Chemists -- France -- Biography; Curie, Pierre, 1859-1906; Physicists -- France -- Biography
Of the hospital life of those years, we keep many a remembrance, my
daughter and I. Traveling conditions were extraordinarily difficult; we
were often not sure of being able to press forward, to say nothing of
the uncertainty of finding lodgings and food. However, things always
ended in arranging themselves, thanks to our persistence and to the good
will we met. Wherever we went I had to look after each detail myself and
see innumerable military chiefs to obtain passes and permissions for
transportation. Many a time I loaded my apparatus on to the train
myself, with the help of the employees, to make sure that it would go
forward instead of remaining behind several days at the station. And on
arrival I also went to extract them from the encumbered station.
When I traveled with the radiologic car, other problems presented
themselves. I had, for instance, to find safe places for the car, to get
lodgings for the assistants and to secure the automobile accessories.
Since chauffeurs were scarce, I learned to drive the car, and did it
when necessary. Owing to all this personal supervision, my installations
were usually swiftly made, whereas appeal to the Central Health Service
was answered slowly. So the military chiefs greatly appreciated the
assistance they could get from me, especially in cases of urgent need.
We both, my daughter and myself, have pleasant and grateful memories of
the personnel of the hospitals, and were on the best terms with the
surgeons and nurses. One could not but admire these men and women who
were giving their services without counting, and whose task was often
overwhelming. Our collaboration was easy, for my daughter and I tried to
work in their spirit; and we felt that we were standing side by side
with friends.
While we were attached to the Belgian Ambulance Service, we were present
several times during visits of King Albert and Queen Elizabeth. We
appreciated deeply their devotion, their solicitude for the wounded,
their extreme simplicity, and the cordiality of their behavior.
But nothing was so moving as to be with the wounded and to take care of
them. We were drawn to them because of their suffering and because of
the patience with which they bore it. Almost everyone did his best to
facilitate the X-ray examination, notwithstanding the pain caused by any
displacement. One learned very soon to know them individually and to
exchange with them a few friendly words. Those who were not familiar
with the examination, wanted very much to be reassured about the effect
of the strange apparatus they were going to experience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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