WOMAN'S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2659, 3 January 1916, Page 2

WOMAN'S WORLD.

A MESSAGE TO WOMEN

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM /AR AND NEAR.

(By Imogen.)

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL Hawke's Bay Weddings. The wed Sing took place last week at Wanstead Church (Hawke's Bay) of Air. Robert Granville, of Alakorepa, and Aliss Agnes Porter, of Wanstead. In St. Alary's Church, Waipukurau, the marriage took place on Tuesday of Air. W. S. Jones, of Afarton, to Afiss Ellen Stephenson, of AVanganui. Tlio Rev. W. J. Williams, assisted by the Rev. W. Stace, performed tlio ceremony. Woman's Place in War. It would be a crassly uninformed person in Europe, now who could talk about women's limitations to any "place" whatever, states an American writer. There is no place in tho war zone which they have not filled. Women have filled tiic granaries of Franco full this year to bursting. They have made market gardens in Germany. They have mined tho coal in Charleroi, Belgium, which without their help could not have been mined. In Glasgow they cleaned and made ready for sea the Transylvania when the 150 men needed to got her off could not be found. It is a- commonplace now that they are ticket-punchers and stationmasters, that they run delivery wagons and lifts. ■ Woman on a pedestal had a precarious footing. It was an unimportant fraction of them that ever really got there, and their tenure of office was not for long. Few women ever have liad time to be tho traditional dolls and goddesses, vampires and temptresses of literature. The largest percentage of women has always been in the kitchen and pantry, at the sowing machine and the wash-tub, at the cradle and the stocking-basket. They have always been shoulder to shoulder with men in the world's work, although the • men. may have tried to think otherwise. If the war puts an end to the silly fictions about woman's place, it will have destroyed one ancient relic that the world can very well spare. The reception to the soldiers who aro returning to New Zealand from . the frqnt by the hospital ship Alaheno takes place in the Town Hall this morning at half-past eleven. The Alayoress hopes that the ladies who have assisted with the reception to wounded soldiers on previous occasions will again, be ready to help with the arrangements to-, day. The Alaheno will berth at the Taranaki Street Wharf at ten o'clock. The wedding took placo in St. Andrew's Church, AVanganui, last week of Aliss Alyrabell Lawrence, eldest daughter of Air. and Airs. James Lawrence, of Aramoho, to Lieutenant William Gilbert Henry, of the Rifle Brigade. Dr. W. Butement, , v of Dunedin, and formerly of Aiastertotf, who went to | England to offer his services for the i war, has obtained a commission in the ! R.A.ALC. His wife and children, who accompanied him, are staying at Richmond. itr'Hv S ' k' ross (Christchnrch) is ,visiting Wellington, and is staying at the Grand Hotel. ¥,'. ss Cargill (Feilding) as visiting Wellington.

i Mrs. F. Cargill (Christchurcli) lias come to Wellington to see her son before lie leaves with the next Reinforcements. She is accompanied by the Misses Cargill (2). Now Zealand soldiers at Gallipoli have let their fancies run in strange directions in finding means of sending messages to friends at liome, states a Christchurcli exchange. One of the strangest communications has como llirough the post to Colonel C. J. Cooper, of Christclmrc'h, office* commanding the Coast Defence Force. It is the round cardboard top of a- pad of a 4.5 in. quick-firing howitzer shell. It was sent by Corporal AV. Juriss, and in pencil around the edge, in addition to tlio address, there are the words: "On active service, Gallipoli Peninsula, 24/10/1915. ; Best wishes. Best of health. 1 ' | Nurse F. Brandon, of the staff of tlio Napier Hospital, who has been stationed at Napier for three and a half years, has tendered her resignation to that institution, and leaves for Wellington on January 20. Miss Alattie Calders leaves Wangamii to-day, en route for France, whither she is proceeding to offer her services as a nurse. Nurse Calders, who has had thirteen years' practical experience in the work of her profession, both, in hospital and in private practice, is armed with the highest, credentials. Miss Richardson is the guest of Mrs. C. E. Reynolds, Dunedin. Messrs. Fuller Brothers aro giving a complimentary entertainment in His Majesty's Theatre this afternoon at 2.30 to the Mayoress, Mrs. Luke ; and lier lielpers in patriotic work. He dress circle of the theatre will bo reserved for them, and the downstairs portion of the building for wounded soldiers. The Mayoress hopes that as many of her helpers as possible will be able to attend. A special programme has been prepared by Mr. Fuller for the occasion. The marriage took place .in St. Luke's Church, Remuora, on December 21, of Miss Nina Wake, oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wake, Remuora (Auckland), to Mr. Elliot Stanley Rutherford, of- Stratford. Miss Freda Wake was bridesmaid, and Mr. R. Kennedy best man. ' . Mrs. F. Bayly (New Plymouth) leaves today for Wellington, en route for England.

FROAI QUEEN ALEXANDRIA. By Telegraph—Presß Association—Oopyrislit (Rec. January 2, 5.5 p.in.) London, January 1. . Queen Alexandria, in a New Year's message, says: "The beginning of another year still finds us midst the terrible war, with wives and niothew mourning tho loss of dear ones, and many""homes desolate. I desire to send a message of hope and comfort to all women of the Empire, praying God to inspire them' with fresh strength and courage to bear the heavy, burdens He has seen fit to lay upon tbem." (Continued on next page.)

