New Britain herald., 1917-06-21
FIRSTHAND STORY
 FROM RELIEF DEPOT .4 .
Mrs. Brigham Writes Of Work
 Done in France

UVuO LII llQuUU
 Mrs. Clifford Brigham, one of our workers at the Peter Bent Brigham
 Depot. who has recently gone to Paris
 to work with, the surgical dressings
 committee there. has written the fol-
 lowing letter to the New England sec- ton of that committed:
 have been asked to write few of my impressions in regard to the Paris section of the National Surgical Dressings committed came from America in February with the purpose of working at their headquarters. I had Q most indefinite idea as to the kind of work expected of me. as I thought that this was only place where surgical dressings from Ameri- ca were received, unpacked, and re- shipped to tho hospitals in France. That is. in a way, the foundation of the organization. But from that has grown 8 very complete working unit, where every kind of surgical dressing and appliance Is made. When a de- mand comes for articles which we do not receieve from America, or not in sufficient quantities, Mrs. Austin can-
 not refuse to supply them. and so they must be made here, at once, when ever possible. The work is carried on in an unusually nice new apartment house, lent for the purpose by Ma dame Coulon, tho treasurer. The eel lar Is used for the cases, which ar- rive from America. On the first floor is the bureau, where Mrs. Austin and the secretary, Mrs. Goodwin. have their
 desks. A large room out of this Is used for many different kinds of work. The five packing and shipping rooms are also on this floor. the lin- gerie room, where old linen is sorted and repaired when necessary, and . room with seven sewing machines busily at work. On the floor above are eight large rooms where every kind of gauge compress, bandage, pad, sponge, wick and Carrel cushion, splint and chausson Is made. and on this floor are also the sterilixing rooms. Chaussons are large covers for the feet, made of some thick wool- en material. or velours. and arc sent to the front.
 "The thing that the soldiers suffer from most is surgical shock and 1t is absolutely essential that their feet should be kept warm. Their boots arc taken off at once and their poor, worn-out socks. if they have any left, and these warm coverings are put on. The French government has realized Mrs. Austin's executive ability and has
 asked her to supply the trains regu- iarly with pillows for the wounded. These pillows go to the front, where they are of inestimable comfort to the soldiers. Five hundred pillows a week are promised. 350 for the trains, and 250 for the stretchers, and two pil- low cases for each pillow. The pill lows are made "at the Bastion. where the government has given the differ |>ent relief organisations huts for their work. These huts are built in and near the old ramparts of tho city. A picturesque little canteen h run here | for the convenience of tho workers. I wiSh you could see us at our work. There are about 250 women, 50 of them paid workers, mostly refugees, the rest are volunteers. All wear the long white apron worn by the French nurses, buttoned in front from head to foot, and the white veil, with . small red cross in front.
 s'It would be- such good plan if our workers in America could wear this uniform. I think 1t has two ad- vantages. It gives near, sanitary appearance to the workrooms. and in this way ono loses ones Individuality and becomes more truly g part of an efficient whole. Here each person provides her own apron and veil, which can be put in small cotton or creton bags and hung on hook In the dress- ing-rooms with a. number attached.
 The numbers are given out when the
 volunteer registers her name. If I
 were asked what the difference is be-
 tween work in America and the work
 here should say that here one feels every moment an atmosphere of stern
 reality, the necessity to work every
 minute. To come from the streets
 where the brave, determined faces of
 the men and women of all the allied
 nations, whose husbands have been or
 are at the front. makes one bend every
 energy to help. am sure that you
 will feel with me that whatever we
 can do to help the cause of the AL
 lies we must do. As an Englishwom-
 an said to me, Arc not France and
 England Americas first and second
 trEnch 2" s.a.