Christchurch Nurses' Experience in China

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XVI, Issue 3, 1 July 1927, Page 111

Christchurch Nurses' Experience in China

As the present state of China is a subject very much before the minds of the public, I thought readers of " Kai Tiaki " might be interested to know some of the experiences of two Christchurch nurses while in China. Nurses Bargrove and Brunt have spent the last three and a half years in Hangshow, China, as Missionary Nurses, in the largest Mission Hospital there, and their experiences have been full of interest. Last October both nurses developed typhoid fever, and were seriously ill for some weeks. In December it was decided by the medical staff of the hospital to get them away from Hangchow, so that they could recuperate in Hongkong. The following account of their journey to Hongkong is taken from letters written by Nurse Brunt. Hangchow, December 18th, 1926. We are living in thrilling times ! Two days ago, at 3 p.m., Dr. Thompson, Principal of the Hospital, came to us and asked if we could be ready to leave for Shanghai on the following day at 12.15. Well, this was very sudden, but when he explained that the Southern troops were making for Hangchow, and if we didn't beat a hasty retreat it would be too late, as the railway line would be cut, we quite understood. It wasn't long before kind and willing helpers were here getting our belongings into trunks. I didn't sleep much that night, my mind was too full, and when one is weak and a cripple one is inclined to make mountains out of mole-hills. The morning dawned cold, wet and dismal, but with the light of day and the thought of getting away from the confines of one's bedroom and seeing the world again, one's spirits rose. Finally, the last odds and ends were put into trunks, and the coolies came for them, and away they went ! We had an early tiffin, and at 11.45 a.m. we donned our hats, coats, etc., and waited to be carried downstairs. Suddenly came a bolt from the blue, in the form of one of the nursing staff who said, " The line is cut !" We

were too late. Then presently in came Dr. Thompson, who is the essence of resourcefulness. " Can you be ready at 1 p.m., we have arranged for you to go by another route?" Yes, of course we could be ready, and so we awaited events. This journey would be a very trying one, as one has to make so many changes ; still, we were prepared for anything. Good-byes were said and we thought we were really off, but not so! "You are blocked again !" came a report. The Northern troops were pouring into the city, and had commandeered every car. So the rest of that day passed, and we waited rather dubiously for the events of the coming day. At 10 a.m. the next day one of the staff appeared at my door and said, "You can set your heart at rest, you can't go." That was all, and I couldn't find out why for a long time. Then our good friend Dr. Thompson came and explained that as there were so many hundreds of soldiers about the city he felt it was unwise for us to remain where we were. That happened yesterday, December 17th, and now we don't know from day to day when we shall be ordered to leave. The Chinese are very frightened, and many left the city last week. All our medical students, save a few, went off some days ago. We were very much relieved, when after many meetings, the male nurses decided to " stand by their guns " and face it out, even though they had such fears, i.e., the Northerners are afraid of the Southeners. Shanghai, December 19th, 1926. You will be greatly surprised to see that I am writing from Shanghai. Well, just as I was finishing the last sentence, Dr. Thompson came in and said there was a gang of coolies repairing the cut in the railway line, and in all probability we should be able to get through that day ! Our boxes were still packed, so it just remained for us two invalids to sit and await orders, while our many friends bustled about making arrangements for getting us off as comfortably as possible. Thank God for friends !

We were carried to the hospital entrance, where a friend was waiting for us with his car. When we reached the men's hospital all my dear boys — nurses — were standing on the verandah to greet us. It was such a joy to see them again, and they came out to the entrance and stood round the car, smiling and talking to us. My heart went out to them when I realised the possible dangers they were facing by staying behind. Finally, we waved our farewells, secretly wondering whether this was not too good to be true, and soon reached the railway station. There was still a doubt whether the train would start, and so we sat in the car well wrapped up, for the weather was cold. Then we heard a bell which told us the train was coming. And what a rush and scramble there was ! I being helpless, had to be carried in a chair right on to the train. How good people are to helpless folk ! Even the coolies came forward to lend a hand. Miss Bargrove, though able to walk, was very weak, and she too had plenty of assistants. The railway platform was crowded with Chinese, men, women and children, and we afforded them much interest and probably amusement, too. We both breathed a sigh of relief when we were finally settled in the train. I might say we had two escorts, one a trained nurse, the other our faithful cook. The latter came with us in case of need, for we realised we were taking a risk in starting out in such unsettled times. We went along very nicely for several hours, and then the train suddenly stopped, and we were informed that every one was to be searched by officials who were looking for spies, etc. We really felt then that we were in China, and what was more, in the war zone. A Chinese official came into our compartment and asked us gruffly who we were, where we had come from, and where we were going. We showed him our cards, and answered his questions. He accepted our cards, and went away quite satisfied. We were held up for two hours at that station. All along the line we saw many soldiers. Oh ! the misery of it all ; they seemed to be living like animals, so dirty and unkempt. Many of them were carrying such vicious

