Finding Themselves: The Letters of an American Amy Chief Nurse in the British Hospital in FranceStimson, Julia C. (Julia Catherine)
History
Finding Themselves: The Letters of an American Amy Chief Nurse in the British Hospital in France
Stimson, Julia C. (Julia Catherine)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
Another incident that happened to one of my nurses this past week made
more very vivid impressions. I say “incident” because that is all it was
in the life of the camp, but the young woman said it was the most
interesting day she ever spent. She, Miss Cuppaidge, had been detailed
to go with a doctor, an anæsthetist, and an orderly to a “Casualty
Clearing Station.” When called for, small groups like this are sent up
from the base hospital whenever there is a big drive. I received an
order that Miss Cuppaidge was to go for her “gas training” at a certain
time. The group is just got ready and kept at their regular jobs until
an order comes for them to proceed to the “C. C. S.” At the appointed
time for the training Miss Cuppaidge went to the “gas school” in the
neighboring training camp. There she and four others, nurses from other
hospitals, were taken in charge by an officer. They first had minute
instructions about properly adjusting their gas masks. These are rather
complicated, as they are regular respirators. A piece through which
they breathe has to be held in the mouth, and a pair of padded clamps
shut off the nose. This is inside the mask which fits around the face
and is held on by straps around the head. They must learn to put on the
things and fix the clamps and mouth pieces in six seconds. They then
have to learn how to breathe just through the mouth without choking or
what is worse, Miss Cuppaidge said, without dribbling. They also have to
get used to the queer sensation in the ears when they swallow. When the
masks are all right and everybody is breathing all right, they are put
into a gas-filled room. This gas is just a tear gas. They are left there
five minutes, then taken out and they are asked about irritated eyes. If
there is irritation the masks are leaking or improperly adjusted. They
are then taken into trenches where other gases are liberated to get them
used to the odors, so that they can detect the presence of gas quickly.
Some gases are so deadly three breaths of it will cause death, hence the
hurry in quick detection and quick adjustment of masks. Some of these
gases travel six and seven miles. As near as I could make out the gases
are mainly of two sorts, a chlorine gas and a “phosgene” one. The
officer lectured to the nurses upon the effects of these gases and about
the treatment of them and in the middle of the afternoon sent them home
smelling like the dickens, but, as Miss C. said, entirely unafraid of
gas and quite prepared to guard against it if they meet it. Their gas
outfits they have hitched to them all the time when near the place they
are likely to meet it. We shall have other small groups go up to the C.
C. S. after this one is called out and I mean to be detailed to go with
one. These parties stay sometimes only a few days and sometimes a few
weeks, but I certainly mean to go if I can persuade the authorities to
let me leave Miss Taylor in charge. I have so little contact with the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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