ANAESTHETICS WANTED

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 2456, 8 May 1915, Page 6

ANAESTHETICS WANTED

APPEAL FROM HON. HUIA ONSLOW FUNDS FOR PAIN ALLEVIATION There will over bo a link between i\cw Zealand and tho Hon. Huia Onslow. son of Lord Onslow, who was born whilst his parents wero ill New Zealand, and who, it will be remembered. was made a chicf of the West Coast tribo in a grand ceremonial held at Otaki many years ago. Iho Hon. Huia Onslow, unfortunately, is an invalid. buc is in tho Anaesthetic Emergency Fund, which has been set up To raise money for the purchase of drugs for use in the many private hospitals (outside of Army or national hospitals) which liavo been established in Franco |or tho treatment of the wounded soldiers of tho Allied forces. One cannot comprehend tho magnitude of the hospital work during the strenuous fighting now in progress right along the farflung line. Tho havoc played with tho Canadian forces in their recent big fight illustrates the vast amount of work which has to be done daily to give but the barest attention, to the wounded. Tho stress has brought into existence a number of private hospitals, situated in all parts of France, where splendid work is being done, and it is on behalf of _ these institutions that t,ho Hon. Huia. Onslow has written to the Hon. Dr. AV. E. Collins, M.L.C., of A\ asking liim to do his best to raiso money in New Zealand for tho purchase of anaesthetics for uso in theso places. New Zealand's Part. "The Fund has been of inestimable value. • writes the Hon. Huia Onslow, iu that it has over and over a l7 ain been possible to supply these hospitals within a few days with some drug that they would otherwise have had to do without or use an inferior substitute. . . ■_ 1 know that we have no claim on New Zealand, for she has done splendidly, not only in equipping tho Expeditionary Force, but in so many other ways as well. None the less, [ thought that it might bo possiblo to make an appeal in' New Zealand, as fresh funds are very urgently needed. . . . Even though only a very small sum is collected, it would be "a great help to receive it as soon 'as possible, in which case would .you cable it over at the expense of the fund.

On tho receipt of tho above' letter, the Hon. Dr. Collins at once undertook tho responsibility of soliciting donations to this urgent and most laudable purpose, and docs so in an advertisement in this issue—an appeal which: is sure to find a' response in many; hearts, particularly now when the lists of our own wounded aro coming to hand.

Army donations to the Anaesthetics Emergency Fund forwarded to the Hon. Dr. "ft. E. Collins, of 32 Hobson Street, or to the office of this paper to be forwarded on to Dr. Collins (as the one member of the committee resident .ia New Zealand), will be duly acknowledged in our columns. In the course of a recent circular issued by , the Fund Committee occurs the following interesting statement: — "Anaesthetics are essential, not only; to save the wounded from needless suffering, but also to diminish tho shock of operation, and thereby increase the probability of recovery. ' Antiseptics such as_ hydrogen, peroxide, necessary for the immediate cleansing of woundß to prevent gangrene, have been appealed for; and also morphia and cocaine, etc. These (the private) hospitals aro for the most part in the hands of British doctors and nurses. Hitherto the Anaesthetic Emergency Fund has been able to respond to tho urgent appeals for such iiecessary help. .Assistance has been sent to hospitals at Cherbourg, St. Malo, Dieppe, Havre, Eouen, Boulogne, Calais, Dunkirk, and Limoges, to the Vtisgcs district, and to certaiu field ambulances. •

The committee of the above fund is as follows: —Committee, Vicc-Admiral D. M. Riddel (retired), Colonel F. N. Maude, C.B. (late R.E.), Hon. Huia Onslow, Mrs. D. M. Riddel (hon. treasurer), Mrs. Wm. Sharp (hon. Dr. TV. E. Collins representative in New Zealand).