DISEASE-STRICKEN SERVIA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144670, 3 May 1915, Page 4

DISEASE-STRICKEN SERVIA.

SIR T. LIPTON DESCRIBES TERRIBLE CONDITIONS. Sir Thomas Lipton. who converted his yacht Erin into a hospital ship and took out to Servia a stock of medical supplies, lias written n letter to Sir Robert Hudson, of the British Red Cross Society, depicting the ravages of disease in stricken Servia.

“It would ho impossible for nip to describe in this letter the terrible position that country is in with poverty and disease,'’ be writes; “the hospitals are full everywhere with typhus (not typhoid). Or. Ryan, who is in charge of the American unite, has same 2900 patients in bis care, and-he says that unless something is done at once to prevent the spread of typhus the country will lirse more than one-half of its population.” .Sir Thomas visited the American hospital at Cllievgholi, which is under the charge of Or. Donnelly. There were some 1400 patients, principally typhus. Many were lying without blankets or mattresses just in their ordinary clothes.

A dead man was lying amongst thorn. Tbo condition of the patients was terrible. Seven out of twelve of the American muses and three of the six doctors wore down with typhus. A tragic story is that, of the death of Or. Donnelly. A fine type of fho healthy man of forty, ho went to the station with two nurses to see Sir Thomas off. On the latter’s return to Ghevgheli, he looked for Dr. Donnelly, and learned that ho hud died the previous day from t.vuhus, and that the two nurses wore suffering from it. At Nish the conditions were had, disease, mainly typhus, being rampant. All the hospitals were full to overflowing. From Nish. Sir Thomas went to Belgrade, where he was nearly finished off with an Austrian shell. Typhus was also bad there. On returning from Belgrade, Sir 'Thomas I.ipton called at the Servian Army's headquarter,s at KragnuvevatJ!. There lie found typhus very bad. Mrs. Haiikin-Hardy. who has charge of the hospital, told him that she had over 6A patients, principally typhus, and that she had not one doctor or nurse to help her. Her solo assistants were Austrian prisoners, who acted as hospital orderlies. She was short of medicine. drugs, blankets, and sheets; in fart , everything necessary for her work. Sir Thomas says there is such a shortage of hospitals in Servia that it is impossible to isolate the typhus cases from the others. He concludes with an eloquent appeal for prompt aid.