New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-02-13
ROOSEVELT UNIT
DOING GREAT WORK
New Britain Men Taking Promi-
nent Part Abroad

Charles B. Grimshaw, we'll known
| in this city and in kensington in
| which place he maintains q summer
/ home, superintendent of the Roose-
welt Hospital in New York, has pre-
! pared a detailed report of the activi-
ties of the American medical men and
nurses who are at the front in France
| with the foreign unit of the Roosevelt
/ Hospital. This report, excerpts from
which are printed below, should be Of
/ especial interest to local readers for
not only is MT. Grimshaw known here,
but also DR.. Charles Peck, a brother
of r. N Peck of Park Place is head
of the professional staff and Albert
Peck another brother of the Park
| Place man, is a quartermaster with
this unit in France. Also, Monro
Parsons of West Main street and Per
| cy Plat of Maple street are with this
! unit overseas. Following are the more
salient parts of Mr.. Grimshaw's re-
port to the trustees:
Immediately after the entrance Of
this country in the world conflict your
President, Mr.. Roosevelt and the Staff
began to consider the best way in
which the Hospital could be of the
most help to the Government in the
demand for Hospital service which
would inevitably follow our active
| participation in the war. The method
| decided upon was to offer the Govern
ment, through the Red Cross, a Base
Hospital Unit composed of about one
! half of our staff of physicians and
| nurses, and an equipment that would
| enable them to do the same grade of
| work by which the Roosevelt Hospital
| has always maintained it's place in the
! front rank.
! ITO finance this project meant an
| expenditure of more money than could
| be withdrawn from the funds of the
Hospital, but through the medium of
| DR.. Russell, Mr.. Clarence H. Mackay
very generously offered to pay for the
| regular army standard equipment. He
contributed for the purpose 1900
and the Mackay Unit of the Roosevelt
| Hospital came into being.
! This contribution was followed by
many others (shoWn elseWhere) from
| friends of members of the Unit, and
| the work of organizing and equiping
| progressed very rapidly.
1.-The Professional Staff was or
! ganized with DR.. Charles II. Peck,
Major NJ. r. c., as DIRECTORY; DR..
! James 7. Russell, major M. r. c., as
his chief of surgical division, and Dr..
Rolfe Floyd, major M. r. c., as his
chief of medical division with Mary
l.. Francis as chief nurse. These Off
GERS backed up by 90 picked physi-
clans from our visiting and house
staff who were commissioned with
rank of captain and lieutenant, 65
nurses Of our own training, includ-
ing q. specially efficient and complete
operating room force, and an enlisted
personnel of $50 high class men
picked from various professions and
trades who volunteered to serve In
any capacity in which their particular
training fitted them, and on July .,
the gray-hulled ocean steamer Lap
land sailed down the bay on her way
to France with the best equipped and
the best manned hospital unit that
America. had yet sent out.
''Soon after their arrival they were
established in suitable buildings close
to the American Army Headquarters
in France. A report recently re-
ceived stated that they had $500 pa
tients, most of whom were French,
and our director, DR.. Charles H.
Peck has been made assistant general
director OF surgery of the American
Expeditionary Forces in France.
1.-The unit, although the most i'm
portant, is not the only service that
the hospital is rendering the gov
eminent. The surgeons remaining
on duty, under the dictatorship Of Dr.
Charles N. Dowd, major NJ r. c., are
giving instruction in surgical tech
nioue and fracture work to army
surgeons assigned by the surgeon
generals Office in classes Of fifteen,
! and head nurses under the supervi-
sion of the directress of nurses and
her assistants are training for the
Red Cross classes Of nurses aids who
are being prepared to later supple
! ment the regular nurses in the Army
hospitals here and abroad. Instruc-
ton of this type is also being given
classes for the Young Women's
Christian association as the rapidly
! increasing demand for nursing serv-
ice can be partially met by this class
of ASSISTANTS