Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-05-29

O844Ax A0A
man who was one Of the greatest sur
geons Of the war and q true patriot.
DR.. Cabot stated that the disposition
the greatest number being sent
on hospital ships to England. which
was practically the only place where
they could be sent rapidly. II not
severely they might be sent
to one Of the B. A. D. hospitals, which
we're private houses made over. Anotn-
er great source was the convalescent
depots where the business of recrea-
ton and exercise was carried on. In
quiet times nearly half were sent to
depots, while in the heavy
fighting this number went up to two
thirds or three-fourths.
The expansion Of hospitals from
1900 beds to 2370 beds was described
by the speaker, who said that this
expansion did not mean that that
extra number Of beds was really
supplied. There were makeshifts
for beds and ambulance stretchers
were used in place Of beds. and they
were not very comfortable resting
places for the poor soldiers. 1t was
strange, but the heavier the fighting
the smaller would be the proportion
Of heavy casualties.
There was a great need Of trans
port. The roads would be choked up
with two lines of motor trucks going
in opposite directions.
An order forbid the going out into
No Mans Land tc pick up casualties
except under particular conditions
and until the line shifted. DR.. Cabot
said that it was queer and almost
unbelievable how some Of the badly
wounded men were Sble by sheer will
power to transport themselves back
to their trenches. One man with his
thigh shattered in two places, moved
himself for two miles over ground
that was difficult to travel over. 1t
was also strange. the length of time
that men would lie in the shell holes.
One man came in one day after hav-
ing been in a shell hole three weeks,
and there was another case report
ed of a man returning to his trench
after having been in a shell hole
for SO days. Men carried two days
rations with then and there was
plenty of water to drink in the shell
holes, such as it was. Then again.
there always could be found nearby
the shell holes men who had rations
but had no further interest in them.
The casualties in the large hos
v,s< lS rnnof0y liObf oo Sno1fipS
The men would need most Of all,
sleep. The wounded men being
transported by rail to the rear would
sleep, although under very trying
conditions. for the French engineer.
the speaker stated. seems to have
but one idea and that was to set
the brakes.
DR.. Cabot pointed out that it was
clear in the early part of 1918 that the
Germans were going to make heavy
attack. outnumbering the British two
to one. and in the middle of March three
to one. And 1t was also clear that the
British lines would not hold the front
positions. AS early as the middle If
March it was known that the Germans
would attack with 81 divisions And the
manner in which this was carried out
showed how urate was their infor-
alton.
The difference between war surgery
and surgery in civil life. he then ex-
planned. In war the first thought was
to fix a wounded man up so he would
be comfortable. so that he would not
die, and that he might be moved On.
There was the classification of cases.
About 30 per cent. of the wounded re-
qured operations.
In closing his talk DR.. Cabot told CT
the bombing of the hospitals by the
Germans. One of the bombs his a mar
quee, big wall tent. filled with Ger
man prisoners, and when DIR. Cabot saw
these men they were crying and hol-
lering and begging for help. Another
bomb struck marquee filled with or
derlies OF the British army medical
corps. Thirty-six were killed. There
were many wounded, but there was not
the noise that had been evidenced when
the Germans were struck. Everything
was quiet except occasional grcaning.
And in the bravery there displayed Dr..
Cabot saw that people such as they
could not be beaten.
The chairman of the Augusta Branch
of the Woman's National Civic Feder-
alton Is Mrs. Hope Haynes Wheeler,
and the vice chairman is Mrs. Blaine
s. Viles. The following charter mem.
oers CT the Augusta Branch were ush-
ers last evening: Mrs. Blaine s. viles,
Mrs. D. w. Adams. Mrs. W. H. Fisher,
Mrs. NJ. a. Priest. Mrs. George Barne-
kov, Mrs. H. w. Cobb. Mrs. Il. H.
Sturtevant. Miss Muriel S. Haynes.
Miss Helen Dunn and Mrs. B. F. Maher.