Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-04-30
DOCTOR FAIRBANKS
MADE CITIZEN OF
FRANCE FOR WORK
Hospital Unit Of Women Re-
warded for Faithful and
Efficient Services
WITH MUCH CEREMONY
Wonderful Wort. Accomplished by
Woman's Hospital in Devastated
Regions of France

The honor of being made q "cit
zcn of France" as well as receiving {
gold medal from the municipality OF
I.uzancy has recently come to one oil
st. Johnsbury's wcll-known physici'
ans and surgeons, DR.. Charlotte Fair
banks. Since the first of November
she has been ut LuZancy as the sur
geon in the medical unit at the Am,
erican Woman's Hospital. In this
ancient little village, on the banks OF
IL brave river, q chateau has been ap-
propriatcd for hospital and the
work of the medical unit has been
largely among the civilian popula-
! ton of all ages and both sexes. OF
the personnel of the institution Mar
garct r. Sangster has recently writ
ten, "The doctors in their neat khaki
uniforms are strictly American. There
are eight Of them-cfficient, capable,
| clever womcn--who have given up
their practices in various states to
answer the call of France. DIR. M.
Louise Hurrell, the chief of staff, is
from Rochester, N. y; DR.. Charlotte
Fairbanks, the surgeon, is from YER
mont, and DR.. Doherty, the dentist,
l.; from Milwaukee. DIR. Mary Evans,
who has charge of the laboratory
work, and DR.. Jay Mainwaring, who
takes care of the district route, are
both from Connecticut; while DIR.
Mary McLachlin, the house physici-
an, is from Oregon; DR.. Frazer, who
manages branch hospital, is from
Denver, Col, and DR.. Inez Bentley,
the superintendent is from New York
city. These eight women cover ter
ritory that takes in all of the country
around scissors and Chateau-Thicr-
ry."
The "Medaille Militaire-Premier
Classe-" was specially struck for
the American unit by Henri Dubois,
Il noted French artist. 1t is 2h by
~ inches in diameter and the de-
igns are suggestive of the gratitude
Of the French people to the American
ladies that have sacrificed so much
since the hospital was opened last
august The presentation of these
medals by the French people is in
dicativc Of some achievement of
Lravery. The diverse shows girl
bringing palms and offering flowers
in her gratitude. On the reverse at
the top is a girl wearing laurel
crown, while below is another girl
kneeling to drink the waters of con-
ISOLATION. The diverse has the words
gro Charlotte Fairbanks, while the
Translation of the words on the re-
verse is "In witness of the apprecia-
ton of the suffering people,"
The honor Of comforting upon this
unit the citizenship of France and the
presentation of the medals came on a
recent Sunday at special meeting
of the municipal council of Luzancy.
Besides M. Chalomon, the mayor,
there were present the mayors of the
adjoining communities, the Sous
Prefet, a dignitary corresponding to
our governor, and the Deputy, an
official corresponding to Il Member
of Congress in the United States. The
mayor wore silk girdle around his
waist and spoke appreciatively Of the
gratitude of France to the American
women in the hospital. Then fol-
lowed the Sous-Prefret, who, with
tears in his eyes, described what the
unit had done for the community. The
last speech was made by the Deputy,
after which the medals were distri-
buted, DR.. Fairbanks receiving a gold
medal. Children then brought bask-
cts of flowers and painting was I'M
yelled and presented to the unit to be
loaned to various communities until it
will finally be placed in the Metropol-
itan Museum of Arts in New York
city. The painting is by M. Masse,
a distinguished painter, who was
present on this occasion, and for
which he received 1900 francs or
about $3.50, from the people of that
region. The unit also presented the
mayor with tortoise shell cane tell
ing him he could use it to walk over
to America, where he would be most
cordially welcomed. The mayors
gift to the unit was a steel engraving
of the battle of the Marine, also
drawn by Masse.
The reports Of the chief of staff,
which are sent to the Woman's Medi-
cal Journal, are full of experiences of
a most varied nature. One young man
was brought into the hospital to die,
having his skull badly crushed, and
when he died he left a 17-year-old
wife and nine months baby. The