The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1914-12-18
MT. AIRY NURSE IN FRENCH HOS
PITAL.
Sends Weekly Letter HOme-insfitu-
tiCn in Which She is Located it at
Pau, France, Which Was Formerly
Large Country Estate.

Stationed in a French hospital at
Eau, in Southern France, IL MISS sgd
ney A. Lewis, of Mt. Airy, and sister
WI Frank IT. Lewis. In letters which
are received from her about once
week the only Red CoSs nurse from
this section Of the State comforting
the wounded in the European war
writes interestingly Of her work in the
hospital. To the. present time Miss
Lewis has seen no field hospital work,
but is seeing service in hospital,
which was formerly an old French es-
tate, but which had to give way to
relieve the sufferers OF the war.
In this improvised hospital at Pau
Miss Lewis is one of the from so to
100 nurses Here she sees wounded
soldiers Of all the warning nations
who are brought in from the front.
They are brought principally to Pau
on trains, and the majority of them
are 30 badly wounded that it il neces-
sary to carry them on stretchers.
The hospital at Pau Is known as a
base hospital, Of which there are
number.
In a letter recently received, Miss
Lewis states that one of the worst
] features Of the work is that practical
\ ly all the soldiers are so badly in
need OF baths. They have not had
4 bath since the outbreak Of the war,
she states, and for this reason the
soldiers are very dirty. From fighting
in the trenches, filled, in many in
stances, with mud and water, snow
and Ice, the soldiers are oftentlmes
| in a sorry looking condition when
they reach the hospital at Pau After
they have been given bath Miss
Lewis says marked improvement is
very often noticed in their condition.
I Miss Lewis has seen none Of the
actual warfare, except the injuries
sustained by the soldiers, who are
brought to the hospital. She Il some
distance from the battle lines, and It
requires only about two days for the
soldiers to be brought to the front
to the hospital This will give some
idea of how far the Pau base hospital
il from the fighting line. Most of the
wounded soldiers are brought in on
trains, and after two days ride from
the battle field are often in a bad con-
dition when they arrive.
In her letters Miss Lewis does not
mention anything about conditions in
Europe and does not say where the
German soldiers are held as prisoners
after they recover from their injuries
She states she has been accorded ev.
cry courtesy desired and has beer
nicely treated on all occasions. People
in France are very grateful to the
American nurses, who have come K
THE assistance OF the war sufferers
, she states, and their work is especial
,. lily appreciated. Very little il heard o
, conditions in Belgium as she is too
far from that country.
Miss Lewis does not expect to SCI
!, any field service in connection witt
, her hospital work. She says that she
, does not known when she will return
to her home. Miss Lewis is enlisted
, for a term of six months and wheI
this term expires she is at liberty Il
, return to her home. Her present en-
] listment expires in the early spring
7 and she could return to the United
States then IL she desired.
About the only time that Miss Lewis
has heard any Of the heavy firing dur
! ing the war was when she was travel
ing from England to France How
! ever, she did not see any actual fight
! ing. Upon leaving New York, from
which the American Red Cross nurses
sailed, the party went to England Sh,
said they were greeted in most gra
cious manner by the English people
who were grateful to receive the ser
vices of the American nurses durin,
the war. They were taken arount
and shown the sights during the tim,
they remained in England, but 1t wa
not long after their arrival until the,
were bound for hospital work at Pau
France, where she is now stationed.