WOMAN'S WORLD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3109, 13 June 1917, Page 3

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Continued from page 2.) HOSPITAL WORK AMONG THE SERBIANS WHAT THE' WOMEN ARE DOING. The medical officer in charge of tho Ninth General Hospital at Salonika, a huge institution with a, staff of over thirty doctors, is Lieutenant-Colonel Withers, JI.A.M.C., a brother of Dr. T. J. Withers, of Southbridge, and uncle of Major B, L. Withers, B.A.M.C, who saw service with tho Canterbury Mounted Rifles in Egypt for some time, and is now in France. Dr. Wifhere and members of his family correspond regularly with Lieufenant-Coloriel Withers, who has been nt Salonika for about eighteen months. In the course of his last letter

(states the Christchuaxsh "Press") Colonel Withers gives much interesting information relative to hospital work and other "matters. Ho makes reference to two New Zealand lady doctors who aro attached to tho Serbian army, ono of whom is Dr. Jessio Scott, daughter of Mrs. D. Scott, sen., of Brookdale. In tho course of his letter Colonel Withers says:—

''There has been a great strain on tho nursing strength of tho nation, in fact, it has been unequal to it, and what are culled Y.A.D.'s—ladies who have been I no or three months in a hospital—hare been taken on. I have twenty-five of them on my staff of nurses now, and other hospitals hero ore in about the same position. In this hospital there are about ninety nurses, and work for them is nfc present rattier slack, but of course later on. when malaria, and dysentery are prevalent.' there will be plenty (o "do. But that is usually the way in the army, one time, lots of work, scvero work in fact, then tho reaction of slackness of work. "There aro several hospitals out hero

'run. entirely by ladies. TJiey nro called the Scottish. Women's Ho-imtals. Tiiey have lady doctors, nursinjj siatura, and all the ordorliea arc ladies, who <lo all I tho ordinary ami menial work. It is us- ; touishiiis what these girls do, uud one 16 lost in adlniratiou bt them. I am well acquainted with one of tho hospitals, which is wider canvas :ind is equipped for two hundred beds, and is now uuou tho Serbian frontier. "They aro not under J tho British, but under the Serbians, and treat Serbain sick and wounded. Dr. Bennett (a lady doctor) is the commandant, and is from New Zealand." Another of tho lady doctors was a Dr. ticott, also from Now Zealand, but was practising in England. Several of tho orderlies are from tho North of Ireland, and one I know is tho daughter °t l >r °- i'essor Dick, of Derrv. "I visited this hospital during a short holiday I got after an attack of malaria, it was interesting to see everything mniia"cd by women, and as tho hospital was •near tho Serbian fighting forces, fhey were doing immense work umongat tho wounded. I was in the operating: theatre for several inorning3, and tho lady doctors, especially Dr. Scott, showed great ability as surgeons. There is another Scottish Women's Branch Hospital in Salonika itself, and they treat French eick and wounded. Its commandant is Dr. M'llroy, -from Bally Castle, County Antrim, Ireland, who was formerly in practice in Glasgow. Another branch is in Corsica. I tell you it is splendid to see women ™rkiu.s m this way, and doing things Which, tucy must never have dreamt of before. "The ladies have very interesting tales to tell of wliat work they did and how they managed the, Serbian sick and wounded officers and men, what tients they were, and how respectful they wire to wmumWnd. All their motor ambulances ato driven by women ehauffeiiTS, in that wild country of fearful roads, or no roads at oil. These prls have lived all winter in ton*. ™th snow on the ground outside, and no fires "oves inside oven. Those I saw looked extremely well and "<»'«»•. «»¥ is more, all tho women orderlies ttoiL without pay, but the doctors sisters receive pay. Their rations are the ordinary Serbian rations served to the Serbian soldiers: nothing very great 1 can 101 l von, but still ono can thrjvo on m plainness. There aro no luxuries at all.