World War I Reconstruction Aides
During and after the World War I, many soldiers required “physical reconstruction” to recover from injuries. The United States Army began recruiting hundreds of women to train and serve as civilian employee Reconstruction Aides to “give massage and exercises and other remedial treatment” to soldiers in army hospitals. Of five certified programs in the country for “re-aides”, three were in Boston.
Dr. Lovett, serving as a Surgeon Major, with Janet Merrill as Head Aide, oversaw the curriculum and training of aides in Boston. Many of the courses were taught at Boston Children’s and other nearby hospitals. Reconstruction Aides are widely considered the first physical therapists in the United States, and their practice is closely linked with that developed for the treatment of polio.
To explore materials related to Lovett's course and Reconstruction Aide service, click on the page below.
