The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-09-27
RED CROSS WORK
AT THE FRONT
Interesting Account Of the Conditions
In France Under Which the Red
Cross Work.

Cross Work.
A letter from Miss Carrie Hall
head of the nurses Of Base Hospital
No. 5, the Peter Bent Brigham Hos
pital Unit, which is now somewhere in
France as General Hospital No. IL,
has just been received by the New
England Division Of the Red Cross.
DR.. Harvey Cushing is the director Of
this hospital unit, which was the first
to sail for France, on May 1lth, and
has recently been attacked by German
airplanes. She writes:
eve cannot mention our location on
account of censor rules. About 1S
miles sout of B near the Channel
and just back of the sand-dunes. the
region lends itself very well for loca-
tions for these great camp hospitals.
There are five hospitals in this area
with total bed capacity of probably
nearly ten thousand. They are seldom
filed to capacity-usually contain one
half the number possible or less. The
reason seems to be to have plenty Of
available space to meet big emergen-
cies. Only once have we been filled to
capacity, two weeks ago, and now we
are filled up again to within two or
three hundred of our limit. It is won
derful to see how well convoy is
handled. OF course you understand
that we have taken over a going
British hospital and that we have in
herited their systems and methods and
many Of them are wonderfully good.
Their ability to handle convoy is one
of them. 1t is interesting to see how
it is possible to admit from two hun
dred to seven hundred in the one hos
pital in twenty-four hours time, have
them distributed to the wards, and
absorbed, and hardly feel the differ
ence in the daily routine of work.
And the marvel of it is how we feed
them! 1t all runs off as well as
Ringing Bros. circus and of course
the secret is in every person knowing
his particular job and doing it.
"All that has been said about the
British Tommy is true. He is wonder
ful-wonderful in his patience, his
ability to stand pain, his cheerfulness,
and his unfailing courtesy to the
nurses. ! am wondering what our
"Sammies" will prove to be. OF late
we have been getting lot Of Canad-
ians, most Of them fine stalwart fel-
lows and they have been pleased
enough to find themselves among
Americans. Apparently the Canadians
have been doing splendid work in this
last push. You people at home doubt
less know as much about it as we or
more than we do, for although we are
well within the line of communica-
ton we get comparatively little real
Rumors grow and spread
SO fast that it is safer to believe
"After two months and a half we
are now settled into fairly good run
ming order, and ] think very good
team work. Just now Major Cushing, |
with four assistants and nurse, is
up where things are thicker. There, |
most Of their work is done to the tune
Of the heavy rumble of guns some five
miles away. Here we never hear
gun except the occasional popping of
guns in practice at a nearby
school. On the first day we were here
we did see an attack on hostile air
blame passing over. 1t was tremen-
lously thrilling, but has never been
'epeated. Airplanes are common, but
hey are friendly ones.
"Dr. Binney is doing splendid, care
'ul work as Of course anybody would
now he would-doing all he can to
ave legs and arms for these boys and
lot amputate except as last resort
md of course the most important abb
lominal surgery falls to him.
Fifteen more nurses from the
states have been added TO the
trength Of the nursing tsaf and rs
British volunteer aids so that myl
otal strength is now 108. / must
dmit that it is difficult for me 10 pic
ure our American girls over here on
he same footing as these V. A. DIS.
{ means hard work-often uninter-
sting work every day whether. one
eels like it or not. These girls are
OF remarkable, but most Of them are
of them are efficient and
ley have a fundamental respect for !
rganization, rules, and discipline that
lakes them easily managed. Then, G
20, many Of them have already been
ut here for two years and they know (
le army game. One thing is certain, +
lr aids should never be sent out until
icy are suitably uniformed for out a
,nre as uell az hoeni,al wear We 4.