Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-06-26

home Tor coon age-more than ;
month now. and | can't help teelins
q little worried | hope things are
all right. As far as | am concerned
II never was better was at the
'front.' with one Of the American divi
sions following nine days in the bat
I tie that started March II. and foul
days in Paris buying a new kit After
three weeks with the division | was
ordered 10 the base to the central
medical department and after two
weeks there was ordered up here
to an American evacuation hospital
and have been here four days | am
/ to stay here three weeks and will
then visit several French hospitals
ana then be assigned to some one OF
our own hospitals as wound bactcri-
ologist.
had a very interesting trip up
here we are about ten miles from
The line and | was much Interested
In what our army has been doing and
also what the Red Cross and Y. NJ
.C A. are providing for the men.
left my last place on an American
train at $50 a, m and a colored por-
ter came through the train with hot
coffee.
| arrived az a town when had TO
make a change about 10 a. m. and
American military police looked af-
ter my baggage | had lunch at a
very good French restaurant and
spent couple Of hours in the Y. VI.
&c A. officers club reading the papers
before an open fire
AT about $3.50 p. NJ. left on another
train and passed ii seems to me.
acres of American barracks One
cantonment, as was told, was large
enough to accommodate 10000 men.
There were hundreds OF American
trucks on the roads and in several
places now railroad yards had been
built
finally reached my destination
about p m. and spent the night at a
Red Cross hotel and got good bed
for % cents. When | came, in sew
eral Red Cross workers were dancing
with American officers to the music
OF a grafaphone. came out here to
he hospital four days ago and have
been busy studying wound infections
ever since II will be very fascinat-
ing work.
Practically every wound received
In battle becomes infected The
worst Infection here is gas gangrene.
patient may be doing nicely In the
evening, gas gangrene may deyelope.
and the patient die before morning.
Il Is a terrible thing and | saw hun
dreds of cases die in Flanders last
year
A great deal of study has been
made Of the bacteria causing this in
lection and it has been found that if
all the infected muscle, skin and
other tissue is removed completely
he wound may be closed However.
If any little bit Is left, the patient may
die or be incapacitated for months.
This is where the bacteriologist
comes in L Is his job to make ex.
| aminations OF the wounds and say
| which ones are dangerous and which
are not and tell the surgeon those
he can close up and those which must
be left open Also, serum treatment
fer this infection offers rather prom
ising results. but il Is too early, as
vet to say.
II Is very interesting work and off
ers great opportunity for working ou'
new methods for the treatment of thu
wounds Of war | know | shall like
IT, hope to receive letter from yol
soon Love to all
ROSWELL.
Encourages Parents.
Letter 70 Mrs. Jacob Gerding. Yves
Jackson street, Ottawa, from Captain
Paul f, Anderson:
Mrs Gerding.
Ottawa. Illinois
My dear Madam:
wish to inform you that your sol
Corp Julius Gerdng was slightly il
/, Inred during our voyage. His hurt
i are not of a serious nature, but wi
4 compel him to remain quiet for som
Q weeks.
Q am taking this precaution to say
YOU possible worries which may hay
Q risen due to the letters OF some {
q his comrades wao rather highly CO
If ored his injuries in their letters hom'
Y From his commanding officer,
L CAPT. PAUL +. ANDERSON.
n Cmdg Co G, l29 Inf,