HOSPITAL LIFE IN EGYPT

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 18 June 1915, Page 2

HOSPITAL LIFE IN EGYPT

FX)BTITt*DE OF SOLDIERS.

> * Writing from Zeitun on May 5, a special correspondent of x)o» Auckland btar saysi— ' "

It has been my misfortune to nave to undergo "some little surgical attention, and J' have just come out of the miiicary hospital aj Abbasia, taken over by iNew Zealand trom tne JUgyptian army. There are a dozen oiher Jiospitals here in Cairo and at Alexandiia. Tne Heliopolis Palace Hotel, with its luxurious appointments and 500 bedrooms, is now a hospital, and there is anotiier military hospital established in tne Lunar i Jark seating rink. These hospitals are filled with English, Australian and New Zealand wounded, it tqay'be assumed that the hospitals are run, as far as possible, on the same lines. A little- account; of every-day life in one of the hospitals therefore* may not come amiss, although the writer, has not been there as a military "wounded."

Everything must be done through the "proper military channel," as it says in "the book," even going into hospital. It would be very wrong, for instance, for a. soldier to wander up to the hospital and ask to be taken in. He must first report to the camp medical officer, who fills in a complicated sheet with various details. The orderly corporal sums the sheet up as '"hospital," and arranges for one of the big motor ambulances to take the patiant to the hospital. '

BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION. I landed at Abbasia Hospital with various lnedical and surgical cases T each of us with his blankets, knife, fork, spoon, and 24 hours' rations:—without -which we don't go far away—as well as 6ther articles of kit. . The : Abbasia Hospital, however, is well equipped. ;4ftßT,-,tii<ff.-Ji:«i«iße doctor (a vsry English gentleman liniused "to the colonial) had examined me he remarked to yet another orderly corporal, "Surgical 4!" A hot bath came first, and then "yalla" (good-bye) to uniform,, blankets, knife, fork, spoon, 24 hours'' rations, and any piastres to be found on my person,. The orderly wha had taken; me overV-a little Lancashire lad—suggested that I should keep my piastres for "extras," which he would be willing to procure on the sly from, the canteen. This course commended itself jbo me, and, I fear, to the majority of patients. Needless to say, the authorities knew nothing of isfchis breach of hospital.rules. It is not at all unusual for soldiers to be quii» "broke." A singlet and a suit of blue cloth heavily lined with white flannel replaced our uniform. These suits are all made big to one size, so that the patient turns back his sleeves and his trousers up at the bottom to suit his stature. The effect of the whit£ cuffs on coats and trousers rather adds to the neat comfortable appearance of hospital dress. On returning to ward 4 I was allotted a bed and issued1 with a complete kit of hospital utensils to replace my own geur, which had gone to the pack store-

The sister in charge was an Australian ; indeed, I learned that the matron and all the nurses were from the Commonwealth. She got the same details about my unit, age, religion and disease, and then filled m a diet sheet. Mine read: Ordinary—Porridge, tea, vegetables, meat; evening meal, bread, butter and jam; supper, oranges (2).

LUCKY "CHICKEN" PATIENT. The patient soon learns that there are three diets—"ordinary." • 'chicken,5' and "milk." Chicken is the fare of convalescents. It means mor.s than chicken at dinner; fried eggs, fish and extra oranges- are also supplied. In fact, "chicken" is so much the best diet that one hesitates tn get well too quickly, to be rewarded by a reversion to "ordinary." "Milk" means just milk and beef _. tea. It is a very prevalent and much-disliked cliet. which, fortunately, abounds principally in the medical wards. By the way, it's an" odd sensation to sleep on a spring-mattress bed and between sheets. It takes a lot of getting used to-, and is really uncomfortable at first. I could hardly believe that I could be uncomfortable and 1 sleepless in a real bed, but learnt on enquiry that others had the same experience after hugging close to the hard ground at night over a period of nine or ten mouths. Operations are not regarded with anything of the respectful awe that we have been accustomed to heretofore in civil life. A soldier undergoes an operation without as much worry as he formerly gave to that serious'business of getting measured for a suit of clothes. The grounds about Abbasia Hospital are kept by soldiers of the Egyptian army. The flowers are beautiful all the year round, and just now the mulberry trees are heavily fruited with big pur-ple-black berries. From hospital it was found necessary to transfer many of us to convalescent camp to make room for wounded.' To meet this emergency and to ensure favorable conditions for the speedy recovery of those discharged earlier than under usual circumstances, Lady Godley established a convalescent, home in a large two-storey dwelling. In addition to the numerous'other cares she has taken upon herself, Lady Godley finds time to visit and supervise matters at the home. It is from this home that this letter is written.