The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1914-12-23
KNIFE SOLDIERS
WITHOUT ETHER.
Terrible Conditions Result in
France From Shortage of
Medical Supplies.


London, Dec. 23.-The throwing OF
j0OOOO wounded French soldiers and
thousands Of Belgian ana French rcfu.
gees into northern France has led To
II terrible condition there. Mrs. Har.
ry Floyd, wife of widely known
English artist, who has returned here
temporarily from service IN French
hospitals, declares. Suspension of in
duSlrics aud the difficulty in obtain
ing supplies from abroad has made the
problem Of sustaining life serious
one she says,
Hotels and other buildings have
been taken by the government for
hospitals In all the towns and villages
Of northern France aud adequate fur
nlture has been provided for most
Of these said Mrs Floyd But the
crying need Is surgical instruments,
anacsthctics, antiscptics and all sorts
of hospital supplies aud clothing for
invallds brought from the battlefield
wearing only the tHttcrs of uniforms
Can't Take More Patients.
AT Limoges which is not u large
place 10000 wounded and 10000 ref
ugecs arrived In u single day in DC
tOber In many Of the government hos
pitfalls It has been necessary 10 put the
beds so close together there Is not
even pussugcway between them and
the patients must be- moved over each
other At AmcIns Calais and other
towns near the fighting line conditions
are much the same
II was ut lIuulntc for many weeks
assisting there In hospital which
accommodated ljO patients We cN
hnustcd our antiscptics At times we
were without ether. | even saw uurs
cs rcwuShing old dressings because
there were no new bnndages to use
on wounds. All the unti.tetanic serum
was exhausted and It Is not possible
10 obtain more In France as its manu-
fncturc has been exhausted Great
Britain has forbidden the expectation
Of this serum as II requires all 1t
manufactures aud the United States
IS the only source from which We
can now obtain 1t for use In French
hospitals This serum * especially nee.
cssnry as much Of the territory over
which the troops are now fighting
has been heavily maurcd for centuries
Consequently all wounds Instantly be
come infected and tetanus is very gen
cral
Supplies Lacking.
"It has been necessary NJ times TO
operate without ether because It
could not he had Peroxide NJ hydro
gen Is seldom obtainnhlc Alcohol Of
ninetyflye degree strength. so indis
pensable IN the emergency hospitals
cannot be- had The surgeons and
nurses do the best they san without
supplies, but immediate assistance Is
necessary II the lives Of patients are
to be saved In many of the hospitals
II II impossible tu give typhoid pa
tients proper treatment because NJ a
lack OF help and lack of supplies
Special nurses cannot be provided for
fever patients They are not available.
Often one nurse viii care Tor scores
Of patients both day and night. She
must sleep occasionally She has no
time TO hnthc the fever sufferers. even
II she had the necessary equipment.
II IN not uncommon for fever patients
to wander about at night In their de.
llrium. What chance ahye they to re
cover under such conditions?
"Dr lIadcn Guest has established
n number uf Anglo. French hospitals.
The American Ambulance has done
wonderful work and the French gov
crnment Is making every effort with
In its power 10 meet the extraordinary
emergency, but II must have assist.
nncc, More surgeons more nurses aud
more supplies mr." required immcdi
ntely II the lives uf the thousands Of
wounded are To be- saved. The sltma-
tion IL growing worse nll the time he.
cause " the spread NJ typhoid among
troops that have mot been mnoculated
AGAINST the disease Men who develop
the disease under present conditions
ARE practically dOumcd tO death"
French Giving All.
Mrs Floyd Is nm organizer NJ the
French Wounded IS - $. Society for
the special purposc or nrfordmg imme-
dlntc relief IN government hospitals
where additional helm and supplies nre
required Mrs y u Svmhuruc wife