IN A WOMEN'S WAR HOSPITAL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 263, 10 December 1914, Page 4

IN A WOMEN'S WAR HOSPITAL.

BRITISH LADY DOCTORS AT WORK. We have already read something of the splendid work b.eing performed by women doctors at a war hospitalism Paris. Mrs Curnock, in the London "Daily Mail," fully describes operations in the following article:— . PARIS, Monday. In the city of hospitals the most remarkable is that of the Women's Hospital Corps in the Avenue des ChampsElysee, the first military hospital in the world to be entirely staffed and organised by women. I have just left this hospital, where I heard Lord Esher say to' Dr Garrett Anderson, after his visit of inspection, that no higher compliment could be paid to the efficiency and excellence than those paid by the wounded men themselves. Here, in fact, is - the crowning achievement and justification, if any be needed;"of Women's entry into- surgery.'The whole work of the hospital is done by women, with the exception of a few orderlies who work under the nurses as stretcher-beaa-ers, etc. Womeir doctors bring the wounded in cars from the field ambulances to the hospital, all the operations are performed" by women surgeons, the anajsthetists are women, also the dressers and nurses, and r a band of women orderlies completes the staff. And it must be understood that the cases 1 rought to this hospital have not been slight ones, those have beem - mostly sent farther on, but cases necessitating serious operations, amputations, and all the skill and knowledge possessed by accomplished surgeons. Famous men surgeons now in Paris cannot say enough in praise of the work of these devoted women. "Nearly all of the £2OOO for equipment Dr Flora Murray and I collected was subscribed by women, " Dr Garrett Anderson told me. *' Thus this is entirely a woman's hospital. We are working under the French Red Cross,

and it is through them that we obtained this beautiful building of Claridge's Hotel, most generously lent by the director for the -wounded. We brought our equipment here direct—fifty beds, a Jon of wool, half a ton of lint, drugs, linen, bedding, and an X-rays equipment being among the first of the items to be unpacked." To show the great need of the hospital from the moment it was installed is the fact that the staff and equipment arrived on Friday morning three weeks ago, and before they had scarcely begun to unpack the same afternoon the wounded from the Aisne and Soissons were brought in. And ever since a constant stream of our brave soldiers has been carried in, there seldom being any of the eighty beds vacant for many hours.

HEARTBREAKING CONDITION OF MEN.

All day and all night these seven wonderful women doctors are performing operations, visiting their patients, and giving all their strength and energy to the work and all the devotion of which a woman is capable. "The condition of the men when they come in all but breaks our Dr Anderson told me. ''Softie of them have been lying untended for so long, and of course the first dressing given in the field can be anything but clean. The nurses often have terrible tasks when taking off their clothes and washing them. On the whole there have been very few cases of gangrene, and the wounded get on very quickly in the lighter cases because of the general good state of their health. As soon as they are well enough they are moved on and sent home by the military officials. The greater number of the wounds are in the limbs and head, and there have been remarkably few body wounds."

And then a stretcher was carried past from the operating room. I was warned not "to let it worry me: he is coming to from an ana;sthetic—he'll leave off soon." But not even being a nurse I was quite pleased to go to see the X*-rays room, a beautifully white v tile-lined room perfectly equipped. The hotel most happily had several of these tilelined rooms. The wards are the great, airy saloons of the hotel, and look as comfortable as if they had been installed for as many years as they have weeks. Two of the smaller wards, each of seven beds, are for officers, and the larger wards are for the men. "HOMELIKE." There is a wonderful atmosphere of sympathy and home about the wards, and the men are not slow to respond to it. How plucky they are, too, and generally rather proud of their wounds, and even more proud of the wounds of the man in the next bed! And what boys many of them are! The baby of the hospital at present has a smashed thigh. Seventeen, and in the Coldstream Guards. "Been a-soldiering eighteen months, too," he said with pride. "I was a bit big, you see, and—well—just didn't tell me exact age 'cause I wanted to join the Army, and I ain't sorry that I did either. Him in the next bed's got the same as me; just come otit of his anaesthetic." Here was the man of the stretcher quite quiet and comfortable now, but with a half resentful feeling. "Came out of it in the middle of a picture theatre—quite spoiled it. Me and him are twins for .our wounds, I hear, but he's only a boy, while I'm twenty, South Wales Borderers, but my people come from Kerry. Think I'd like to send a bit of a letter if I can.'' Then after I had said good-bye: "If you please, in'am, what is to-day? Monday, is it reallv?"

The wards were full of flowers, and most of the men who could were smoking cigarettes. The Parisians have been so very generous with their gifts of all kinds that the staff have almost .felt inclined to cry "Enough!''! on some days. The men ar6 very anxious to tell of the excellence of the diet, which is very liberal, and there is : no lack of milk and eggs and fresh fruit and vegetables, and as soon as possible there are charming sitting rooms for convalescents and a separate sitting room for officers. THE BEAUTIFUL CHAPEL. But, alas! all do ;iot recover from the wounds, and there hare been some names to be added to th« roll of honour of those who have given their lives for our country. For these Las been arranged a beautiful and dignified mortuary chapel in a pillared hall. At the far end is the altar \yith cross and flowers, and in front of it Jthe bier draped with the English and French flags and surrounded by prie-Dieus. There are an English military chaplain, a French abbe, an Irish priest, and a Scotch minister to visit the men and take the services. It will be consolation to those left at home to know that the funerals of those who die in hospital are carried out as would be wished by their own people. The staff of the hospital attend the services, and the French military authorities send a firing picket, and in the case of an officer a double jacket, the French people send masses of flowers, and with the director of the hotel many French and English follow to the Pantin Cemetery. The doctor who has attended the patient always writes home about every man who is seriously ill or who dies a sympathetic letter with all* the particulars she may give.

There seems to be no detail in the professional skill or womanly sympathy in this hospital that seems lacking, and not only the women but the men of England should be proud of these doctors. Nothing is wanted, in fact, but cash for the running expenses for the cars to bring the wounded to the hospital. An American man visiting the hospital the other day astonished a wounded man by saying: "And-do you mean to tell me that there are no men doctors in the hospital 1 ?" The soldier looked at him with pity and asked in his turn: "And what should we be wanting them for?"