New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-22
GIRL TELLS PLIGHT
OF WARS WOUNDED
Terrible to Contemplate
Conditions Now Near,
Says Miss Vail.
RED CROSS NEEDS
MUCH MORE HELP
Hospital Cots and Blankets ir
France Scarce and Much
Apparatus Is Wanted.

Great need among the poorer Nor
mandy and Brittany hospitals has come
10 light in a letter written from Lon
don by Miss Anna Vail. a member Of
the New York Chapter Of the American
Red Cross. As railroad transportation
naturally gives preference 70 troops
and supplies. there is often consider
able delay en- route for wounded SOL
diers and hospital materials.
Many who usually contribute liner
ally for relief work arc limited by the
moratorium. which is still in evidence.
: Even members OF wealthy French fsmi-
lies msy not draw more than $50 At a
time. Raw wool has scared to the price
Of 81 a kilo; for this smount-two and
one-dfth pounds--the cost in the United
States is 40 cents Germany has taken
all the great depots Of wool, cloth and
flannel at Courtrai. Lille. TOurcoing and
other points. Almost every building Of
any size has been requisitioned.
Used Towns Lace Curtains.
"All the women have helped day and
night, and at the beginning the ser
vices OF every one were accepted
writes Miss Vail. Some women have
become very expert in the handling Of
dressings and the care Of wounded and
! in hospital work generally, but when
diseases rather than wounds were
brought in the lack Of expert nursing
has been great. Many nurses have
gone from England and are still going.
/ They must he able 70 manufacture
! dressings where apparently none exist
| in the countryside. The lace curtains
I Of half town have been used BY one
enterprising woman.
F Computations in furnishing the nos
pitfalls have been very great, and cots
are getting scarce and blankets scarcer
Tetanus and gangrene have been the
worst enemies TO contend with. owing
to the fact that the north Of France has
been MANFRED and cultivated for cen
turtles. and even in leace times these
troubles are prevalent. All the serum
now available has TO be used at the
front. and lately some patients were
saved by serum obtained from London
X-ray apparatus is much needed every
where; also instruments, cnlOrOforn
and ether.
There are twenty-seven ambulance
trains in operation in this part OF
France At Limoges 500 wounded ar
rived one night and there were only
I three ambulsnces TO handle them
Many of the men were three days in
the train. | was advised that $4,000
wounded plus 100000 refugees had
PASSED through Limoges. At Havre
the authorities were told to prepare
for 1000 wounded at one time; s 600
arrived. Besides these there were
many German prisoners.
. breads TO Think of Future.
What the conditions will be in the
near future is terrible to contemplate
/ for I hear that tremendous supplies
( are being stored against coming
| events. A great batch of wounded
lately arrived at Boulogne en- route 10
England, and every day new British
I hospitals are being fitted out along
the coast Of Pas de Calais.
THE last of the forty-four cases OF
/ Panama zone gifts have been emptied
and the distribution finished 1t was
splendid shipment and filled many
needs, and the very grateful acknowl-
edgments from the recipients make
pleasant reading indeed. Among other
donations the fifty-six blankets are TO
be used for the new ward at Paignton.
/ This ward will be opened very shortly.
A. II