The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-21

refugees into northern France has led
to terrible condition there. Mrs.
Harry Floyd, wife of a widely known
English artist, who has returned here
temporarily from service in French
hospitals, declares. Suspension of in
dustries and the difficulty in obtain
ing supplies from abroad has made
the problem of sustaining life a seri-
Gus one, she says.
Hotels and other buildings have
been taken by the government for
hospitals in all the towns and villages
of northern France and adequate fur
niture has been provided for most of
these" said Mrs. Floyd. But the
crying need is surgical instruments
anaesthetics, antiseptics and all sorts
of hospital supplies and clothing for
invalids brought from the battlefield
wearing only the tatters of uniforms
"At Limoges, which is not large
place, 10000 wounded and 40, ooO
refugees arrived in single day IN
October In many of the government
hospitals it has been necessary to put
the beds so close together there is not
even IL passageway between them and
the patients must be moved over each
other At Ameins, Calais and other
towns near the fighting line cOndltlOns
are much the same.
"I was at Houlgate for many weeks
assisting there in hospital which ac-
commodated $50 patients. We ex-
hausted our antiseptics. At times we
were without ether. I even saw nurses
rewashing old dressings because there
were no new bandageS to use on
wounds. All the anti-tetanic serum
was exha austed and it is not possible to
obtain more in France as its manu-
facture has been exhausted. Great
Britain has forbidden the expectation
of this serum as it requires all it manu-
factLres and the United States is the
only sources from which we can now
obtain it for. use in French hospitals.
much. of the territory over which the
troops are now fighting has been
heavily manured for centuries. Con-
seuentIy all wounds instantly become
infected and tetanus is very general
1T has been necessary at times to
operate without ether because it could
not be had. Peroxide of hydrogen is
seldom obtainable. Alcohol of 95 de-
gree strength. SO indispensable in the
emergency hospitals, cannot be had.
The surgeons and nurses do the best
they can without supplies, but i'm
mediate assistance is necessary if the
lives of patients are to be saved in
many of the hospitals. 1t is impossi-
treatment because of lack of help
and lack of supplies. Special nurses
cannot be provided for fever patients.
They are not available. Often one
nurse will care for scores of patients
both day and night. She must sleep
occasionally. She has no time to
bathe the fever sufferers, even if she
had the necessary equipment. 1t is
not uncommon for fever patients to
wander about at night in their de-
lirium. What chance have they to
recover under such conditions?
''Dr Haden Guest has established
number of Anglo-French hospitals.
The American ambulance has done
wonderful work and the French gov
erament is making every effort within
its power to meet the extraordinary
eme rgency. but it must have assist
ance. More surgeons, more nurses
and more supplies are required i'm
mediately il the lives of thousands of
wounded are to be saved The situa-
ton is growing worse all the time be-
cause OF the spread of typhoid among
troops that have not been innOculated
against the disease. Men who develop
the disease under present conditions
are practically doomed to death"