WOMAN'S WORLD.

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 208, 22 May 1918, Page 2

WOMAN'S WORLD.

MATTERS OF INTEREST FROM FAU AND NEAR

(By Imoqeh.)

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL

Life at a Casualty Clearing Station

'n "Kni Tiaki,' , the journal of the .Now taliuul nurses, is published tho following .interesting account of lifo at No. 611 Casualty Clearing Station, ?ie'ar I'operinghe, n town that has figured so largely in dispatches from Prance. Tho writer, Sister Jessie E. M'Leod, says:— "When 1 'had only been a week at No. 03 I was sent with a surgical tenin to . <io theatro work at another CCS, 1 went to No. .U for a l'eiv days, and from there went on to No. i C.C.S., where 1 was fill til I' 'came- away •on leave.- A surgical team consists of a surgeon, an anaesthetist, a sister and an orderly. They have only been, started lately, and the idea is to get as many.- operationa done at.the &C.S...fts possible, as more lives aro saved by immediate operations. There aro usually ten teams at fi C.C.S., and during a "push" operations go on all day and all night. AVlien very busy we work sixteen hours at a stretch, and, oh, it is tiring; but I would not have missed it for anything. Tor many things I prefer the base; lucre is.more regularity there, and one can do more for the patients. At a CCS. tluy are just in-and-out-again, t would .have been disappointed not to have- got to a C.C.5.,--)iui will be quito ready to.go to the base again when my turn ,coines. When.at No. i CCS. i used to go into Poperinghe quite often.. It is such an interesting place. Troops and transports pass through it. fill" day long, anil_ at the street corner.? there are men directing the traffic just as they do in London. Quito a lot of the town is in ruins. It is shelled very often, and wd can hear tho shells falling into the town quite distinctly at No. 4. Such a lot of C.C.S.'s have been bombed and shelled recently, and such a lot of sisters killed or wounded. The first week 1. was. at No. i we never had a minute's peace from Fritz. Tho CCS. next door to us got a bomb one night; it; fell into the acute surgical hut, and killed an orderly, several patients,-and'wounded a- sister. It was a narrow escape for us. Several of the stations had to close down owing to the bombing j. No. t was ono of them. Wo aro all provided with gas masks, steel helmets, and each place has a dugout. Wo' used to get a lot of bombing at St. Omer; Fritz did a lot of damage there, and'after I left No. 58 General Hospital, it was bombed and two sisters and two'V'.A.D.'s killed. It was a new hospital, a Scottish unit. 1 believe it was moved from , St. Omer, but do not know where to—ltaly perhaps—as several hospitals have gone there lately, but I was not lucky enough to go. I don't know whether I told you that I have got my stripes, about six months ago. It ie very "nice to'get'them, but there is a lot of -worry- attached -to them. . The Now Zealand Hospital had a lively time at Hazelbrouck. 'They.were shelled out, and wo had a lot of the sisters at No. 7 | General.

The Star of Mons. Miss Beatrice Cutler and Miss Yioletta, Tburston, whose Dairies are well known to readers of the "British Journal of Nursing/' have been awarded the above coveted 'decoration, which is designed only for those who were on active service diiriiiK the first three months of the war. New Zealand nurses who are eligible to receive this honour are Sisters Theresa Butler, N.Z.A.N.S., Jessio Macleod, q.a.i.m:n.s.r.

A Press Association message from Duriedin states that Sister Agnes M'Millen, of Milton, has been appointed matron of the Red Cross Military Home at Montocillo. She represented New Zealand in Franco as a nursing, sister early in the war.

