The Washington times., 1914-10-26
WOUNDED DIE FOR
LACK OF ATTENTION
By WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD.

SENLIs. France, Oct. 10 (By mail to
New York).-One horror of war is the
life that is wasted for lack Of medical
attention. There are plenty of am
balances and doctors, but these cannot
reach wounded men who are lying in
the firing zone, and so suffering men
must wait as best they can without
passed on. In the meantime, blood
poison sets in, and the slightest wounds
become fatal.
One young English lieutenant who had
lain on the battlefield for two days with
slight wound in his leg was found
with the limb distended with gas. He
was taken to a hospital, and the leg
was cut off. but he died within two
days from the poison which had entered
his blood.
Another young English officer had the
upper Joint of his right middle finger
shot away. Two days later he reached
Paris, and went into a hospital, where
he died within a few days Of tetanus.
Antiseptic Thrown Away.
The French army officials try to force
soldiers to carry small walls Of antiseptic
with which they might wash a small
wound. but the men throw them away
as soon they get tired. and want to
lessen the weight of their packs.
A tired. superlatively dirty soldier
staggered into the little cafe in the
town Of Villers Cotteret. His senses
seemed stunned. He asked for drink
of hot coffee listlessly. Then, in excel
lent English he asked me for cigar
cite.
"Its a wonder I'm alive he said.
II never thought I would get back to
the world again. For seven days and
six nights | have been with my COM
pany in the bitches or in the woods. 1t
was terribly cold. when it rained we
could not make fires because Of the
enemy. We could only lie down on the
bare ground in our wet clothes and try
to sleep. The food automobiles couldn' t
find us for two days because we were
stationed in a forest. When We did
get food we were so hungry that we
an ate too much and everybody became
i'll, even our captain. was too sick
and weak to be happy when they came
out to the firing line two hours ago
and brought us back here to the vii
lage. We used to wish that we could
get into a fight so that we would either
be killed or wounded and have it over
with"
The little French soldier had been
an interpreter in a business house for
twelve years. and hadn't slept out OF
a decent bed or missed a regular meal
in all that time.
Only Rest Is In Hospital
I'm not used to such life, he
concluded, still talking in dazed and
unnatural way. but ] suppose I'll have
t. 20 ont there again with my -ompany
as soon as we get little rest. IF
could only keep warm and dry ] could
stand all the rest
He shivered and asked for another
bowl of hot coffee.
Just as he was reaching INTO his
pocket to get the money to settle his
bill he fell forward on the table in a
faint Red Cross crew carried hin
off to a hospital. where he could &c.
the rest he wanted. His face was
chalk white under his weeks growth Of
beard, but his long. delicate fingers
were dirty, with CRIME. under th5
nails. How he had stood so much hard
ship was a wonder, and vet in France
today there are thousands of this sort
who. if they do not die by bullets, vii
succumb to cold and hardship. It is
harder for such men to face a slow anC
inevitable death under conditions which
they cannot leave than to face the enc
in the form of shell fire. The few
of them who reach the hospitals arc
like the few lucky winners in Grand
lottery