El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-26
NO ETHER FOR
OPERATIONS IN
THE HOSPITALS
Typhoid General and Death
Almost Certain Among
French Troops.
NURSES TOO FEW;
HAVE NO SUPPLIES

r ONDON, Eng, Dec. 26.-The throw
ing Of 100000 wounded French
- soldiers and thousands of Bel
gian and French refugees into north
ern France has led to a terrible con-
dition there. Mrs. Harry Floyd. wife
OF a widely known English artist, who
has returned here temporarily from
service in French hospitals, declares.
Suspension OF industries and the diff
Guilty in obtaining 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 hos
pitfalls in all the towns and villages
of northern France and adequate tur-
nitUre has been provided for most OF
these said Mrs. Floyd. But the cry
ing 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
Fifty Thousand in One Day.
AT Limoges which is not large
place, 10000 wounded and 10000 refu-
gees arrived in a single day in Octo-
Der. In many of the government hos
pitfalls it has been necessary to put
the beds so close together there is not
even passageway between them, and
the patients must be moved over each
other. At Amiens, Calais and other
towns near the fighting line conditions
are much the same.
Il was at Houlgate for many weeks
assisting there in a hospital which ac-
commOdated $50 patients. We exhaust
ed our antiseptics. At times we were
without ether. I even saw nurses re-
washing old dressings because there
were no new bandages to use on
wounds. All the anti-tetanic serum
was exhausted. Great Britain has for
hidden the expectation of this serum,
as it requires all it manufactures, and
the United States is the only source
from which we can now obtain it for
use in French hospitals. This serum
is especially necessary as much of the
territory over which the troops are
now fighting has been heavily ma
nured for centuries. Consequently all
wounds instantly become infected and
tetanus is very general.
No Supplies for Hospitals
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 imme-
date necessity is necessary IL the lives
of patients are to be saved in many
VI the hospitals
1t is impossible to give typhoid pa
tents proper treatment because of lack
of help and lack of supplies. Special
nurses cannot be rovided for fever pa
tients. They are not available. Often
one nurse will care for scores of pa
tients both day and night She must
sleep occasionally. She has no time
to battle the fever sufferers, even if
she had the necessary equipment It
is not uncommon for fever patients
t. wander about at night in their de-
lirium.
Typhoid General, Death Certain.
DR.. Haden Guest has established a
number of Anglo-French hospitals The
American ambulance has done Won
derful work and the French govern
ment is making every effort within its
power to meet the extraordinary emer-,
gency, but it must have assistance.
More surgeons, more nurses and more
supplies are required Immediately If
the lives of thousands of wounded are
TO be saved. The situation is growing
worse all the time because Of the
spread of typhoid among troops that
have not been inoculated against the
disease. Men who deevlop the disease
under present conditions are practical
~ doomed to death"
Mrs. tloyd is an organizer Of the
French Wounded S. O. S. society for
the special purpose of affsrding imme-
date relief in government hospitals
where additional help and supplies are
required. Mrs T. r. Swinburne, wife
OF Maj Swinburne % Eaton place, Lon