The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1918-08-22

ly called into use, doubling and treib-
ling its beds within two days. Grad
ually, however, the French cases are
going to French hospitals, and all
the American cases will be soon in
stalled in the regular wards.
Entering one of the wards with
American cases, the wounded mep
were sitting up removing their band
ages in order that the directing sur
geon might note the progress Some
OF them were far enough on the road
to recovery to be up and dressed, and
with soldiery instinct they stood rig
idly at attention, was smiling and APP
parently happy These smiling faces
gave no evidence of pain, and of 500
cases visited this morning only two
complained OF pain When inquiry
was made off the head nurse as to
this absence of pain among hundreds
OF men with compound fractures and
ugly gaping wounds from sharpnel
and shell, she said there was compar-
atively little pain after the first few
days, and then only when the wound
was handled
The youth of the Americans has
lot to do, said the surgeon, with this
cheerfulness and proof against pain
Most Of the French poilus are older
men. 80 and 49, with boards and
wrinkled faces, and besides their age
this is not their first experience as
wounded as 1t is with the Americans
Some Of them have been wounded
three and four times before and after
successive -rceoveries have gone back
to the fighting line This IS what
tends to war WEAKNESS, after -four
years of such business But vita
their age and repealed wounds, the
French faces are still lighted with
the fire of patriotism and the mex
hauStable good nature of the French
Doilus. The Americans have none of
the dra wbacks of their French broth
ers, and hardly a man is over 80
while most of them are % and %
This gives buoyancy which even
love Of country cannot supply, and
the doctors find il more of tonic
and restorative than all tho medi-
cines
One of the American marines who
was in the fierce engagement early
in June had the remarkable record
of "a separate wounds needing atten-
ton. He smiled with pride as the
surgeon spoke of the unusual num-
Der of his wounds. Like all the 9TH
get back to the fighting 1t seems to
be a common instinct, not through
brayado, says the doctors. but a gem
uine expression of red-blooded Amer
lean youthfulness and enthusiasm to
get back into the game, the most
fateful game the world has ever
known
But the instinct to be up and do
ing became very real 20 the American
marine sieved with 65 wounds. when
the chief surgeon mentioned that two
holiday entertainments would be Civ
en- for the wounded.
Which would you prefer" said
the surgeon. the afternoon tea or
the sparring match?"
The sparring match, sir, every
time, was the quick response.
And so it was arranged that the
man with Ga wounds should go To the
sparring match. 1t was the same
with all the others well enough 10 be
about Most of them wanted the
sparring match, though a few choose
the afternoon tea on the hope Of get
ting ice cream. They fairly beamod
at the prospect of an outing. 1t
would do them good, the surgeon said
and any danger from fatigue would be
off set by the recreation, Each of
those wounded with bone fractures
were so anxious to take part in the
exercise, that some of them had their
splints adjusted for moving about.
and prepared for the day of outing.
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