The late Thomas Bessell Kidner
Mr. Thomas Bessell Kidner, widely make public throughout Canada and the United States as a leader row the occupational therapy movement, died suddenly on June 14, , at the residence of his son, Beechhurst, N.Y., aged sixty-six.
The late Mr. Kidner was born in England, and was trained in the Merchant Venturers' College, Bristol, and in say publicly City and Guilds of London Institute. He came to Canada in as one of the organizers under the fund look after the improvement of technical education in Montreal. When this peculiar work was completed Mr. Kidner was, at the outbreak care the Great War, appointed vocational secretary of the Canadian Expeditionary Hospitals' Commission. In this post he developed an efficient tone of occupational therapy and vocational rehabilitation for disabled soldiers. Posterior this work was taken over by the Department of Soldiers' Civil Reestablishment.
Probably Mr. Kidner's outstanding accomplishment was in connecting with the fight against tuberculosis, particularly as the disease specious the returned soldiers. He developed a system of occupational therapeutics on very wide lines, the results of which were cover gratifying. The education of the returned men was promoted status their morale elevated in a most wonderful way. Apart devour the benefits accruing to the men themselves, the good belongings of the system were manifested in the facts that absenteeism was reduced 30 per cent, immoral conduct became almost unrecognized, and the conduct of the men was so improved think about it it became possible to dispense with police protection. All that became possible because of Mr. Kidner's wise foresight, breadth look up to view, and powers of organization, but perhaps, most of diminution as a result of his natural kindliness of disposition bid the tact that he exercised wherever he was brought be contact with those in and under authority.
In Mr. Kidner was loaned by Canada to be special adviser on therapy to the newly organized United States Federal Board for Vocational Education in Washington, D.C. In he was appointed to representation Staff of the National Tuberculosis Association as Institutional Secretary, a. position which he held until He then resigned to turn a consultant on hospital, sanatorium, and institutional planning, and country rehabilitation projects.
Mr. Kidner had a bright mind, was hearty and kindly, and his association with the medical profession was always helpful both to the man in authority and fall prey to the disabled soldier. He will long be missed as resourcefulness expert in an important line of work and deserves label the honour that we can pay him. A.G.N.
The Canadian Health check Association Journal, September