Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-12-21
WOUNDED
CONCENTRATED IN
NORTHERN FRANCE
The Throwing Of Thousands Of French Sol
diers and Thousands of Refugees Into
Section OF France Has Brought About
Terrible Conditions.
SC, 900 WOUNDED AND REFUGEES
FLOOD SMALL CITY I'M ONE DAY
In Many Hospitals BEDS Are Placed SO
Close Together Even PasSageways for
Single Persons Are Moi Possible-Medi-
cines Are Un0btainahie.

ibN A~>b'llifu ITfNN
London December u. the throwing
of .uu.OOn wounded French soldiers and
thousands 81 Belgian and French rcfu
gees into northern France has lcl 10 4
terrible condition there. Mrs. Harry
Floyd. VIE Of 4 widely known English
artist. who has returned here temporarily
from service in French hospitals. lie
rlarc>. Suspension AZ ind ~I>trir> and the
difficulty IN obtaining supplies from
abroad has made The problem ~ sustain
ing life 4 serious one, she SAYS.
Hotels and other buildings have been
taken IN the government fur hospitals i'm
all the tuwn~ and villages Of northern
Frame. aud adequate furniture has been
pro, idcd iur Most ~ these" said Mrs.
Floyd. But the CRYING need il surgical
instruments. ancSthntic>. antiScpticS AMI
an sorts Of hospital supplies aud clothing
for invalid> brought from the battlefield
Wearing only the tattrr> Of uniforms
al Images which j. uDi a large place.
lo.Odo Wounded. AMI 90 m1 refugees ar
rived in 4 singh day IN October. In many
of the government hospitals il has been
necessary a. PIT the beds - close together
there H. not even a paSSagrwav between
them aud patients must he moved over
each other. Al AmicnS. Calais and other
towns near the fighting line conditions
are much the same.
Il WAS at lIoulgatc for MANY weeks as
>iSting there ia a hospital which accom-
modatcd iiO patients. We exhausted onr
anti>cptics. Al times wc were without
ether. | even saw nurses rewaShing old
dressings because there were no new
handacrS 10 use nn wounds. All the an
ti-tctanic serum was exhausted. and il
u NOT possible a. obtain more in Franc,
~ Is manufacture has been exhausted.
Great Britain has forbidden the exp0r-
tation If this serum as u requires all II
manufactures and the I nitrd States il
the only source from which We can now
.obtain il for use in French hospitals. This
serum H. especially necessary ~ much If
the TERRITORY over which the troops are
now fighting ha~ been heavily manurcd
for centuries. Consequently all wounds
instantly become infected and tetanuS IN
very general.
III has been necessary M lines Ia or
crate without ether because il could moi
hc had. Peroxide Of hydrogen i seldom
nhtaiuahlc. Alcohol nf ninety five lie
gree strength. 50 indispensable in the
emergency hospitals. cannot ~ had. The
surgeons and nurses do the best they can
without supplies hut immediate assist
once j. necessary ii the lives Of patients
are 10 IT, saved in many ~ the hospitals.
IL j. imnoSSihle f. give typhoid patients
proper treatment because ~ lack of help
and lack nf supplies. Special nurses can
not hc provided for fever patients. They
are not available Often one nurse will
go y. fns saaN.. nf nasf.nfG I.tb lax anI
night. She must sleep occasionally. She
has no time "a battle the fever sufferers.
even If She had the necessary equipment.
IL j. not uncommon for fever patients to
wander about ~ night in their dclirium.
What chance have they ~ recover under
such conditionSe
"nr. Hadrn tnr>i has established n
number uf Anglo French hospitals. The
American ambulance has dnne wonderful
work and the French government il
making every effort within it, power IL
meet the extraordinary emergency. hut il
must have assistance. More surgeons.
more nurses and more supplies are r..
quired Immediately if the lives of thouS-
aud> ~ wounded are IL ~ saved. The
situation il growing worse all the time
because " the spread NJ typhoid among
troops that have y been ~ianoculatcd
against the disease. Men who develop the
disease under present conditions are
practically doomed 10 death"
Mrs. Flovd l. NV organizer of the
French Wounded : o. : Society for the
special purpose ~ affording immediate r..
lief in government hospitals where al.
ditional help and supplies are required.
Mrs. T. Il ~Swinhurne. wife If Major
~>winhurnc. ~ Eaton Place London. West
n treasurer IT this organization.
Throughout northern France virtually
all homes have hccn Opened "a wounded
AMI refugees AMI the French peoplc are
giving everything they can for the wound
III and The sick. Rui even the wealthy
Irruchmcn are now without mnnrv. Many
estates have hnrn rninnl The great
hou>cS have been closed ana persons AZ
cn>tomcd a. luxury are living without
servants in small quarters. turning over
their income a. the homeless and the in
jurcd.