The Flaming Sword in Serbia and ElsewhereStobart, M. A. (Mabel Annie)
History
The Flaming Sword in Serbia and Elsewhere
Stobart, M. A. (Mabel Annie)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
Our patients were all wonderfully cheerful and happy, and the
convalescents enjoyed their meals in a tent which had been given by
the men working on a ranch in British Columbia. _Popara_ (a national
dish--a sort of porridge of bread and lard), and eggs, bread, and
_pekmez_ (plum jam), and tea or coffee for breakfast; a rich stew of
meat and vegetables, or a roast, and pudding or pastry for dinner; and
again, meat, and stew, or soup, and pudding for supper. On Fridays,
however, the soldiers always refused meat.
Colonel Nicolaivitch (now Serbian Military Attaché in London) told me
the other day that, on one of his visits to our Kragujevatz camp, he
had been talking in one of the wards, with a man who was sitting up
in bed with a bandaged head. He was much enjoying his dinner, and the
Colonel said, "I expect you would like to stay in this hospital half a
year?" "No," replied the man promptly, "a whole year."
The men are not accustomed to play games, except with cards. A card
game called "Jeanne d'Arc" was the favourite. But they loved "Kuglana":
this was a game like skittles, played with nine pins and a large wooden
ball, which was swung between two tall posts. It was made for us at the
arsenal, and gave our convalescents much joy and recreation.
I was a little surprised at the matter-of-fact way in which the men all
accepted women doctors, and surgical operations by women. Indeed, they
highly approved, because women were, they said, more gentle, and yet as
effective as men doctors.
I was also surprised that at first, in April, when the weather was
cold, they did not fear the tents and the open-air life. But the
ward-tents, being double-lined, were as warm as could be wished at
night, or when it rained; and in sunny weather, when the sides were
lifted, gave an open-air treatment which was at once appreciated.
Camp hours were:--
Reveillé at 5.30 a.m.
Breakfast at 6 (the sun was very hot in the middle of the day and it
was better to get the heaviest part of the work done in the cooler
hours).
Lunch at 11.30.
Tea at 4.
Supper at 6.30 (as the town was out of bounds it seemed wise to avoid
the possibility of dull evenings by going early to bed).
Lights out at 9.
Much attention was attracted by our novel form of hospital, and all
day long, visitors, official and otherwise, flocked to see all the
arrangements. These seemed to be highly approved.
The kitchen department was under the supervision of Miss M. Stanley;
dispensary under Miss Wolseley; laundry, Miss Johnstone; linen, Mrs.
Dearmer. The X-ray Department was managed by Dr. Tate and Mr. Agar. The
Secretary was Miss McGlade, and the Hon. Treasurer, John Greenhalgh.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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