Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-10
THE WAR AND CIVIL HOSPITALS
~ FREDERIC ). HAsrIN

WASHINGTON. December 9.--Amcri-
can hospitals arc now In, danger of be-
Ing undermanned. undcrnursed and ur-
dernourished as Il result of the war.
thousands OF phySicuns and nurses
have left to Join the army and the Red
Cross, aud more are leaving every DAY
The Red Cross rs enrolling nurses on
the average OF i,o0O "a month Hospital
supplies arc becoming scarce owing
TO the fact that enormous quantities
are being shipped out Of tho country
Moreover. hospital funds--ncvcr too
abundant-arc threat cned with rcduc-
ton this year In order that more money
may be released for the sick ana
wounded OF Europe.
In short. tho hospitals arc hard hit
by the war. but they arc not complain
ing. On the contrary. the hospital
boards OF the country arc trying TO fig
ure out how they can possibly release
more men. more nurses and more money
to the government. Perhaps this is
because the hospitals; know what war
It. They are used to fighting germs
which is not 80 much easier than fight
ing Germans.
Accept Without Murmur.
Al any rate, trained nurses In many
hospitals are accepting extra duties
without murmur. when you consider
Is always an overworkcd individual her
war activities appear all the more re.
markable. Junior nurses have sudden
Is had to take over the duties OF senior
nurses while the latter rushed off to
pack their trunks for France Others
have had TO become anacsthetists in
the place Of mon who arc now in the
medical cofps. Still others have work.
cd straight shifts of twenty four hours.
~
1t does not intend to use the civil hos
pitais for military hospitals. unless
some unexpected emergency makes
such step necessary. Under tho
present plan the majority OF our war
hospitals Will be in France, since the
return OF wounded to this country en-.
tails too many hazards II d man is
only slightly wounded he will he taken
care OF in an American base hospital
In France. and as soon as he is recov-
cred Will be sent back to the front If
his wound Is so serious as to prevent
him from being OF any further military
use he VIII be kept In France until he
is able to stand the trip home. Only
cases requiring Il long period OF con
ralescence are. therefore. apt to be sent
back to this country.
Prepare for Unexpected.
Nevertheless. the hospitals are pre-.
pairing for the unexpected. Some of
the larger institutions of 200 or more
beds have offered their services to the
medical department OF the army. and
arc prepared to receive wounded SOL
d:ers at any time. In this event. the
entire hospital II necessary, or that
section of It devoted to the wounded
would automatically pass under mill
tary control.
In the meantime. however, serious
problems must DC faced. Many hos
pitfalls supported by private subscrip-
tons arc having 4 hard time getting
along for the reason that the subscrib-
ers are showing tendency to with
draw their usual contributions and nut
them into the more spectacular activi-
ties OF the war. The high cost OF food
reacts upon hospitals the same as upon
other consumers. Moreover linen. cot
ton. steel instruments. acids. drugs
all the articles that go to make ur the
equipment OF the hosp,al-arc not only
expensive. but hard TO get. European
order arc given precedence by the
and home orders are
slow in delivery owing to traffic con-
6 estion.
The medical department OF the army
II Is true, has been as consderate as
p osaihie. In accepting physicians in
the medical corps the surgeon-E general
and his assistants have made every cf-
fort to work AZ little hardship as pos
hible on the hospitals OF the country
They have exempted men who were
especially necessary 10 certa in hospital
staffg. as well as teachers in medical
The Importance of keeping up the ma
tons medical schools in spite OF the
war has been realized by the govern
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