INTERESTING MILITARY HOSPITAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3331, 16 January 1918, Page 24

INTERESTING MILITARY HOSPITAL.

SOME WONDERFUL OPERATIONS. (From Oub Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, December 26. One of tho biggest military hospitals in Australia to-day is that in use at (Jaulfield, near Melbourne. It is also, in some ways, the most interesting. It stands in/the midst of park-like grounds of 26 acres, and the surroundings are beautiful. There are 22 wards, each accommodating 40 patients—that is, there are 600 patients constantly receiving treatment here. The staff com-pi-ises 210 orderlies, 60 sisters and nurses, and 40 wardmaids. This hospital costs tho commonwealth between £l2O and £l5O per day to maintain. No fewer than 7500 soldiers have been admitted to this hospital in the last 12 months. Only 13 men have died In this institution since it was established in April, 1916 —and the average works out at 1 per 1000, -which ia less than the ordinary civilian death rate. This insignificant percentage becomes fill the more remarkable when it is remembered that 1100 major operations were performed at this hospital in 12 months, and some of them were very wonderful operations indeed. Quite a number of men have had ribs removed, and portions of this bone have been used to make good a jaw smashed or shot away by shell fire. Eaoh day one or more operations have to be performed. ' There are some patients who have visited the operating theatre half a dozen times —yet they always gO back with a cheerful grin. The surgeons frequently are given most difficult tasks, particularly in digging pieces of bullets and shrapnel from bodies" which have carried them for many months. The hospital now has a weighty collection of these delicate reminders of ths fact that there is a war on. There have been some wonderful cures. Men who have been carried ■ into the hospital, apparently hopeless wrecks, have left it again a few months later practically sound men. There are 200 soldiers in Victoria waiting for artificial ),imbs. Many such limibs have been made at the Caulfield Hospital, and under the supervision of Government experts and five- returned soldiers, all of whom themselves carry artificial limbs, have been trained in this work. _ Carpenters are at present building en artificial limbs factory in the hospital grounds. The authorities estimate that, once the leeway has been made up one factory in each State, each employing about 10 men, will be sufficient to meet requirements. Tho special departments at Caulfield Hospital comprise, for the most part, departments which may be seen In the military hospitals anywhere. Caulfield is rather proud, however, of its wards for the treatment of shell shock. Some of the cures which have been recorded there are almost miraculous. Scientific treatment, persistently, patiently, and intelligently _ applied, has achieved wonders in restoring: to something approaching normal health men who entering the institution, were mere bundles of twitching nerves and uncontrollable muscles.