WAR HOSPITALS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 48, 20 November 1917, Page 3

WAR HOSPITALS

WHAT SCOTTISH WOMEN HAVE DONE

A GLORIOUS RECORD

In the course of an interview with a representative of the "Sydney Morning Herald," Mrs. Abbott, who is touring Australasia in the interests of the Scottish Women's Hospital Units, told tlio following facts of the work accomplished by these units:— "Dr. Elsie Inglis, who Mas practically the founder of the Scottish Women's Hospitals, is a very great friend of mine, and that will explain how I came to make this tour. 'To every man his work'—and to every woman her work. That is what they said after the war broke out in Scotland and all over the Empire; and one of the first things that was done by the Scottish women was to establish these hospitals. They • wore started with some trepidation. One wasn't certain that women's war hospitals would succeed; hut they have succeeded—splendidly. Before t.he end of 1911 Dr. Alice Hutchinson ivas fighting the typhus epidemic in Calais, and the First French Unit, under Dr. Frances Ivens, was busy with a hundred beds in the old Abbaye de Royaumont, near Chantilly, showing the wav in surgical equipment with its travelling X-ray vehicle. devised under the supervision of limes. Curie and Ayrton. Since that time the work, at the old Abbey has quadrupled. Another unit of 300 beds is attached to the French expeditionary force in Salonika. We have 200 beds, with fisld dressing station of 40 beds and motor transport column, in Macedonia: we have two field hospitals, 100 beds eaoh and motor transport column, on the Rumanian frontier, and we have a Serbian refugee hospital, caring for 2000 Serbians, in Corsica. Latterly w». have added a 200-bed hospital in the French firing line and an orthopedic centre in Salonika—a Calcutta unit. The upkeep of all these units costs about ,£BOOO a. month. We have a number of Australian ladies assistinj us in ou% work, among them being Dr. Agnes Bennett, of Sydney, and Dr. Lilian Cooper and Miss Bedford, of Brisbane. Miss Bedford has organised the motor transport in Macedonia. "The story of the3e hospitals is one of the finest stories of the war. When Serbia's agony waa upon her five of our women doctors, with a complete staff of nurses and orderlies, went to Kragujevatn. Typhus was Taging, doctors and nursos were dying with their patients, and the country was described as 'a seething mass of misery and pestilence.' It was enough to put fear into any heart, but these Scottish hospital women fear, ed nothing. Taking their courage in both hands, they threw themselves into that terrible, yet glorious, work. Three of them died, and nine were attacked with typhus, and later Sister Sutherland was laid to rest in the little graveyard above Vnljevo town. But reinforcements oame, and the work went on. Then began the historic retreat before the Austrians over _ the Montenegrin mountains. With the starving, dying crowds of refugees went the noble Scottish women, spreading their last wraps over the wounded, giving their last coins to the starving. Dr. Courcin, Supervisor of the Foreign Missions in Serbia, sa!B of this inarch through Albania; Tho Scottish women bore silently all the. hardships, and, hardlv able to walk somotimes, they would stop with a joke on their lips, each trying to outdo the others in selfsacrifices.'

"Do yop wonder," said Mrs. Abbott, "that I ajn proud of these women? Another party, under Dr. Alice Hutohinson, remained at their posts with wounded Serbians, and were taken prisoners by the AustiS'ans, the entire hospital equipment beinp seised. They were sent to Southern Hungary, and treated as common prisoners, but after six wests were sent to Switzorland, and finally reaohed England, prepared to return to Serbia at the first opportunity. It would take too long to tell you of all tho work at the other centres, but I think I have said enough to snow that the Scottish Women's Hospitals are worthy of all support. They are working for our Allies, but the call of our Allies harmonises with the appeal of our own Arfny. The work of all is one, is fF not? I think I cannot do better than make my appeal on that ground. Few have given to the degreo of eelf-denial, probably none to the point of privation, and till that .point is reached the claim of the Scottish AVomen's Hospitals oannot be denied. ' At one of my meetings in India—it was iu Calcutta—one of tne cheques handed in was for .£IOOO, and I hope to find some large-hearted patriot in Sydney who will do the same. Tell me, do you think I will? ... Ah! well, that sets my mind at rest. That will leave to get, will it not? I suppose the English population of India is not much more thon. 750,000, and if they conld givo mo I did not appeal to the Indian prinoes, who have beon doing so magnificently in other ways—l should be able to jjet -£50,000 in Australia, with its population of 5,000,000."