THE ALL-JAPANESE HOSPITAL WORK IN PARIS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2729, 25 March 1916, Page 11

THE ALL-JAPANESE HOSPITAL WORK IN PARIS

The Japanese hospital at- what was tlio Hotel* Astoria is one of the most . marvellous aiul interesting hospitals m Paris (writes F. 'lVunysoil ilosso ill t-Uo "Daily Mail"). Tlioro could bo not-huiK moro up to date, move inodorn, ami 1 was glad that the fact ol ladios of tlio Croix liougo working thero brought it tnuloi' tlio scope of thoso avtiulos. Kvorything in it-—laboratoryi mstrunionfcs, storiliaei's, aiirgionl and olootrical appliaiioos—cornea from Japaii, und is of tlio latest pnltorn, Evoil tlio gnuzo and cotton-wool, of ivhioli I snw solid walla built up lo the ceilings in tlio storo rooms, come from Japan, and nil bear, in addition to thy Red Grnsfi, tlio beautiful red lettering of tlio Japanese script. Tlio doctors imo surgeons wo Japanoso, and so uru the nurses, twenty or 60 in number, for tin ladies ot tlw GYoii: Roiige do not do the actual nursing but ficrve the men's meals and tend them in the less technical ways. I bey are there because the Japanese recognised that something was needed to help bridge tho gulf between the fiastern and Western mentality, so that vhe patients should feel at home. 1/1 Japan tlio nurses ere drawn ' much t-i'e same social class as m y n a' land, being the daughters ol professional men and tsie like. They look altogether charming irv their white gowns, witii puffed white caps that stand up on their liea-ds and are gathered JBto baiios that fit closely rouQd their smiling golden faces. When a patient arrives at the hospital he is taken m b.y a special entrance- his schedule is filled up, and lie is promptly put'» a warm batli, wbile liis clothet are taken to be disinfected—a process that,_ owing to various causes not common in polite sooiet: j, -mar take wo or t-hree days, ivhen be is well enough to -be got out of bed he is not allowed to sit about m his own clothes, but ie clad in a v-lut-e kimono, and I think it is his universal whiteness,' this total absence of the -stained clothes of every day, that -gives t-lne bosjiital a ieeling of -utter purity not- .IOUUd elsewhere. J brought- away vnth me some *e.j beautifullv printed charts, 6tored m a room by "themselves;, .which show .everv portion of the body, some m orangci.ved oy si me m-colp'irs. livorr natknt has. in addition to JU6 usual charN one or wore or these on wnicti the -*saet position of Ms wound is Srawn in ink And even these thmss so stricter -utilitarian, ..are primed .with that peculiar artistiry oi .be Japanese race. The hc-f-pit-nl is very scientific, verv wonderful in many wave, m* chiefiv, it seemed to .me, not so mucn for its science as for its .spirit. Jbe 'trnlf-has indeed been m this instance, owing largely to the Dean jiful spirit of these Japanese. For - .be;, Tvbose creed is far other, gave a Christmas 'tree -and fete to and on-the white helmets oi tne nurses and on-all the packages and on the hos-pital-itself. "by the flag ot Jo-pan, .fiwt-s the-sign that, thougn they ao not- believe in it in the same way tfiat we_do, | they still translate so _ well .into .heir daily work beneath its shaae. ,

The Youna ' Women's Christian Association is "organising .an Education Department, For the girl who works in an office -or .-stands over a counter, ine physical • culture class on iiiday .ui^ Zfieis.an oppoitiimiy ■ lor exercising other .muscles .ana ior relating .- I <train of daily occupation. Liafcses in Si. John Ambulance will be as, popular as ever at this crisis. Jor tbe bacK--ivard "irl who does not care to join an institution -of. public .instruction,; a class for the revision of scuooi subjects _is offered on Wednesday nights, with mdnddual. tuition, while the sienograpuM -ivho wishes to -attain a greater proacisiirr iier woriv will unci sb oppo*■tnmtv in ihe-Speed Club. The elocution ciass r irill open .its first term next lnesdav at 5 p.m. The -usual lectures on health and home science have been nknned for the fourth evenV and the second Saturday or eacn inoiith vrill be devoted to war lectures.

The death occurred on Sunday inornis- las'/c: 'Sirs. 11. E. Underwood, ax i her -lata residence, 41,1)ruiimioiid Street'. Tire deceased lady, "wko was the widow of the late '-Henry . James Undenvooa. dost in the 'Penguin disaster, had been confined to., tier u-om for several months past JMrs. Underwood was the daughter or - the late John Houghton, who •irrived in AVellington in the Aurora, on "January .22. 1840, and- the late JVI. A "JSonghton, wku arrived ..kerr _ m tho '.skip .Bolton ..in November of the same year. " Bom in Willis Street, Wellington, .in premises .Jier'' l to ike present Post" buildings. 57 years ago, 'underwood spent ker liiV.kere, wid 'kad vivid recollections of tko vanops escitemenis. etc., incidental to to lives of tke early settlers. uudenvood .leaves a sou. Air. £s\une3 if ■ l^ud^rwooo, oi Wallace Siieet. and daut£m«r>: Mrs. J'- Ouinlan, of Howard Btreet, three and two .grand- ! Tne funeral, & privaT.g one, was" keld on Tuesday .morning ,at the jiiarori cemetery.