The Detroit times., 1914-11-18

Christmas time tnrOuBnOut tnt Woiiu.
BY parcel post a vast quantity OF
absorbent cotton can be sent TO VI
emma IL American citizens viii take
upon themselves the personal respon-
sibility OF each buying and mailing.
at parcel post rates. a small box OF
cotton. III the package Is addressed
TO the Red Cross. Vienna. and marked
waite fur die Kerwundete," (cotton
for the wounded), Il will reach the
hospital within three weeks from the
time IL is posted In America. IL
should easily reach here before Christ
mas.
I have ascertained the exact situa-
ton In regard to the supply OF cot
ton In hospitals. There Is none. Even
the supply OF hospital gauze Is giving
out. Nurses are using only two-inch
squares OF gauze for cleaning pur-
poses. instead OF the regulation gauze
OF handkerchief size. More gauze.
Il Is believed, can be manufactured
In Austria. But cotton for hospitals
must he supplied from the outside
world
Wounded men. with bed-sores. suf-
fer exduisitely for lack Of soft cot
ton dressing Head wounds, where
portions OF the skull are broken away.
cannot be safely dressed with any
thing but softest cotton.
In the operating rooms OF the great
hospitals In this city, which contain
some OF the greatest and most IA
nous surgeons in the world. the skill
OF the life-savers Is often set aside
and their hands palsied FOR lack or
cotton dressing.
Nurses tell me the most distress
ing stories OF being forced TO use the
clumsy and harsh bags OF rawlings
on wounds where the most delicate
nerves are exposed. A bag Of ravel-
ings, dipped In benzine, Is the means
by which the first washing is given
10 all wounds except the most delicate
and dangerous.
Mrs. Frederick Penfield. the wife
OF the American ambassador, has TAX
en- up the work in the very small
American colony, OF starting ''ravel-
ing parties" Mrs. Hamilton Kruger.
an American artist. Is also engaged
in this work. In the cafes and res
taurants, men and women "ravel;"
in the street cars and stores no hands
are idle.
The American government. for ON.
cial reasons. may not be able to send
cotton to Austria, but private Amert
can citizens may act with the Red
Cross, In the name of humanity. and
help by making their shipments by
parcel post.
Two weeks ago. 900 men. all ter
ribly wounded by shrapnel, were
brought into the station at Vienna
They had travelled rs hours from the
In Galicia, near Lemberg.
There aren't enough nurses In vi
emma. Many have been working "a
hours a day. One gtri has-G ward
Of Is Of the worst wounded. She Is
always alone with them. In her ward,
within the past Eve weeks. q dozen
men have died during the night, when
shea former society girl-was the
only person present TO ease their last
hours.
I'm getting used TO the death rat.
tle." she told me today. at wouldn't
be so terrible IL we had soft dressing
Tor the wounds"
NEW YORK. Nov. 1s.--The bureau
of foreign mails at the local postofice
explained today that parcel post pack.
ages from Austria win be accepted at
any once In the United States. The
parcel post rate from anywhere In the
United States Is IL cents per pound.
or fraction thereon. II a parcel weighs
one pound and one-eighth OF an ounce,
for instance. Il will cost "a cents.
Postage must be prepaid. The great
est length OF parcels must not exceed
three feet six inches; the greatest
length and girth combined must not
exceed six feet. Parcels are limited
to IL pounds. or less. Senders may
register parcels by paying a fee of 10
cents additional TO the regular charge.
Packages sent flrst-class will be Civ.
en- preference. The rate Is Ave cents
for the first ounce and three cents for
each additional ounce.
Medicated, or absorbent, cotton,
may be purchased at any drug store
and some department or general
stores I'm six standard sixes-one-half
ornce; one ounce; two ounces; four
ounces; eight ounces. and Is ounces.
The average prices. respectively, are
five cents; 10 cents: IL cents; IS
cents; % cents, and 40 cents. Prices
are generally higher at the present
time because of the long stagnation OF
the cotton market