The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-07-18

little longer. After the number had
reached twenty-five they told me that
perhaps there were a few more In
there, but they thought they'd better
let them stay.
My wounds had become septic, and
II was necessary to give all attention
TO drainage and cure. II was about
this time that everything for awhile
seemed TO become hazy and my mem
cries got all queerly mixed up and
confused. l recollect conceived a
violent dislike for a black dog that ap-
peared from nowhere now and then
and began chewing at my leg, and
believe | gave the nurse severe talk
ing TO because she insisted on going
20 look on at the ball game when she
ought to be sitting by to chase that
dog away. And | was perfectly GER
tain about her being at the ball game,
because saw her there when / was
playing third base.
The Alarming csbIearam.
II was at this time ION Nov. %,
1915 ten days after / had been wound
ed) that my father in Lexington re-
ceived the following cablegram from
the officer In charge Of the Canadian
records In England:
Sincerely regret TO inform you that Ser
eeant Alexander McClintock IL officially
reported dangerously III in No. general
hospital from gunshot wound In left thigh.
Further particulars supplied when re-
ceived.
II appears that during the time Of
my adventures with the black dog and
the inattentive nurse my temperature
had assembled TO the stage when the
doctors began TO admit another meth.
cd Of treatment might have been sue.
cessful. But l didn't pass out. The
one thing / most regret about my
close call is that my parents in Lex.
ington were in unrelieved suspense
about my condition until myself sent
them a cable from London on Deem
Der Is. After the first official mes
sage. seemingly prepared almost as O
demise, my father received no news
Of me whatever. And, as didn't know
that the official message had gone, !
cabled nothing TO him until was feel
ing fairly clipper again. You can't
have wars. though, without these little
misunderstanding.
II II were possible / should say
something here which would be fitting
and adequate about the English wom-
en- who nursed the $500 wounded men
in general hospital No. at Rouen,
but that power isn't given me. All i
can do Is TO fall back upon our most
profound American expression Of re-
spect and say that my hat is off to
them. One nurse In the ward in which
lay had been on her feet for fifty-six
hours. with hardly time even TO eat
She finally tainted from exhaustion
was carried out of the ward and was
back again in four hours, assisting al
an operation. And the doctors were
doing their bit, too, in living up TO the
obligations which they considered to
be theirs. An operating room was In
every ward. with FIVE tables in each
After the fight on the Somme, in which
/ was wounded, not a table was va
cant any hour in the twenty-four fol-
DAYS at time. Outside of each room
was a long line of stretchers contain
ing patients next awaiting surgical at
tention. And In all that stress / die
not hear one word Of complaint from
the surgeons who stood hour aftel
hour, using their skill and training fol
the petty pay of English army medica
officers.
On December 8 / was told i wal
well enough 10 be sent TO England
and on the next day l went on hos
pital train from Rouen TO Havre. Here
l was placed on hospital ship which
every medical officer in our arm!
ought TO have chance TO inspect
Nothing ingenuity could contrive TO
convenience and comfort was missing
Patients were sent below decks in ele
vators and then placed In swinging
cradles which hung level no matte
what the ships motion might be. A
soon as | had been made comfortably
In my particular cradle / was given
box which had engraved upon IL: "Pre
aal IA