A NURSE'S LETTER.
We have been permitted to make the following extracts from a letter received from Nurse Bes&ie Hay, dated Middleburg Military Hospital, September 13, by Mr T. W. Kempthorne, chairman of the Organising Committee : — I am still at the front, this being the advance hospital. It was originally a 100-bed hospital, but la&t week it was brought up to 500 beds. Then, of course, we got 12 more sisters and orderlies. We are equipped as well as many civil hospitals in large towns, and have every comfort possible for the patients. This is the fifth hospital to which I have been attached Since I came to South Africa, and I can honestly say .the same of them all. It is a thousand pities that there has been such a scandal about treatment in hospitals. It seems to me that a few busybodies and grumblers have worked all the mischief. Certainly at/ •the beginning of tlhat frightful epidemic in Bloernfoutein things might" 'Rave been a little better in some of the larger hospitals, but whatever was amiss was rectified as soon as possible. Who could have foreseen the crush there "was? I still have charge of the"" enteric division here. When we first came to South Africa I felt rather disappointed that we got so much medical and so little surgical work. At Johannesburg I had a very fair amount of surgical work. I have come to the conclusion that I would much rather have medical work. There is so jiuch more to be done for the enteric patients. Ido not think we fullj realised what enteric was till we came out here. I have only had an average of one death per week since I came to Middleburg, and I think that the bad cases are leally worse than those we had in Bloemfontein. Nearly every enteric patient also has pneumonia very badly. Lord Roberts and staff visited my wards yesterday, and pronounced everything very clean, comfortable, and satisfactory. The days are getting very hot, while the nights are not so cold, and
we very seldom haVe any wird. Th*re are plenty of beautiful flowers to be had, and I am very fortunate in having a great many sent* me for my wards. My Tommies appreciates them when they se,e them being arranged. Some of 'them have a little story to telL aboufc " my missus," etc., end what they are going to do when they get "Aome again. The first, second, and third New Zealand contingents* were here with G-eneral jSfahon about a fortnight ago, and I hen a great day. Colonel Robin, Captain Bartlett, Sergeant Hazletx, and Trooper Palmer came and had lunch wiih me, and a large number of others called, most of whom I had never seen before, but I was none the less glad to see them. I have really been fortunate in coming ftcro3s so many of our boys. Major Burns (Dr Thomas Burns), who came out with the first contingent, is attached to this hospital, lie and I being the only two New Zealanders on this staff. It is very nice for me his being here. Several of our boys were left behind in hospital" when the others moved on, but none of them were really ill, only. knocked up. Mr Pilcher sent me up some of that New Zealand Government money for» their use, and it has prpved very useful. Lieutenant Seddon on me and had lunch a lew days ago. fie brought me some provisions from Mr Pilcher. The lieutenant was on his way tip to Lord Roberts. I can't tell you howgood Mr Pilcher has been to us all. When I anything I never hesitate to ask him to go shopping for nie. I had bad luck with my, foot-wear just before leaving Johannesburg. After hunting for some weeks for a cobbler I found one, and left him three pairs of shoes to mend. In the course of a few days I "went back for them, only to find that he liad been put over the border — shoes and .all. Things don't seem to be much nearer the end than they wore months ago. Everyone is praying for peace to be proclaimed. I am determined tostick to s it till the end. Now that I have escaped enteric so long and have been among it so much, there is' very little danger of my breaking) down. As I have said before, I would not have missed my experiences in S.A. for. worlds. The last I heard of the, other NewZealand sisters they were still in Bloemfontein, and well. * X
A NURSE'S LETTER.
Otago Witness, Issue 2433, 31 October 1900, Page 31
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