The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-06-21 00:00:00

THE SICK AND WOUNDED IN SOUTH

AFRICA.
(From Monday's Times.)

Au might be expected, there exists in England a
deep interest in the welfare of those of our soldiers
in South Africa who, either through sickness or
wounds, may be incapacitated from service in the
field, and who may require to be received into the
hospitals provided at the seat of war. This anxiety
has hown itself by various letters which have ap-
peared in the papers, and effect has been given to
these benevolent feelings by means of a committee
formed at Stafford•house for receiving subscriptions
to lee devoted to providing surgeons, women-nurses,
and medical camforte, to be sent to the seat of war,
Since the departure of the troops more than one
society have offered to the War Office such assistance
as they have been able to afford, Among these was
the National Aid Society, whieh, as might be expected
from the fact of its beieg the possessor of a consider-
able fund, eves the first to offer to provide necessaries
and co=forts beyond those officially sent out from
England. On examination, however, it was found that
a most careful and complete eelection of every possible
requisite for the UPS of the hospitals had already been
despatched, and in such quantities AS precluded the
poseibility of there being any deficiency in the hos-
pitals, even supposing the sick and wouaded should
exceed the nurehees ordinarily estimated for. A
sufficient number of medical officers is also in the
field, and the Director General of the Army Medical
Department at Whitehall has in his possession a list
of civil surgeons willing to take service uader Govern-
ment Amply sufficient for any emergence, several of
whom served under the National Aid society in the
Franco-German, Servian, and Tterco-Itussian wars,
Some of these gentlemen have already engaged them-
selves to the Government and have started for South
Africa. In these circumstances only a very small
part remains for volmatery societies to undertake, and
this fact has been pointed out by the Government,
who have, however, duly expressed their gratitude,
and have cordially accepted useistaree to be devoted
to objects which it is not customaryto provide for out
of Gevernvaent funds. The Nationel Aid Society has
had from the first an agent in Eilotth Africa, who is
also an officer of the Commissariat Department, and
whose experience in the Franco German War and
Russo-Turkish War gives him a full knowledge of
those things which are necoassere for the supply of
hospitals in the field. Reportf sent home by this
officer confirm the statements thlt the supplies which
have been forwarded from egland are amply
sufficient for all the requirements. From a consider-
able amount placed at this odcer's disposal he has
only thought it desirable to evend a sum of money
under £2OO in luxuries not issued from the medical
stores.

From the commencement )f the year a supply of
English newspapers and priodicals has been de-
spatched by each mail, and ties°, together with local
newspapers, have been diPtrbuted among the princi-
pal hospitals throughout the ixpeditionary force.
- - -

Four sisters suppled by thi Bishop of Bloemfontein
have been engaged by the piucipal medical officer to
nurse in the Military Hospibl at Ladysmith, and the
Government are now sendig out the Lady Superin-
tendent from Netley with sx nurses from that estab-
lishment.