Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-11-21
DR.. SPILMAN
TELLS OF CAMP
|OTTUMWA PHYSICIAN IN MER-
CEDES, TEXAS, WRITES PAR
ENTS OF HIS WORK.

A letter from DR.. Harold A. Spill.
man, who is doing hospital duty on
the Mexican border, written recently
, to his parents, DR.. and Mrs. S. A.
Spilman, 1875 East Maple avenue, is
given below, and is an interesting
resume of his work in the south. A
clever pen drawing of their home in
Mercedes, and another Of the lay OF
land in the center of town activities,
accompany the letter and give very
clear idea Of the meagerness OF com.
forts in camp, and the location of the
hospital. Excerpts from the letter
follow:
Mercedes, Tex. Nov. 3, 1916.
Dear Father and Mother:
Enjoyed your letters from Phila-
delphia and Ottumwa - also the
papers you sent. I don't know whether
can answer all the questions you
asked or not but will try to remem-
Der them.
have surely been kept busy, fire.
quently having charge of one full ward
in addition to my own, which means
sixty-four patients. I will probably
turn my ward over to some one else
for time this next week as I have
been appointed camp recruiting officer
for the regulars and there will be 800
or 1000 men who will apply for dis
charge from their respective militia
organizations to enlist in the regular
army. am to have my own office and
sergeant first class and private
first class to attend to the clerical
work
The order permitting men to be
transferred to the regular army went
into effect November 1 and I expect
to start on the work Monday. l don't
know Just how rapidly they will start
in but understand that there are
twenty or thirty already on the wait
ing list on file in the camp adjutant's
office, which means about one and a
half or two days work for me.
We are getting along fine down here,
have two army cots, one camp chair,
one old rocker (nearly defuncD, a
pine table made by the carpenter, one
bench to match land will have one
more). a work table and shelves
(kitchen), and a refrigerator. Also
closet space two feet by about five and
a few shelves in it. Our plan is prov
ing quite popular = there is one other
nearing completion just to- the north
of us. and several others three
think, already rented (yet TO be
started). l go out every morning at
z o'clock in the ambulance, which
comes in for the nurses and comes
back in the evening at about o'clock,
except when I am officer of the day.
/ like the work very much and feel
that I am benefitting by it.
am having one of the laboratory
assistants collect some good stained
malarial slides which will send you.
While the locality leaves much to be
desired. really am better satisfied
with the type of work l am doing than
I ever have been. OF course it is very
similar to a large hospital practice In
civil life except that | have a lot of
paper work to do in addition to the
end of 1t.
We are very happy here and meet
quite a number of charming people,
but would certainly like to see you all
l will try to get time to
write a sort of combination paper and
letter some time this winter, but have
too much on hand just at present to
be able to get away with 1t salts.
factorily.
I'm too sleepy to write more. Love
to all.
Harold A. Spilman