A very successful danco in aid of Iho Harbour Board baby candidate (No. 27) was held liTSt. Peter's' Hall on lionday evening. The excellent music provided by tho orchestra, under tho loadership oi , Mr. T. W. Parsons 'was a feature of tho evening, and other musical items were also greatly enjoyed. The same orchestra has promised assistance at. the concert whicti is to be given on Thursday evening. The.'evening given by the Tramways Enter.taiuers in St. Anno's Schoolroom on Monday evening, in aid of the , Northland baby, was .very .successful. In spite of bad weather tho attendance of Northland residents was good, and tho programme greatly enjoyed. Another entertainment is being given by jliis clover organisation this evening in St. Thomas's Hull in aid of the Press baby. Miss Dorothy Brnnton, states a Press Association cablegram from Men- York, has left for London, under contract. She will return later to fill the leading role in a Now York engagement. ■ A meeting of the Wellington Nursing Division of St.John;Ambulance. Brigade Overseas was held on Monday, when Miss Macawlrow, who has been in England doing war work in. the hospitals there, first as sister then as matron, gave a most interesting address on Kcd Cross and V.A.'D. work, dating back to the tint'sof Miss Florence Nightingale, and taking her.' hearers through the work done during ■ the Franco-l'i'ussian and Boer wars up to tho present day. Miss Maaimlr.ow was accorded a *ery hearty voto of thanks, 'i'hq secretary ami treasurer, Miss Griffiths, has unfortunately been obliged to resign on account of her health. The division expressed much sympathy for her. Miss Kobieson, was proposed' and seconded as secretary and treasurer in iiei- place. Three Now Zealand nursing sisters havo been sent to tho American Hospital at Boulogne to Btudy tho administration of anaesthetics, states "Kai Tiaki." They are the first of the New Zealand sisters to bo.sent to gain , this experience.. In America' it is recognised that nurses usually make mote satisfactory anaesthetists than doctors; the latter -usually being too. keen to sec. what is being done by the surgeons operating.

A novel entertainment is being arranged in. aid of the. Wadestown Baby oil Thursday" afternoon. The English Pierrots siro giving a cafo chnntnnt at Iho Bialto, Manners Street. There will Ixi threo performances, each lasting halt' an hour and costing Is., including afternoon tea.

The Baby Competition. Holders of tickets, wilier voliiig or for the various ontertniiimciits organised for tlio Press Jiaby, . are asked to handover to Sir. ISishop, lion, treasurer, ''Evening Post," all .those unsold, also all moneys received lor the sale of tickets, by Thursday afternoon at the latest. At a m,i;etiii(f of the committee- which wits held yesterday afternoon a communication was read from Hiss li'raser, organiser of tho competition, pointing out the fact that tho voting would closo at 10 o'clock on .Saturday evening, and that ' nil votes would he counted on tho money returns Any money received, after that time would (jo to the general fund for the Red Jersey and Bed Cross, and not for any individual baby. Hiss Fraser, Sir. ■J. Luke, and other members of tho executive will be nt thc.depot on the Quay all Saturday. evening, dealing with the returns. On Monday afternoon the formal prize-giving to ''.he winning babies will take, place in tho Town. Hall. For the occasion a- brief- musical-programme has been arranged, among' those performing being Mr.-Hamilton Hodges,-Air. Watson, Jfiss Poufcman, α-iid Jliss Saundors Altogether a very plcasaut at'tornoGu' lias been arranged, to which further interest will be added by tho. fact that full delails will bo given as to tho votes secured by the candidates. At the present time the Gear Company Baby is in (he, lead. The positions of the other candidates are as follow: The Press Baby,' 2; Mirumar and'Se'iitouu, 3"; Thorndon, 'I; Women's Natioual Reserve, 5; Northland, G. The Contrast. .

Letters that are coming from Australia tire—to judge from the very • animated conversations of half a dozen" Australian v.omen who met at a soldiers , ' party- recently—not calculated -to''hearten' people Kero (states'a'London correspondent). Said one very outspoken dame, "The most luxurious .Christmas, they, ever , had/ 1 call it cruel, simply cruel. Do they know that our interned men at Euhlebon are almost in rags and nearly starved? Do they know that over here we are—that is, except the greedy savages—economising iii every way wo can in clothes; food, and pleasures? .Do they know that even in America, rich as it ' is, people aro rationing themselves to help England and .France?" Someone remarked'that Australia had done magnificently, and''she blazed out, "Her men have,- over here, and she has given plenty of money, but when 1 read of the luxury, and pleasure they are living in over there it makes, me rage. . . '. •' . I

