Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-11
WOMEN PHYSICIANS
HEROES IN BALKANS
American Female Doctors
Showed Devotion to Work
and Goodness in Danger.
FROM ALL PARTS OF COUNTRY
Regina Flood Keyes. Of Buffalo,
Among First to Go, Built
Own Operating Table.
FROM ALL PARTS OF COUNTRY

NO MSoSAsTI r. sERBiA: Msy lo-7he
siolcc; OF praise and trioute from II
thousand pens. The devoted services
Red Cross and other big relief or.
carnations, bo:h ~ Nome and abroad
are already wei! known. The work OF
me American ARM nurses q, the
The thousands Of soldiers now return
i"s haze ioiG of their heroism. de-
n time o. danger
Blu, there IS small band .: Amer.
G ;a women PHYSICIANS now ash;ins
states about whose work !it:!e has
peer sad These Doctors are mem
,si =, o. ne ne AvnsCiean Womsn,s Hosp
sis;ine the American Red Cross n KS
human tartar Work IN serbia. Mon
i bs ~ ,or; \iosnia and Greece The
rnt,ed stats and IN ;hc:: worG II
various European countries have come
~ contact w'th every .orm o. coma.
s!on and every deG-ee OF misery.
Hospital supply Ship sunk.
The story o: ;rc aCn!evements OF
one OF these doctors Is ::p,cai .. .ae
work OF ali the rest. A; the Ars, "a!
keyes. ". u. Of Buffalo. y y, pacEeu
neT surg!ca instruments and came to
Hodena. near me GreeS- Serbian from
tier where she set up Il hospital She
was given a handful OF medical sup
plies intended for syria. The ship
reached Greece 1t fell victim to !.
German submarine.
BuIit Own Operating Table.
With tho crippled condition Of trans
port through Serbia ii was Impossible
for the American Red Cross to get
40 operating table, no sterilizcrS no
beds. no stoves. no nothing except her
small! kit OF surgical instruments. a
few pounds Of medicines-and un-
bounded American confidence and de-
termination Dcspairing not the slight
est over her utter lack OF equipment
she set about and with the assistance
OF a local carpenter had an operating
table built out or old dry goods cases
She borrowed some iron beds from an
abandoned military hospital Old gas
stovepipes, dishes. kettles, stcriliZers
and everything needed to aid in an
emergency.
Opened First American Hospital.
With these nondescript furnishings
and with the aid of Dr. Mabel Flood.
of Elmira. y; Y. and TWO American
nurses. Dr. Reyes opened her first
american hospital in Northern Greece.
| to identify the hospital so she made
one Of material supplied by local peas
ants.
N D a. KEGS performed al kinds Of
'''"Jcl Oftt tlOiS. Incl Inc re-
moval OF tho appendix OF the Serbian
rope. Her patients consisted of Greeks
serbs, Dalmatians, Italians. Bohcmians
and Frcnchmcn. Her instruments she
steriliZcd in All empty tomato can. In
the frst yea of her work she treated
over 1000 patients. Many of the cases
were brought TO her in oxcarts, in
wheelbarro rs and OH donkeys Her
surgical skin became widely known
that the French, British and Serbian
doctors referred all their operative
cases TO her.
Served Throughout Attack.
When the French and Serbians be-
gan their memorable attack on the
Buigarians which eliminated in the
collapse OF Bulgaria. DR.. Keyes was
asked by the French army authorities
TO accompany their troops as regi-
mental surgeon. The plucky American
physician served throughout the at
tack treating hundreds of wounded
oihccrs and soldiers. Her work drew.
iorth the warmest expression of praise
and thanks from the French and Ser
blan commands. The Serbian govern
ment has already indicated its inten
ton of conferrinS a suitable decoration
on DR.. keyes for her splendid services