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In a letter to the Times Literary Supplement (3 February 1984), Fr 
Martin Jarrett-Kerr reported that during the First World War the Oxford 
don H.F. Brett-Smith was employed by military hospitals to advise on 
reading matter for the war wounded. 'His job was to grade novels and 
poetry according to the "Fever-Chart". For the severely shell-shocked he 
selected Jane Austen'.

Considering the effectiveness of Jane Austen in palliating Humberstall's 
psychological damage in 'The Janeites', I'm wondering whether Kipling 
might have known of Brett-Smith's advisory work. Any ideas?

George Simmers
-- 
George Simmers's research blog is at
http://greatwarfiction.wordpress.com