CAPTURED BY ENEMY

Otago Witness, Issue 3231, 16 February 1916, Page 51

CAPTURED BY ENEMY

AUCKLAND LADY DOCTOR. REMAINED AT HER POST. DR JESSIE SCOTT'S ADVENTURES. The refugee English nurses from Serbia who reached London at the end of December, after a terrible journey across the 7000 ft mountains into Montenegro, bring word of the women doctors left behind; including two New Zealanders. Dr Jessie Scott, oi Auckland, is in Kruzevatz, presumably a prisoner in the hands of the Austrians. Dr Scott, it will bo remembered, recently left Auckland to join one of the Scottish Women's Hospital units, at Lazarevatz, where she was in charge of a small hospital near the railway station, an annexe to the main ho.pitaT. When the Austrians were within a few hours of the town these hospitals were evacuated, and doctors and nurses left by the last train for Kruzevatz. The last" train, for which the party waited 17 hours, was entirely composed of cattle-trucks, and into these half the little town was crammed for a most uncomfortable journey. After three miserable days they reached Kruzevatz to find at fast that there was no place where they could shelter. At last they were taken to a hospital where most of the party were crammed into a single room in which trey slept, lived, and did their cooking. The doctors worked at the hospital, treating over 500 cases in three weeks. At the era of thai time the women were advised to take the desperate journey to Montenegro, and, influenced very largely by the facx that food had become very scarce, most of them set out.. Several of the doctors, however, remained behind, among them Dr Els ; a Inglis, who is responsible for the establishment of all the Scottish Women's Hospitals, and Dr Jessie Scott decided to remain with her. Probably by this time they are caring for prisoners. Another of the Scottish Women's Units had gone forward with the British troops from Salonika, and afterwards accompamed their retreat. This was the unit of Dr Mary Blair, of Wellington. Previous to this advance she had reported that valuable work could be done by her party in or near Salonika until such time as they were able to proceed up country to join their respective units. The Serbian, authorities highly approved Dr Mary Blair's suggestion, and said the}' would hegrateful for such assistance as she and her helpers were able to give. The British Consul and the representatives of the' British Red Cross medical missions supported this course. The latest news received in London is that Dr Mary Blair has now gone to Ajaccio, in Corsica, where the French Government has established a colony for Serbian women and children refugees. Dr Blair is to have charge of the hospital.