HOSPITAL WORK IN SERBIA

NEW ZEALAND NURSE'S DESCRIP-

TION. , One of the many British units to answer tlie call of Serbia was the AngloSerbian, in charge of Mr. James Berry, 8.5., 1'.R.0.5., senior surgeon and medical superintendent to the Royal Free Hospital, London, and Mrs. Berry, senior anaesthetic to the Royal Free Hospital, states the London correspondent of the Christchurch "Press," writing on November 19. The party consisted of a full hospital staff: Surgeons, physicians, anaesthetics, radiographer, dressers, dispenser, professional nurses —one of whom was a New Zealand lady —lady and gentleman orderlies. The destination of this unit was Vrnjatchka Banja, a district situated away back among the beautiful Serbian hills. Here there are public baths supplied by a hot sulphur spring, from which the place takes its name. There is natural mineral water. The Now Zealand nurse —who is at present in London, having been invalided home on account of an attack of fever—writes "In summer time this place is a popular health resort, the people coming from all parts to drink tho water and take tho sulphur baths. Just outside tlie village is a large hydropathic establishment, 'Terapia,' which was given to this unit, and is used as the main hospital. Also the village school was set apart for tlie same purpose. "Later on, as tho staff was increased, four more buildings were added: 'The Dryhorina Cafana,' or State Cafe; tho 'Typhus Baraque' (built by ourselves), the 'Mercur,' a fine villa standing in the town with a large plot of grass behind, and the 'Athena,' another villa in the town. Some of these buildings were very difficult to arrange on satisfactory sanitary lines; However, these difficulties were overcome. For each hospital was built a brick destructor of simple form,, constructed by a builder, who is one of our Austrian prisoners, and cauldrons for boiling clothes made by a local Serbian tinsmith. It was ■ also necessary to lay on a water supply to these buildings. ' Using Austrian Prisoners., "These six hospitals contain a total of between three hundred and fo'ur hun-' dred beds, and are now in a satisfactory hygienic condition. We are well supplied with Austrian prisoners, between sixty and'seventy: acting as orderlies in the hospitals—the majority of Slav race, mostly Czechs from Bohemia. Much of the ward work is done by them, all of them proving billing-and intelligent workers. We are thus able to run the hospitals with a comparatively small British staff,, the nursing sisters directing and supervising the work of the orderlies.. Overcoming Difficulties. "The language question is not so difficult as one might suppose., Most' of tho orderlies speak German, and there .is no difficulty in soon learning enough Serbian for hospital work. . Mr. and Mrs. Berry both speak. Serbian, and classes were formed to help the rest of us, but one soon understands all the wants of tho patients without spending any time over study. ' "As regards the patients—After tho Austrian invasions there had been an enormous number of wounded and very inadequate means of dealing with them. Tho first bath of patients consisted of cases from hospitals in the town, mostly surgical, somo suffering, from longcontinued suppuration, many of them with limbs in bad position, from neglect, and other causes. Many of them very ill indeed, some requiring amputation, < but Uie most frequent operation has been sequeotrostomy for necrosis of the bone. ..We'are provided with an X-ray apparatus, which has been very valuable in these cases. : "The arrival of patients means a busy day. They are sent in batches from other towns as we have room for them, and their condition is a sad one. For months they liavo been packed in unhygienic Serbian buildings, receiving very little attention. A Serbian doctor has dressed their wounds when 'he could find time,' which was seldom, and untrained orderlies gave them some attention. Bathing and change of clothing were evidently unknown, consequently these poor men were covered with vermin, and many of them with bed-sores. They are brought from the railway station, which is two miles off, in bullock wagons, and brought immediately to the public sulphur baths, which have been adapted for washing the patients. . Our doctors and gentlemen orderlies have a busy day. Well protected by overalls they set to work. All patients are shaved and thoroughly their wounds dressed, and

clean clotliing supplies, before being admitted to hospital; their own clothes •are thoroughly disinfected by boiling, and returned to their owners when leaving. "They aro then received into tho Dryboiiia Hospital, situated close to, the baths, and after a few days aro passed into tho other hospitals, according to their suitability. Frequently a number of tlioso cases were suffering from typhus fever, but owing to tho thoroughness of cleansing and destruction of vermin—by vermin the disease is carried—the fever never assumed at Vrnpatehka Banja the terrible proportions it did in many parts of Serbia. We have received many testimonies in Serbia as to the value of our work, both with regard to hospital treatment and to hygienic conditions in general, and although there was, whon I left, a dearth of patients throughout Serbia, the Serbian authorities were loth to allow any members of foreign units to leave. "Serbia' still needs much help. If the war continues there is sure to be more fighting in which Serbia will be engaged, so that substantial assistance will be required. AVe are told that when fresh fighting occurs, Vrnjatchka Banja will bo reckoned a surgical centre. Several other hospitals aro stationed here, one run by; Greek doctors and another by the British Red Cross.