Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-19
PRAISE FOR AMERICANS
BY SIR THOMAS Upton
Says miraculous" Is Only Word to
Apply to Their Work in
Serbia.
MAKING TYpHUs THING OF PAST
Magnificent Efforts Made Them
Loved by Everybody, From King
to Lowest Pcasant-Whole Nation
Being Washed and Scrubbed.

LONDON. July miraculous is
the only proper adjective to apply to
the work being done BY American doc
tors and nurses in Serbia" said Sir
Thomas Upton yesterday, after his
return from his second trip TO the Near
East with the hospital yacht Erin.
AS usual" continued Sir. Thomas.
the Americans excel in organization
and preventive measures. The French
and English units are doing good work
In the hospitals. but conduct of the
work Of sanitation. which is rapidly
making tvphus a thing of the past,
must 20 to the Americans whose mag
hihcent efforts have made them loved
by every Serbian from the King to tie
lowest peasant, all OF whom seem fully
10 appreciate tho efforts Of the Red
Cross in their behalf
When / was in Serbia on my first
trip" continued Sir Thomas, ct was
unsafe to travel In the country, which
was then so badly infected from YER
min 8 to make necessary the use of
antiseptics night and morning. But
on this trip no such precautions were
necessary, thanks to the sanitation re-
forms enforced b. Americans. The
hospitals are now as clean as anv
TO be found in Europe. while hotels
and dwellings are beginning 10 observe
sanitary regulations.
AT the height OF the epidemic there
were probably 30n, 900 cases of tynhus
but many typhus hospitals now have
been closed for lack of patients At
Ghevgheli. where Or. James +. Don
nelly. now Serbias national hero, died.
there were once 1.400 patients in the
American Hospital Now there are
only three suffering from the typhus.
AMERICANS WASHING
WHOLE SERBIAN NATION
AT Cskub l saw in operation the
machinery with which American doc
tors and sanitary experts are washing
the whole nation. Near the town. the
long railroad trains were standing
among tents. Near these tents were
men carrying clothes. Stopping at the
first train they deposited their clothes
IN car where they were Thoroughly
steriliZed. Then the owner proceeded
TO the bath car, where an attendant
placed him under high pressure water
pipes. When ne was completely
scrubbed, the next step was an inspec-
ton by an American doctor, after
which the bather received sterilized
clothing.
"Memb hers Of the Turkish popula,ion
which is large in this part OF Serbia,
protested vigorously against disrobing
for the bath, that such a procedure
violated their religious principles, but
without avail. for the American sail
tary commission has complete power
to enforce its regulations After the
army of men had been treated during
the day. the women and children were
given baths during the night
The next day / saw a whole reri
ment inocculatcd against cholera with
a speed and efficiency almost incredible
TO any one who does not understand
American methods. Cholera may come
again. but il is no longer feared.
In brief. it can be said that Amer
lean methods of prevention and cure
have saved Serbia from what threat
cned at one time 10 he the worst series
OF cpidemics ever suffered by modern
nations. The Who'll. TASK is in charge
OF DR.. Richard +. Strong. Of Harvard.
to whom TIE lions share of the credit
for the direction OF the great work
must be given"