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
noticed that the little silver basket that held the spoons, had two
partitions, and one was empty! I plumped for the empty half, with
serene confidence, and--thank goodness!--the girl moved on to the next
guest, satisfied.
When we got back to camp, at ten that evening, we found that the doctor
designed for Natalintzi, Dr. Iles, had by a curious coincidence arrived
from India that evening. Tents and stores did not come till July 13th.
But everything was that same day unpacked, stored and repacked, and
the next morning at 4.30 tents, stores, drugs and general equipment
were stowed in a motor lorry from the town. Our own two cars and
another, lent to us by the military authorities, carried the unit,
which comprised doctor, two nurses, a cook, and an interpreter, also
the sanitary inspectress, Miss B. Kerr, to inaugurate the sanitary
arrangements, and Miss Benjamin to put up the tents. With habitual
courtesy, Major Protitch came up at 5 a.m. to see us off and to say
good-bye, as I was to be away for two days.
[Illustration: SERBIAN WOUNDED ARRIVING AT OUR DRESSING STATION FROM
THE BATTLEFIELD NEAR DOBRIDOL]
[Illustration: EVACUATING WOUNDED FROM OUR DRESSING STATION]
We arrived at Natalintzi at 10.30 a.m. after only one serious
breakdown. One of our cars skidded into a ditch, but the motor lorry
pulled it out. I always made a rule, on all occasions, that all carts
and wagons should keep together when travelling. There were sometimes
heartburnings over this, but it was, none the less, a necessary
precaution.
The Prefect and the Mayor received us graciously, and lunched with us
under our church trees, and by the evening all tents were pitched and
stores unpacked. And already next day the success of the dispensary
was assured. The good tidings that medical help was at last available
had spread, and patients at once arrived. Also, that same evening, the
doctor was sent for to attend a woman too ill to be moved; but for the
help she then received the woman would have died.
Here, as always in Serbia, we were reminded of the dominance of war as
a factor in the lives of the people. I asked one old woman who came to
see the doctor, how old she was; she didn't know, but she turned to
another old crony who was standing near and said: "Let's see, in which
war was I born?" Her friend told her it was the 1848 Austrian war; and
thus her age was focussed.
The weather was broiling hot, but many of the peasants wore thick
sheepskin waistcoats lined with wool. I asked an old man how he would
manage to keep warm in winter, if he were not too hot in such a
waistcoat now. He replied, astonished at my question, "In winter I wear
two."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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