looking spears, on long poles, and numbers of them looked so young — mere boys. We were told there would soon be fighting just outside Hangchow. I can't go into the details of that eventful journey, suffice it to say that instead of arriving in Shanghai at 7 p.m. that night, we arrived at 9.30 the next morning ! A night in a train when you are not expecting it, and under such circumstances is rather a thrill ! Hongkong, Boxing Day. Here I am, my second day at Hongkong. I must go back several days and tell you some of our experiences. We managed to get our goods together the afternoon of the day we arrived in Hongkong, and as the steamer sidled into the wharf, two pairs of eager and somewhat anxious eyes peered out through our porthole, looking for an escort for the remainder of the journey. Our two escorts, i.e., nurse and cook, had left us when we reached Shanghai. But we couldn't pick out any one of the few people waiting about, who looked likely friends of ours, so we just waited, feeling pretty exhausted after our packing. The journey from Shanghai to Hongkong takes two days by fast boat, so we were obliged to do some unpacking. Later on a letter came, marked " urgent." I tore it open and read that we could not be met, but were given instructions how to reach our destination. Well, we both sank back exhausted; we had already noted the many steep steps of the gangway, and wondered even with assistance, how we were going to get off the steamer, and here we were faced with what seemed a still more difficult proposition. We decided to consult our kind stewardess, who came to our assistance by calling the ship's agent, who proved to be a real friend to the poor waifs. He rang up the hospital to which we were going and arranged with them to have us taken up in an ambulance. In a very short time an ambulance stretcher was brought to our cabin, and I lay myself upon it, and was thus very gently taken off the boat, with Nurse Bargrove following slowly behind on foot. Fortunately for her she was not a cripple. We seemed to have gone quite a distance

when I felt myself being slid along, and realised I was being " packed " into the ambulance. Nurse Bargrove soon appeared, being supported by kind assistants. Then she got inside, the door was shut, and off we went, where to, we knew not ! Again it seemed a long way. While we were journeying along, a stretcher-bearer (Chinese) who stayed with us, began covering me over with a canvas arrangement. He had previously put up two brass curved bars. I wondered what was going to happen next. I thought I should suffocate, and pulled it all off. The man couldn't speak English, and I couldn't make him understand my Chinese, nor could I understand his dialect, so there we were ! I had to put up with my apparent discomforts. However, I found, when this covering was properly arranged, I could breath quite well, and I was thus hidden from the public gaze — the Chinese are very inquisitive. We had to cross over to Hongkong from Rowloon just a short distance. Presently the ambulance stopped, and I " slid " out, and was again borne along, this time hidden under the tarpaulin. I can imagine how many pairs of anxious eyes strained to see inside. I kept calling out to know if my companion in weakness was following, because I hadn't any idea where I was being taken. Then suddenly, plomp ; down I went, and my fellow-traveller came to my side and said we were waiting for the ferry boat, which came in a few minutes. Again I was lifted up on my stretcher and carried on to the ferry. Nurse Bargrove said my bearers would not allow anyone into the compartment

where we were, and later on one of them showed her a notice, which informed the travelling public that there was an ambulance case within, and would they kindly oblige by not entering what was the smoking saloon. I began to feel my importance as time went on. Soon this part of the journey was over, and again I was borne along and put into another ambulance which waited our arrival at this side. Nurse Bargrove also stepped in and lay down on a nice comfortable lounge, and in a few minutes we were off. It seemed such a long long way, we both wondered how we could possibly have managed all alone. We went up a very steep hill for a long distance and finally stopped, as it seemed, in the middle of a road. There seemed to be much talking outside, and we couldn't think what was going on. Then the door opened and I was taken out, and put on to an arrangement with wheels. It was quite dark, and being still under the tarpaulin I was perfectly bewildered, and frightfully stiff. However, I knew it was useless to complain, and still more useless to ask questions, for my bearers could not understand a word I said. Poor Nurse Bargrove wondered what was to happen to her, as she didn't know how far she might have to walk, but her trials came to an end, as a rickshaw came into view, so she stepped in, and away we went, we couldn't tell where. Finally Nurse Bargrove called to me that we had arrived, and I felt myself being lowered to the ground, the covering was removed and I saw several nurses who greeted us both warmly. So ended our eventful journey !