The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-22
300, 900 FRENCH WOUNDED OFFER
 GRAVE PROBLEM
Authorities Overworked to Pre- vent Suffering in North
 ern France.

Correspondence of Associated Press. ) London, Dec 22.-The throwing of 500,eoo wounded French soldiers and ! thousands of Belgian and French ref ugees into northern France has led to a terrible condition there. Mrs. Harry Floyd, wife of a, widely known English artist, who has returne ed> 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- ous 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 Mrg. Floyd. But the cry ing need Is surgical instruments. anaesthet1cs axttsept1cs and all sorts of hogpa&al supplies and clothing for tnvalids aro1ght from the battlefield wearing only the tatters of uniforms.
 ssAt Limoges, which is not a large place, 10, 900 wounded and 40, 900 ref ugees arrived in . single day in Octo- ber. Tn many of the government hos pftals it has been necessary to put the beds so close together there is not even passaEeway between them and the patients must be moved over each other. At Ameins, Calais. and other towns near the fighting line condi- tions are much the same.
 ''I was at Houlgate for many weeks assisting there in a hospital which ac- connnodateds 450 patients. We ex- hausted our antiseptics. At times we were without ether. even saw nurses rewashing old dressings be- cause there were no new bandages to use on wounds. All the antf-tetanic serum was exhausted and it is not pos si ble to obtain. more in France as it's manufacture has been exhausted. Great Britain has forbidden the ex- portaticn of this serum as it requires all 1t nlanufactures and the United States is the only source from which we can now obtain 1t for use in French hospitals This serum is espe-| cially necessary as much of the terri tory oyer which the troops are now fighting has been heavily manured for centuries. ConSeQuentIy all wounds instantly become infected and tetanps is very general.
 'It has been necessary at times to operate without ether because it could not be had. Peroxide of hydro gen is seldom obtailable Alcohol of ninety-fiye degree strength, so indis- penssJ3le in the emergency hospitals cannot be- had. The surgeons and nurses do tl1e best they can without supplies but immediate assistance is necessary if the lives of patients are to be saved in many of the hospitals. Ite-is impossible to give typshoid pa tients proper treatmeat because of lack of help and lack Of supplies Spe- cial nurses cannot be provided for fever patients They are not aVaIl@ able. Often tone nurse will care for scores Of patients both day and night. She must sleep occasionally. She has no time to bath the fever sufferers, even if she had the necessary equip ment- s It is- not uncommon for fever patients to wander about at night in their deIirutn. What chance have they to recover under such condf- ttons?
 ttDr. Haden Guest has established a number of Anglo French hospitals. The American Ambulance has done wonderful work and the French gov ernnent is making every effort within it's power to meet the extraordinary emergency. but it must have assist Ance. More surgeons, more nurses and more supplies are required imme- diately if the lives of thousands tof wounded are to be sayed The situa- ton is growing worse all the time be- cause of the spread of typhoid among 1 troops that have not been inocu1atedt l against the disease. Men who develop 1 the disease under present conditions 1
 
 Mrs. Floyd is an organizer of the French Wounded s. O. s. Society for the special purpose of affording inn mediate relief in government hospi- tals where additional help and sup plies are required. Mrs. T. R. Swim | burne, wife of Major Swinburne, 23 i Eaton Place, London. West is treas | arer of this organization. r
 Throughout northern France yir- | tually all homes have been opened to wounded and refugees'and the French people are giving everything they can for the wounded and the sick But even the wealthy F'renchrnen are nowi without money. Many estates have been ruined. The great houses have been closed and persons accustomed to Iuxuory are living without servants nt small quarters, turning over their income to the homeless and the in iured.
 DUMB