Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-31
OUR NURSES IN FRANCE
What Of Next Winter?
(By Ruth Wright Kaufman O, -,
Vigilantes.)

(By Ruth Wright Kaufman Of ~,
Vigilantes.)
(Mrs. Kaufman Is the Specia, r.
respondent of The Vigilantes d
France and England. She is makins
study there of the work that WOW
are doing, in order to show Am.-c,.
women what they can do to helm NV
the war;
Paris, July ITO come upon a r,.
OF American nurses, quite BY accids,.
in a quaint Norman village on the %,
coast of France-well how would Y0r
feel? wanted to rush up to them s,s
throw my arms about them, but T,
tell the truth. the first one met was y,
Major who wore our simple, but i'm.
pressive, u. 6. r. uniform.
They have been in France onIv-,-.
weeks, and they are one of m. Nv
units lent by our government IN III.
British government, They are alreadr
hard at work.
Don't think that things are easy N,
newcomers no matter how velccm.
they are. Conditions here are VA,
conditions, Our unit came equipneo IA
take care of five hundred beds. I'M.
have $50, When appliances Ar
strange, when the quarters are under
going the moving difficulties Of ON.
outgoing set Of nurses and doctors and
one incoming set when the climate
and the food aad the people and Il,
surgical apparatus and the manners
and customs are new
That is the way they do then
washing" said the Matron, as vel
stroued along the elevation that cor
responds to our board walks, and
looked down at the half mile Of har
sands enclosed between jagged Wits
cliffs. Sheets and sheets and sheets
along the whole half mile, fiat upon
the sands, their corners and edges
held down by bits of stone.
who washes them?" / asked
ooh. the women of the village. Coma
into the Casino. These are the men
that arrived yesterday Four hundred
and fifty of them, all at once of course
Straight from the front. Pretty bad
cases, lot of them, too"
- wv NViC pdNh III -NtW lDth, n''
thirty cases had come into the acct
dent ward, there would have been
more fuss" said the Matron Il can
hardly understand such courage. They
never whimper, not one of them"
Nor do the nurses. Though they ara
doing double work. those whom | mel
took their duties with the good natuf5
and enthusiasm that one would only
expect from an American continsea'
The Matron assured me that no one
lad Rrumbled Of the almost over
towering mass of work-and the or
derlies, who at home are not scrl1'
the-foor orderlies by any manner o.
new tasks quite as if they had been
used to them all their lives
Have you any message TO send 70
America" I asked
only this said the Matlo"
TRAIN" We need trained nurses-
and we shall need more. But tn''
must be thoroughly trained"
I asked about the unframed nuft''
whether, when they have been WOE.
ing for several years in hospitals
some English Red Cross nurses ~.
even now doing in conjunction WV.
this American unit-she disappro",
Of having their work count to"H'
trained nursing. &.
1t Is my opinion" she emphanc'",
said, that when the unframed huI"
has a thorough course Of war-nuls'".
her work should most assuredy cod.
in the matter OF a certificate. sno'.
suggest that she be allowed TO oo'a'
her certificate after. say, supP.
mentary technical course Of TWO
three months. We in America Ha
not the nursing competition thar
lists in England. SO there - no rea'."
for the opposition that obtains INC
But at the present moment. our sen
need in France is the TRAlHN'
nurse"
asked what she was going to 60 y
the winter. She was very "'.
troubled about the winter Now VIZ.
the delightful weather OF NoiH.,
summer, in houses and hotels DUH.
the comfort and pleasure OF the =.
sons tourists. II was easv 10 I've
look out at the sea and the Gins 90
the blue skies. Il was pleasant -.
for the convalescent soldiers 70
about the streets or lie outside IN ~
and chairs. But the houses are
built for warmth, summer VIII IN
last-though 7 have no doubt Nt
in the shade at this very hour IN ~
York,-and II must not be forso..
that coal and wood are luxuries w.
cannot be carelessly provided: '"'
arc very scarce.
What. then, lie to become OF ~
nurses in France next winter
they to have to DO their work suh', !,
ing from the intense cold ~ bar.
heated hospitals with paper-like va.
in a climate nearly as severe IN We
ter as ours? Can't some inzen'o.,,
American devise ways and means y
keeping them from freezing