Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-30
AN INTERESTING Letter FROM
DR.. F. A. DESjARD|NS, WITH THE
AMERICAN AMBULANCE IN PARIS

DcTOy, Oh new 1OTk, mas Oeen mere since
October, but will leave for home this
week. DR.. Grille Of Cleveland is coming
over shortly, with his own assistants,
and will have an opportunity Of watch
ing his work.
TIE nursing staff consists OF about 80
trained nurses, mostly American or Eng
lish. but coming from every corner of
the globe. and over a hundred auxiliar-
les, being ladies who are not graduate
| nurses. but whose services can be util-
lied in many ways to assist the nurses.
prepare dressings, and a thousand other
things. Many fine women. American,
English, French, Swiss and Dutch, have
thus offered their services and many
of them are doing splendid work
Among them are many whose names
are very prominent in America orr in
Europe. Mrs. Desjardins has been given
| charge Of the operating room for minor
surgery and she enjoys 1t immensely.
She has to see that the room is always
ready for an operation; all tae supplies
on hand, etc. When an operation is to
be done she is replaced by the operating
nurse. who looks after the preparation
Of instruments. and other details of that
particular operation.
Then We have a corps Of orderlies, who
look after the hard work of the wards:
handling patients, carrying bed-pans,
showing visitors, etc. These are all vol
unteer workers also. The majority of
them are men who. in ordinary life, oc-
cupy important positions in business or
in society. The chief orderly is a very
famous American artist. One orderly is
Russian count. Many are painters of
prominence.
1t Is the most surprising group of men
one could find. To think that a count.
or a famous painter would volunteer to
act az day or night orderly in a hos
pital, carry bed-pans, etc, is an unique
experience. You would hardly think
such thing possible. And yet, there
they are. and they make no bones about
it. That is typical illustration of the
difference between the American at
home and the French man or the Eng
lishman or the American who has lived
some years in Europe. The whole spirit
is different l should like to analyzc
this difference between European and
American point Of view, but it would
take time which I prefer to give to
give to something that will be more i'm
mediately interesting to you.
The nurses are just as interesting a
group in their way as the orderlies are
in theirs. My day nurse is an English
woman, who nursed Lord Roberts in
South Africa during the Boer War. Ny
night nurse was born on the French
island of Martinique, but took her course
in nursing in New York hospitals. One
Of my auxiliaries is a prominent French
woman-a splendid woman.
Another of my auxiliaries is one of the
famous Misses Deacon of Boston. She is
one of many who have no particular
sympathy for the wounded, but who are
here to satisfy a morbid curiosity, and
to be able to write to their friends that
they are doing wonderful work in helping
to care for the wounded. All those poor
creatures want is a little excitement in
new form, and this happens to satisfy
the craving for the moment.
The equipment is most complete and
up-to-date. There is even a chapel,
tant are conducted. The Catholic altar
is at one end, and the Protestant stand
at the other. For the mass the seats are
turned to face the altar; and for the
Protestant services. the chairs are
turned the other way-a most convenient
arrangement CD.
The X-ray work done here by DR.. jan
geas, who is our regular radiologist at
the hospital, is very fine.
We have a powerful magnet for the ex-
traction of bullets and pieces OF shell.
All sterile water is prepared by the ultra
violet ray method-one apparatus being
provided on each floor.
Dr. du Bouchet and DR.. Blake are Won
derful surgeons. You ought to see Blake
amputate the thigh with neither tourni-
quet nor manual compression of the fem
oral. He just cuts and picks up his YES