Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-12
IDA GROVE GIRL RETURNS FROM
YEARS EXPERIENCE IN FIELD
HOSPITAL.
ATTACHED TO CHICAGO
MEDICAL UNIT IN FRANCE
Death Rate Is High, Twenty.six to
Twenty seven Per Week to Each
Thousand Patients suceumbins to
Wounds-HospitaIs consested Dur
ing Prosreso Of "Bjs Drives"

lua 6rOVe, July IL. - MISS Louise
Todd, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. David
Todd, OF this city, returned here a few
days ago from/a years service as a
nurse in the British field hospitals in
northern France. She was a member
Of the Chicago medical unit, compose
OF seventy five nurses and thirty five
doctors who volunteered a year ago to
serve under the British government
and are officially designated as isis
ters. OF the unit only one has been
lost by death, which was due to spinal
meningitis. They were treated as
members of the British military forces
and the members enlisted for period
OF three months each. Miss Todd thus
re-enlisted three times.
Miss Todd was stationed at Etaples
a French town close to the English
channel and thirty-f1ve miles back ~
the firing line. There were five main
hospitals there and training camp for
$4,000 to $4,000 soldiers The wounded
soldiers were brought directly from
/ the battle lines in ambulances and kept
for three weeks in these hospitals. II
they did not completely recover in that
time they. were sent back to England,
and If they did recover they were sent
to convalescent hospital or else to
join their brother soldiers.
Death Rate High.
The death rate averaged as high as
twenty-six and twenty seven per week
to each thousand patients. The
wounded came in at the rate of three
or four conveys per week, composed
of 300 to 400 men in each convoy. 1t
was thus necessary to discharge as
land or back to the lines.
When big drive, is in progress,
such as is now being made by the
British, the field hospitals are, con
gested. Miss Todd says that last fall
when the push was made against Loos
in September that as high as 600 or 700
patients were brought nightly to the
hospital, were bathed, had their wounds
dressed and were fed and then sent
Immediately on to England for dis
tribution among the hospitals. At that
time there were not mattresses enough
to go around and the men were placed
on the floor. (,
The nurses reside In canvas >huts,
cook with kerosene stoves and light
with candles. They had regular army
rations, consisting Of bully" beef from
Chicago three times a week, dried po-
tatoes, army bread and timed milk.
Many of the nurses paid an additional
45 francs a month for the privilege of
getting a fresh egg three times a week
and fresh vegetables as frequently as
possible, which was not very often.
Entertainment Of Nurses.
In the way of entertainment they
walked as high as eight and ten miles
day, visiting such places as Mon
treuil, the British Red Cross headquar-
tiers. 1t is highly interesting and his
torical city with a moat walls, castles
and dungeons.
The nurses were on duty in two
shifts from o'clock to O'clock, with
three hours off for recreation. The
nurses, or sisters, took turns on the
day and night shift. Miss Todd serving
twelve weeks on night duty in all. She
did not lose any time from her duties
during the year of service except four
days on account Of cold. The first
six months of service the Chicago unit
received SIS month wages, in addi-
ton to the charges made for mess and
laundry. At the end of that time 1t
was cut down to $14.50 per month.
Miss Todd says that the cost of liV-
ing today is higher in England than
in France, and it is especially high in
London. When she reached Scotland
she found food as cheap as-before war
times, and the appearance of things
give little indication Of a world con-
f1ict in nropraSa