Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-30

Dr. r. "a. beSJd. uiIfs, WIZ was IOILIcT-
ly municipal physician in Waterville and
medical director OF the tuberculosis san
itorium at Fairfield is now actively al
work in the American Ambulance in
Paris. Up until the outbreak Of the war
Dr. Desjardins was practising in Water
VILE. but his services were needed in
France so he hastened to Paris, where
ne became an attache Of the American
Military hospital He has seen a. great
deal of the actual results Of the war. and
the following letter recently received
from him by DIR. J. F. Hill of Waterville
is in itself very interesting were it not
for the additional fact that 1t Is from a
man so we'll known in Waterville:
Neully s-seine
JAN 6, 1915.
Dear Or. Hill
This afternoon l have few minutes
and 1 am glad to be able to write to you
at last. because, until now, I have had
time TO write very few letters. and have
been obliged to send post cards.
First | must acknowledge receipt OF
your welcome letter of Nov. 10Th. and
thank you for the kind thought. Pleas
ant as everything is here and enjoying
everything as 1 am, if you will believe
me, 1t is most agreeable to have letter
from q friend at home"
My work here is most interesting in It.
self and also in the exceptional oppor-
tunities afforded me to become acQuaint-
ed with, and watch the work of many of
the big men In medicine and surgery,
especially surgery.
We're it not for the war, my work
would be limited to the American Hospi-
tai proper, which is a little jewel OF. "A
hospital; but. as it is, besides my regular
work at the hospital proper (Which Is
not very heavy owing to the compare
lively small number of Americans re-
naming in Paris, l have to spend part
of each day at our military annex, or
the "Americn Ambulance" as it is called
here (al military hospitals are called
"Anlbuiauces"). have charge of one
Of the wards there. AS a matter Of fact
the Ambulance of the American Hospi-
tai far outshadows The hospital itself.
You in the States cannot have any idea
Of the tremendous size Of this institution,
which is acknowledged all over Europe
10 be the best of its kind. Almost every
day it is visited by some Of the most i'm
portant personages, both lay and rledi-
cal. In Europe; President Poincare Of
France; ex-Queen Amelia of Portugal
who holds a regular degree OF NJ. D.:
Sir Frederick Trcves Of England, a most
genial man; Prof. Vidal. the discoverer
Of the Vidal test: Prof. Metchnikoff, and
hundreds Of lights" of greater or
lesser magnitude. DR.. Alexis Carrel Of
the Rockefeller Institute was here re-
Gently. and l had the pleasure of show
ing him my ward, where DR.. Scarlet and
my self have been doing little work in
the bacteriology of gas bacillus infec-
ton which American newspapers have
riGiculously exaggerated and distorted
into the discovery of wonderful new
serumG).
The buildings form a group around a
central courtyard, with an administration
building in the center in front, with
two wings connecting it with the main
portion OF the building.
These buildings, occupying half a city
block, were designed for a Lycee (Which
corresponds to a High school at home,
but in August, they were turned over by
the government to the Committee of the
American Hospital, who proceeded to
convert these immense buildings, still
| unfinished and filled with all kinds of
carpenters rubbish, into a modern hos
pital with capacity of $50 beds, of
which 400 beds are now available, and
nearly every one is taken. The other
hundred are rapidly being placed in
readiness to receive patients. The staff
consists of a surgeon-in-chief, DIR. C..
w. duBouchet, surgeon to the American
hospital, who is an American, despite
his French name; an associate surgeon.
Dr.. Joseph Blake. of New York; five as
sistant resident surgeons; an oculist. DR..
Fl. w. Scarlet: rhinologist, biologist and
laryngologist, DR.. koenig; a Roentgeno-
loglst, DR.. Jangeas; three dentists. DR.