AOTEA CONVALESCENT HOME

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 61, 6 December 1918, Page 2

AOTEA CONVALESCENT HOME

LETTER FROM MATRON EARLY. Mrs Preston, of the St. John Ambulance Brigade Overseas and Red Cross Society (Star Moating Club shed), has received the following letter from Matron Early, of the Aotea New Zealand Convalescent Home, Hcliopolis (Cairo), dated August IG:— ' . ' "Enclosed are lists ol gifts, which wo have recentlv received from you per New Zealand Gift Depaitment, Cairo. Ihe amount of work the New Zealand bod Cross workers get through is always a marvel to us. Everything you send is useful, if not to us it is to the hospitals. The surgical dressings, etc., are sn beautifully made and put up tlmt l often regret that we cannot uso them at 'Aotea,' but wo never have any big surcical dressings here, though we uso hundreds of bandages, dressings, etc., tor minor cases. Muslin bandages suitable for legs, arms, fingers are the best for us. When writing to thank you for gifts I, have so often given you a list of outstanding 'wants' that I think you arq sure to know them. Cotton shirts-any colour, but .-khaki for preferencc-nro always in demand at 'Aotoa.' Sheets wo are rather short of just now. Of pillowcases we have a good supply in hand. Towels (bath, tea, and roller) Are always useful, also pyjamas, lounge suits, and "Biscuits are practically unprocurable in Cairo, and prices are prohibitive. Wo give tho 'boys,' for morning and after-, noon teas, biscuits one day and homemade scones tho next, so you can understand that with nearly. 300 men to feed up' wo need a good, many biscuits, the ration bread is coarse and unpalatable, so the scones arid biscuits arc a welcome change. Nearly all our .patients just now are thin, run-down in health generally, owing to tho fact that so many of them are suffering from'tho dreadful malaria contracted in the Jordan Valley. I am. afraid it will bo a long time before the men become fit again after the summer spent in the Jordan Valley; it has truly been most trying for them. This home has been kept full to overflowing for months past. I am afraid tho .men will feel tho intense .cold of tho Palcstino winter after the very trying heat of tho summer. Thanks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of our many friends in New Zealand we aro able to give our men many comforts, which they greatly appreciate. . "The boys in the home are always very thoughtful for their friends in hospital, and recently we have had suchgood supplies from New Zealand that we are able to send extra comforts quite .frequently to the sick in hospital. Largo numbers of the patients at 'Aotea visit the hospital daily, and every day our cook (who is a B class sojdicr makes an oxtra batch of scones for the boys at the 27th General Hospital. Gifts useful lor taking to hospital are lib. or 2lb. tins of honev. These are useful because ot the fitted lids, and the boys are able to keep tho tins in their lockers. Meat_ pasties and small tins of New Zealand jam are also useful. For .'Aotea' we requite dried nnd tinned-fruits, tinned meats, etc. "Very often we have picnic outings, and it is such a change for the boys o ret away from the desert on to tho lovolj green grass at the various gardens m and around Cairo. Aotea Homo is situated right in tho midst of tho desert and we have as n garden only a fow palm trees. AVith many thanks for most welyomo ami verv useful gifts-Yonvs J«tthf«Uy, M. A. 'Early, Matron Aotea N.Z. Convalescent Home."