Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-13
HORRORS or WAR
ARE BROUGHT OUT
IN HOSPITALS
Conditions in Eastern Theater
of War Much Worse Than
in France and Belgium
Suffering Is Intense.


Gleiwitz. Germany, Nov. 20 fhy
courier 60 Holland 1.-The hospitals
of Glciwitz and Cosel. filled mainly
with wounded from the battles be-
fore lvangorod and Warsaw. present
striking eontrasts to those farther
from tho front which are not SO un-
attractive
Here are gathered men who were
worn, haggurd and suffering long be-
fore they were wounded Many OF
them had moi removed their clothes
for four or five weeks. and had slept
in mud and filth. Water was scarce
and food scarcer. a larger number
lay on the fields for a day or two
after helng injured before receiving
medicals attention Followed then.
Journeys of n day or more IN jolting.
peasants carts and three or four days
nerve-rackine riding on railway
trains until the base hospitals finally
were reached.
These delays caused al least 30
per cent OF. the wounds to become in
feeted, making the problems of the
surgeons more difficult. Every effort
Is made In the American hospitals To
save as many limbs as possible re-
gardless Of the length Of time the pa
tienis must be kept 10 the correa-
pendent Of the Associated Press were
pointed cut several men who. the
surgeon said could have been dis
charged days before If amputation
had been resorted TO- Bun bone and
skin grating Is thought to be moro
humane, even THOUGH IL takes longer.
1t Is no reflection upon the Ger
man sanitary arrangements that the
wounded suffer MS they do. On the
western front conditions are better.
The wounded in France and Belgium
come back rapidly to comfortable
beds in field and base hospitals and
receive speedy treatment which heads
off infection. The wounded who are
expected today or tomorrow from
the battleflelds just across the RUS
sian frontier will be In far better
shape than their predecessors be-
cause they have been wounded but a
few miles from good German roads
and few hours from clean hospital
beds aud adequate medical care.
Only a few of the wounded viii
die Nearly all will recover eventual
ly, although recovery can not pro-
eeed, nor broken homes knit. until
suppuration ceases. Many of them
will spend Christmas in the hospitals.
Some can write postcards. read the
daily war bulletins, play checkers or
even shuttle about the wards and
corridors Almost ali can eat and the
dietary prescribed for these seriously
wounded soldiers would make many
an American physician gasp.
Dinner today comprised for each
patient two large slices Of meat. sew
eral large spoonsful of cooked sauer-
kraut. several potatoes and spoon
full of gravey. all served in large
bowl Each man gets a large loaf of
rye bread daily. which he keeps be-
side his bed to cut from whenever he
is so inclined. Food is served in one
form or another five times a day. Not
all the wounded, but most of them.
get this dietary. which was laid down
for the American surgeons by Ger
man experts familiar with the needs
of the German solder.
The Americans lave been most
welcome guests in Gleiwitz and Cosel
and their presence is appreciated not
only BY the medical and army autho-
rites, but by the civilian population.
At Gleiwitz the president of the dis
trict court. ON service with the
troops, turned over his villa and SER
wants to the American surgeons for
a residence. The nurses are quartered
at the hospital