Nurse Ida Willis, R.R.C.. and her sistor (Mrs. Will Lawson) left Wellington on Monday on a visit to Rotorua. . • Of very, much interest is the. plain, fancy dress, and poster ball which has been arranged by tlio ldtter-carriers of Wellington to aid the cause of their baby candidate. Excellent arrangements have been made for securing, (he enjoyment of those attending the ball, and the Town Hall to-night should present a brilliant scene. ' ■ The tinal event in connection with the candidature of the.Press baby promises to be of exceptional interest, the Hon. T. 51: Wilford lecturing upon the latest phases of the war and a, band of 500 children from Hie State schools, singing inspiriting choruses under the baton of Mr. Robert Parker. Arrangements havt> been niade for a salo of , liomqlmade sweets,- which may be purchased at the Town Hall on , Friday■ afternoon from half-pasl. fou." onwards. Already several orders for these sweets, havo been t& ceived, and as Mrs. Tom. W. Martin, who has made them, is noted for her skill in this-direction, them is likely to bo a big demand for them.. ....... The members of the Kef burn' Croquet Club had.a successful Ked Cross day at theWellihgtonßed Cross Shop yesterday, and gave in ioO 12s'.'.'as'.'tUe rcsnlC!" The shop was filled with excellent produce, delicious home-made cakes, sweets, and flowers. Purchasers camo in numbers, and very soon the stalls:wo empty. Those who took part and were responsible for tho success of tho day wero: Mes. daincs Fair, Remington,, B. Christie, L. •p.''Hurst, M'Villy, Do : 'Latpur, Frost, Rigg, Diunie, Fuller, Henderson, Smcdley, 11.. Daivson, Williams, • Middlcton, Uylton. Tho committee of the Wellington Red Cross Shop warmly welcomes tho efforts of sports bodies for the Red Cross work, and would be glad to receive'offers from other clubs in the saino direction. Next Friday tho" shop will bo in'charge of tho Island Bay , Women's National Reserve. .'....' , .

In tho official list of honours for Newfoundland in connection with; the Order of the British .Empire', which.'-was issued on March U, the name of Lady Davidson, wifo of His Excellency•'Sir Walter Davidson, Governor of New South Wales, is included. His Majesty has conferred un Lady Davidson tho ' distiuction of Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. This honour has beun conferred for services performed in Newfoundland. :

How to Address a Dame. Kim- to mldows ii lliiiiio of .the Order of (hi. , liritMi Empire, is a qupslion which j-i'viTtil readers liiivo asked tho "JJiiily Mail.'" "A IJaiiu- .should be addressed by Idler 11s Dame Mary Smith, <>r whatever her mime limy 1k , ," siiiil mi uullioiily at tin: '■ - iilk".;v'"nf Hemldc "Supposing the .Dame holds no liiglier rnnk I linn that of Dame, ami neither she nnr her husband has any oilier title, strangers in writing would address her us 'Mailiinn ,, or '.Uμ r Miulmiip,' iicrtuiiinlinii'es iii 'Dem- Dame Mary Smith,' and l'ri'.'iiiLs as 'J)ciir Danii. , .Mary. , ".\s fur as precedence is ciincerncd, a fliiini- goes before a Knight or the wife of a Knight of the same order.' . The New Woman Police. Few people in London realise, writes I In , "bu-pibil." the admirable work which the ii!-w woman police are. doing i'l the streets. In the agglomeration of broken humanity sucked under night lifter night for want of guidance and restraint are many wiio come eventually into infirmary or hospital wards to be refitted, if possible, for a new life or end what lms proved a tragic failure. To nurses the truth regarding those waifs and strays of civilisation, often iiiiiiully younjr. is clear enough. Hail half the money and energy needed to repair disaster 'been spent on intervening to ward off danger before it was too late a useful future might have been thoir lot, instead of suffering and shame. The women police are as a strong, calm defensive outnost for their sisters, often for their brothers also, entangled in dangers (hey neither understand nor can altogether avoid. The mere arrival on the scene of a woman constable is often enough. Their trained discrimination between an exhibition of restless vanity and that of vice is seldom at fault, and the quiet rest rooms which they have ul their disposal in central situations have proved the turning point in many careers destined to all appearance to end in the police cell.

The entcrtnlnmcnt which has been arranged lo take place in St. John's Schoolroom tins evening, in aid of the Northland baby, promises to be particularly enjoyable. "The .Red Trianglerd,' , a band of nine or ten young girls who have already made themselves well known for their clever entertainments, are providing the first part ut' the programme, with Miss Nesta Canvell Cooke, as solo dancer. .Miss Cookc. is herself giving the second part, with the assistance of liev riuncin;,' pupils. AVith such performers it is needless to say that a very pleasant evening may be looked for.