SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2602, 26 October 1915, Page 2

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Letter from a Nurse in Egypt. Nurse F. Gill, writing to Miss Beryl Selig, of Christchurch, from No. 17 General Hospital, Alexandria, under (lato .September Ul, says:— "Wo are in the thick' of tilings now, and have seen about the worst that could happen. AVe lave been very busy ever since we arrived, and are working very short-handed, twoufcj'-one nurses being on the sick list. We seem to be standing the ciimato very well, considering what our climate is like. l''ivo hundred patients arrived when there were only four or fivo on duty. We have very fow wounded in the hospital at present, not more than five hundred; the rest are mostly typhoid, dysentery, and general debility cases. "We have several camps round about us, and at tho back of the hospital is a French camp. We often see tho men marching and practising their bugle calls, which are most weird and fascinating. They look very gay in their khaki coats, red caps, and trousers. Some of them wear kliaki with broad red bands round their waists. We have on an average three sisters, two nursing orderlies, and two general duty orderlies; this number for fifty typhoid patients. Soap is very scarce in this part of tho world, and Sunlight seeius tj be the only thing voti can buy, so if you know of anyone who would like to make us a present of anything of any sort, just tell them to send soap, and remember we have on an average about 1000 patients. A surprise packet in the shape of some English Sisters arrived yesterday. About forty wero for Egypt, but we only got five. However, they will relievo tho pressure somewhat. Wo have a good many Now Zealand boys in this hospital, and in the convalescent stage they help us all they can, and we are glad of it, sometimes."

Russian Lovo for Music. "An interesting and characteristic illustration of Russian love for music is to be' found in tho fact that four of tho groat composers of Russian modern opera were not at all professional musicians: Cui was a. military man, an expert in fortifications, and became a general; Borodin was a medical man and science expert; Mouzorgsky, a guard officer; while RimskyKorsakof, was a naval man. Later on he betcame a professor of harmony, for he bad studied the theory of music on board ship on his journeys round the world." (From a speech at a Lyceum dinner.)

New Verso to National Anthem. A correspondent has sent out tho following lines, written by an Australian, which aro now sometimes sung in London as a verse of tho National Anthem:—. "God save our splendid men I Send thom safe home again!. God savo our men. Keep them victorious, Patient and chivalrous, They are so dear to us, God savo our men."

Serbian Patients. The Church League for Women's Suffrage of August published some interesting notes from the diary of Dr. Helen Hanson ( who was working with a_ hospital unit in Kraguievatz, Serbia, in March, during the recent Balkan War, in which Serbia was engaged. One . extract from ' these notes is as follows : —"I have, got two non-typhus wards in the annexe of one of the best hospitals here. These wards are in a Barrack. . . . The way they givo the medicine rounds is quaint. The "apothek' follows you with several paper bags, out of which he produces powders, and hands a sufficiency to. the patient of whatever you order, to last several days. The Serbians have a great love for colour. They put wet towels round their heads when they have fever, and these have fancy 6tripcs of all colours. On their local nightshirts tlicy have blue, red, green buttons, etc., so the patients look picturesque. The men have gorgeous waistcoats, leather jerkins, lined with lambs' wool, wit happlique work in coloured leather, with bite of lookingglass let in, perfect under a short coat for motoring in. The women wear the same sort of thing with a short basque, and very full plaid skirts in two tiers, much gayer than ever I saw invented; also the stockings aro of all brilliant colours, or if dark have gorgeous wreaths of leaves and roses knitted round them."

s The engagement is announced of Miss R«a Kirker, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Kirker, of Kelburn, to Lieutenant E. G. Edwards, youngost son of Mr. ancl Mrs. T. S. Edwards, of Nelson.

Spinning Their Own Wool. AVool for knitting socks for our soldiers being in short supply, a number of ladies in Melbourne and Sydney have procured spinning wheels, and are making their own wool, states an Australian paper. One lady happened to havo a Norwegian one, and Messrs. David Jones and Co., of Sydney, manufactured twenty-four like it at a very low cost. Feilding Notes. Sirs. Perry has returned from Wellington. Mrs. Revington-Jones is in Wellington. - Sirs. Letlibridge has gone to Wanganui. Mrs. Miles is in Wellington. Mrs. M'Beth «-nd Miss M'Beth have returned from Wellington. Mrs. Roberts has been on a visit to Wellington. Miss Kirton has gone to Auckland. Misses Haybittle (2) have gone on a trip to Sydney and Melbourne. Miss Gorton is at present in Christchurch. Mrs. Clarke (Hawko's Bay) has been staying with Mrs. Stewart. On Friday morning Miss Vera Haybittle and Mr. M'Nab were quietly married at St. John's Church by Archdeacon Innes-Jones, and afterwards left for Taumauranui, their futuro homo. Mrs. Carr is staying in, Wellington. Mrs. Shannon is staying at Plimmerton. Mrs. Mackay is the guest of Mrs. Fry. There was quite a large attendance at the sale of work hold by Miss Spain's pupils in aid of Dr. Barnado's homes. Among those present -were: Mesdames Murphy, Waymouth, Mason, Fitzgerald, Elliott, Walker, Ward, Stewart, Carr, Holt, Mcyrick, Fry, Gorton, Willis, Hare, Hall, Wilson, Bell, Misses Waymouth, Miller, Walker, Holt, Carr, Brown, Wvatt, Mason, Hare, and many others.

Members of the Victoria League are asked to meet Miss Coates this afternoon at a quarter-past five at the Y.M.C.A. to consider tho matter of making further arrangements about tho medical comforts which the league has so far supplied to .each Expeditionary Force that has left New Zealand during the war.

Writing from No. 1 Stationary Hospital, Dr. Duncan Stout states that gifts of butter and potatoes would be gladly welcomed for the hospital, and especially the former. He wondered if some farmers would combine and send supplies regularly, •as both are difficult to obtain in ligypt. The last Red Cross Medal Handicap of tho season will be played for on Wednesday and Saturday of this week atHeretaunga by the lady, members of the Wellington Golf Club. The Misses Edge (Timaru) are passengers by the Arawa for London, where they intend to take up Red Gross work. Mrs. Clement Kirk is visiting her daughter (Mrs. Dennis Hursthouse) in New Plymouth.