they cannot be trusted. There is only one hope for the disabled: rehabilitation. Train them and develop them so that they can stand on their own. Provide them with the physical and vocational equipment that will enable them to face the challenge of competition. It was Balzac who said that most of us are just ordinary people seeking extraordinary destinies. The physically handicapped are extraordinary in that they seek only an ordinary destiny. This then is their challenge to us. Give us the opportunity to realize that destiny.

Dr. KESSLER. Reference has been made to different categories of disability, but perhaps at this time I should refer to the needs of the amputees.

During the war there were 18,000 service casualties that resulted in amputation, but during the same 41/2-year period, 120,000 civilians lost their arms and legs as the result of street accidents, industrial accidents, disease, and congenital deformities.

A fairly elaborate program was available for the needs of the military service casualties, but no elaborate and adequate program existed for the civilian amputees.

Perhaps I can best illustrate by reference to several cases. A mother brought her 18-year-old boy to me who had lost his leg below the knee when he was 4 years of age. He came in on crutches. I asked the mother where the boy's artificial leg was. She said that he had never had one. I asked, "Why not?" She said that the doctors and the neighbors said that he did not need any; that he could wait until he grew up.

There was 14 years wasted, 14 years during which time this young man was condemned as a cripple, an outcast, retarded socially, vocationally, and educationally, and in every other way. More important, there were 14 years wasted during which time this boy might have become adept in the use of his artificial limb.

In other words, there was no facility, no center, where proper counsel and advice could be given this young boy.

Mr. KELLEY. May I interrupt you there, Doctor? That is true with our program today-there are no facilities even now.

Dr. KESSLER. Exactly.

Mr. KELLEY. I think the report of the former subcommittee brought that out very specifically.

Dr. KESSLER. I could go on quoting any number of cases.

For example, a mother brought her little child from Arkansas all the way to New Jersey to my rehabilitation center. This child was born without arms and without legs. The child was nothing more than a head and a torso. There were three questions that this woman wanted answered. First of all, "Was this my fault?" I could reassure her and indicate to her this was nothing more than a biological accident, a freak of nature. She felt better.

Her second question was: "What can you do for my child?"

It was obvious we were faced with an almost impossible problem. However, in this center there were available other patients who had been helped that might serve as a basis for the management of this child. One of the patients in this center was a man who lost his arms

in the fighting in Palestine. The arm had been amputated at the shoulder. I had fashioned for him an arm that was controlled by a channel, or a canal made in his chest wall muscle, in the pectoral muscle, and he operated that arm effectively. The mother saw him operate that arm. In other words, this was no figment of the imagination, nothing academic, or esoteric; this was something that the mother could see. I turned to the mother and said that we could develop this child's chest muscles and then make a canal through the muscle so as to teach this child to use an artificial hand.

She said, "Very well, what about the legs?"

In that same center was a paraplegic with both legs off close to the hips. We had trained this man to walk with artificial limbs and crutches not only on the level but up and down stairs. I turned to the mother and said, "Perhaps if this man could learn to walk with artificial legs, paralyzed and amputated close to the hips, we might find a solution for your child."

The third question she wanted answered was: "Shall I have any more children?" I had to admit to her as a doctor that the statistics were against her; if she were to have 20 children five would be born defective. There were other children and other parents in that center, and one of them rose and said, "Doctor, I think that I can answer that question better than you because when my Dorothy was born without this arm I was faced with that same problem. I have had three children since Dorothy came along. They are perfectly all right, and I would say to the mother, 'Go ahead and have children."

So there were three questions that that young mother came all the way from Arkansas to have answered, and I think she had them fairly and reasonably well answered, but only because there were facilities in the center equipped to solve this type of problem.

Mr. KELLEY. Does your center operate in New York City?

Dr. KESSLER. In New Jersey, the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation.

Now, this man to whom I referred a moment ago, a paraplegic and amputee, came to me after he was completely disabled for over 4 years, suffering from such severe pain in the stomach that he had to take morphine. The day that he arrived at the center he had 14 hypodermics of morphine. We instituted withdrawal treatment immediately, and for the next 2 weeks he went through the tortures of the damned, going through the adjustment period, so much so that the hospital was going to throw me out and throw him out. It was too much for them to take.

However, we tided him over this period so that we were able to cut down his dose of morphine to a minimum dose. We then operated on his spinal cord and cut the main fibers. We performed something like eight different surgical procedures, not only on his spinal cord, but on the bones of his spine, on the muscles of his back, on his bladder, and then made artificial legs for him and taught him to walk. No one man did that job. That was teamwork. That was the result of the coordinated efforts of a great many men, neurological surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, physicotherapists, and an artificiallimb maker, a vocational rehabilitation counselor. That is what we mean by rehabilitation. It is the coordinated effect of a great many

people working toward one desired end, but in a facility, in a place equipped to carry out that type of treatment.

It is for that reason that I speak for all these bills that have for their purpose the extension of services to include rehabilitation

centers.

Mr. KELLEY. That has been a very interesting statement.

We will be glad to get that written statement of yours because I know it will be a good one.

You have had a lot of experience and have a great reputation in your field.

Thank you again, Doctor.

(The statement referred to appears in the record on p. 108.)

The committee will stand adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.

(Whereupon, at 1 p. m., the committee adjourned to reconvene the following day, Friday, July 15, 1949, at 10 a. m.)

FEDERAL COMMISSION FOR PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1949

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SPECIAL SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR, Washington, D. C.

The subcommittee met at 10 a. m., Hon. Augustine B. Kelley (chairman) presiding.

Mr. KELLEY. The committee will be in order. Our first witness is Mr. Barber. Mr. Barber, you may proceed.

STATEMENT OF GEORGE M. HARRISON, PRESENTED BY HARTMAN BARBER, GENERAL REPRESENTATIVE, BROTHERHOOD OF RAILWAY AND STEAMSHIP CLERKS, FREIGHT HANDLERS, EXPRESS AND STATION EMPLOYEES, WASHINGTON, D. C.

Mr. BARBER. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Hartman Barber. I am general representative of the Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees, assigned to Washington to handle legislative matters. I have an office in room 301, 10 Independence Avenue, Washington, D. C.

I have here a statement of Mr. George M. Harrison, grand president, Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employees, whose office is at 1015 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. At this time, Mr. Chairman, I would like to have the privilege of reading this statement; it is very short. Mr. KELLEY. You may proceed.

Mr. BARBER. It is indeed a privilege to present our views to you in advocating the passage of so comprehensive a measure as H. R. 3095, a bill to establish a Federal Commission on Services for the Physically Handicapped, to define its duties, and for other purposes. Title I of the bill sets forth the purposes of the proposed legislation and it might be well to state the various objectives which this bill seeks to further:

1. To provide for maximum extension of medical services, education and training, vocational guidance, and full employment opportunities to citizens handicapped by physical or mental disability.

2. To provide for a more effective coordination of the functions of the Federal Government relating to the rehabilitation and employment of the handicapped.

3. To establish a Federal Interagency Committee on rehabilitation and employment of the handicapped.