“TILL THE DOCTOR COMES”

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 171, 7 April 1923, Page 15

“TILL THE DOCTOR COMES”

BUSH NURSING STORY An interesting story of the Northern Territory, close to the remote Kimberley district of Western Australia, is given in the words of Sister Elsie King, of the Australian Inland Mission, who wrote from Pigeon Hole, Victoria River, on January 12: — “I do not know,” she stated, “if you read of the murder of two white men by blacks down on Sturt Creek. Last .October mounted troopers from Darwin, Katherine, Wave Hill, Hall’s Creek, and Newcastle Waters were sent out to capture the murderer “Banjo” ; this they did, and were returning to their various stations. While M.Cs. Hood and Henring were on their way to Katherine and Darwin, Mr. Hood (Darwin) was thrown from his horse ana sustained a broken leg. They were then 26 miles this side of Wave Hill, and 74 miles from Victoria River Downs.

“They sent back to Wave Hill for «i conveyance to bring the patient in to us at Victoria River. He was lying in the bush for two days before they could start; you can imagine the heat and pests, this time of the year would make things doubly uncomfortable. After two days’ travelling through the boggy soil and rough limestone country they reached here, but the pa- 1 tient was suffering so much pain that he could not be brought any further, so the other trooper rode into Victoria River Downs for one of us. “It was agreed that I should come on, so I packed up ready to start early in the morning, December 14. But during the night 247 points of rain fell, and the river could not be crossed for three days. Then, on Sunday, December 17, the horses were forced to swim, and I went across in a boat. We did 16 miles only the first day; it was; terribly hot, and then it rained so heavily that we had to camp that night at Gordon Creek. Next morning we made another start, but had to travel very slowly, for the roads Were so boggy and the creeks all bankers. “Anyway, we eventually arrived here at 8 p.m. I did get a welcome from my patient,, for his leg was so painful. Next morning I had to give him an anaesthetic before I could tell how much damage was done, and his leg was frightfully bruised and swollen. Both bones were broken, so I set the leg and put it in splints. It was three weeks last Tuesday since I set it, so. I took it down, nud it is setting beautifully and is quite straight. I feel very proud of it considering it had been broken 12 days before being Bet.

“In another fortnight we ought to be .able, to think *>f starting for Victoria River Downs—we will be riding in-—but may bo held up owing to weather The weather is very trying; so hot, with thunderstorms nearly every day, but the flies and mosquitoes, are the worst pests.” Sister King holds two nursing certificates, and had considerable experience before facing the wilderness, including a period with the A.I.F. Her colleague is Sister Gray, and shortly a nursing home will be completed for occupation at Victoria River Downs. The nurses arrived there only last year.