SCOTTISH WOMEN'S HOSPITALS FOR WAR, SERVICE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17174, 29 November 1917, Page 6

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S HOSPITALS FOR WAR, SERVICE.

TO THE EDITOB

Sib, —May I, through the medium of your columns, make am appeal to the public of Dunedin on behalf of tho Scottish Women's Hospitals for War Service? These hospitals, which are staffed throughout by women, hold an unique place among tho many organisations formed for the alleviation of the anguish and horrors of warfare. They are responsible to-day for 400 beds at Royaumont (France), 300 in Salonika, 240 near Monastir, two field hospitals of 200 beds in Rumania, and they havo tho medical supervision of 2000 Ser-. bian refugees in Corsica. Their latest additions aro an orthopedic centre in Salonika and a hospital of 200 beds in the French firing line. Neither the typhus epidemics in Calais and Serbia daunted the courage of the Scottish Women's Hospitals Units; they took part in the historic Serbian, retreat of 1915; and in Romania, they have worked in tho firing , line, tending the wounded in the trenches and carrying- them to the field clearing stations.

Disease, danger, dirt, and death itself have ■ been endured by these women—surgeons, nurses, chauffeurs, orderlies, stretcher-bearers —in pursuance of their work of mercy. And as the world has learned of that work so the world has given. Canada and America have sent princely donations; Tasmania, Now Zealand (through the Pioneer Club, of Wellington), Hongkong, Hankow', and Monto Video havo sent gifts of money. Last year in India and Burma, by means of a lecturing tonr, I was able to cable home to the hospitals £25,000, and the Burma Relief Fund gave another £3000. Queensla-nd, by means of a similar tour, has just given £6000; and when the appeal I am making in Now South Wales is concluded I hope to go to Now Zealand, leaving Sydney on December 13. I expect to be in Dwnodin from 30th December to 2nd January, and as my time is limited by tho necessity of being in Sydney again by January 17, en route for India, I wonld ventoro to beg tho oublio of year city to givr> mo an opportunity c' addressing a meeting , on one of tho intervening days, and forming a committee who would deal with tho monetary results of an appeal in the district.

Gnitifrr honours, ami decorations havo been •given to the Scottish Women's Hiospitals by tho British Government and tho Governments of Franco and Serbia. But their true reward has bn<»n the sight of recovering soldiers, of little children learning to forget tho horrors of their flight from tho Austrians, and tho knowledge that eeeh man returned well and whole to the rarrks is helping to end the war. It is for tho continuanßo of this;noble work that t«»oy plead—.in<l they ploan with the assurance that New Eoaland -will join with every other portion of onr Emparo in sending generous support.—l am, etc., EtJZABJSTJJ AXSOTXi