I
\. '
14
THE CADUCEUS
GET WASHBOARDS
IS ADVICE TO NURSES WHO GO
OVER.
My Dear Miss Parisli;
I am sure you will be, iiaterested iu
bearing of the “trials and tribulations’’
of your 31 nurses who are now in Base
Hospital No. 61, We are thirty now
as you probably know that Miss Fields
was called to Camp Merritt a few days
before we sailed, or rather, we are 29,
for poor Miss Smith contracted the
Spanish Flu (as we call it over here)
and was takeu to a hospital in New
York an hour before we left for the
boat; we are all hoping that she will
join us here.
We certainly had a busy two and a
half weeks in New York getting our
equipment. Every day there was some
place to go to get something and as
you know it is always and forever al
phabetical order in the Army and it
is no fun to Jiave been born a “W.”
While in New York I was kept extra
busy helping our Chief Nurse with the
paper work. The amount of paper work
connected with taking 100 nurses over
seas is unbelievable and I was sincere
ly glad that my knowledge of type
writing made me of service to her.
Right here-1 would like to suggest
that if you ever send any more nurses
out to tell them by all means to pur
chase a small washboard, a fair sized
basin, a few towels, all the warm un
derwear possible and a small flat pil
low is an article they* will learn to
worship. I carried mine in my suit
case and I would certainly have died
without it because traveling in France
is quite different from travelling in
the good old U. S. A. You may smile
at my suggestions but I don’t believe
there are 10 washboards among our
100 nurses. If I told you that our laun
dry is not yet in running order, that
we are on duty at least 12 hours a day,
sometimes longer, that warm water is
at a premium, and that it rains all of
the time in France you may appreciate
my suggestion. There are just loads
and loads of other things two numer
ous to mention that I wish I had in
eluded in my outfit.
Our trip over was an awful night
mare, so many sick nurses and hun
dreds of the troops ill of the dreadful
influenza. We, who were lucky enough
to escape it, and I am thankful I was
one, worked awfully hard'on the boat
with Tiot a thing to do with. Oh, it was
pitiful, but I can not tell you about it—
rules must be obeyed.
After we left we were placed at Base
65 for a week and truly I fear t6 shock
you if r tell you some of the things
we had to do; I’ll tell just one thing
and leave the rest to your imagination.
I went on night duty one night after
working all day, went into a ward of
48 patients—all pneumonia and influ
enza; the first morning no faces were
w-ashed—the second, I was near cry
ing with joy over a pail of hot water,
one pan; a small piece of gauze and
one sheet. In Camp Greene, I would '
have blushed to say that I used the
same little piece of gauze and one
sheet to wash 32 faces and hands, but
in France I did it cheerfully and ev
ery boy among them thanked me.
But thank fortune we are better off
at our Base and has a lot to do with
in comparison, and I truly believe the
experience was good for us, for we
certainly appreciate this place. We
have very little influenza here—most
ly our wards are surgical and such
cases as no one in the United States
ever dreamed of. These boys are from
the Front and when they get well a
great many of them will go back again,
and. such wonderful spirit and cheer
fulness as they show! Never a mur
mur or a whisper when those horrible
dressings are dene. Can you imagine
three nurses in a ward of 98 patients,
with at least 45 of them getting Dakin
irrigation every two hours, and so
many dressings to do that it takes us
ually two days to get around? And
time oil? Why it is an unknown quan
tity—and with all that I don’t believe
there is a nurse amoug us who is sorry
she came.
I have told you more of the profes
sional part of our lives because that
I know would interest you. If I had
time I’d love to tell you of the quaint
ness of France—it is really a beautiful
country. We saw a lot in our two days
trip to our “home.” The fields are so
beautifully kept, the foliage just turn
ing red and yellow. The farms of the
peasants were usually prosperous look
ing, I mean there were always large
gardens and a great many had finely
kept stock. The people themselves are
a study; wooden shoes and lace caps
and red cheeks; the children partic
ularly and usually dirty. But always
they were smiling and waving to us
and at one place we stopped and a tit
tle girl brought two rosebuds which
she gave to Miss Soper in our com
partment and to another nurse in
another car. It was all very interest
ing in the day time, but the nights we
slept sitting up with our head on our
neighbor’s shoulder, so rest assured
when We reached here at 10 p. m.,
found a hot supper and a real bed with
two sheets waiting lor us we were the
happiest girls in the universe.
Well, I must draw this to a close,
leave room for the censor’s signature,
but first I want to wish everybody at
Camp Greene the best of health and
happiness and send them the love and
regards of the 29 nurses of 61.
Ever yours in the work.
NELLIE M. WOOD,
A. N. C., Base Hospital, No, 61.
American Ex. Forces.
GET FURLOUGHS.
Some of the men fortunate enough
to secure the coveted slip granting a
leave of absence for a period of ten
days and who left for home during the
past week were: Nichlaus Henley,
Wallace Judd, Fleetwood Woolfrey,
Edgar Smith, Albert Sullivan, Carl
Liljeblad, Arthur Shiere, Henry An
derson, Henry LeClaire, Charles God
dard, Herbert Mills, Maurice Knight,
John Hoffman, Charles Westgate,
Howard Mays, Roger Downey, Ed
ward Dlngley, Jack Doyle, George,
Zecha and William D.oherety.
Oar Display
OF
iJsefal Christmas
Gifts and Toys
Is the largest
to be found
in the State.
Come and see
us when in
Greensboro
YOU ARE WELCOME
Odeirs
Kilian’s Korner
In the Centre of. Liberty Park J
On the Corner
Closing Out
Sale
j ^OF ALL—
SOLDIERS’
NEEDS
Now on in full blast
Come in and get your
share of the
BARGAINS
Extra Specials Every Day
Look for the banners on
the store, and don’t
forget the place
K
ILIAN’S
ORNER