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
The dispensary at Rekovatz was started on September 4th. The camp
was as usual installed, and in working order, by the evening. The
dispensary, in four little rooms in a cottage at the entrance to the
garden, and the staff in tents. Dr. Stewart was an ideal woman for
the work. In addition to professional skill, she had a keen sense of
humour, patience and enthusiasm, and she soon established a success.
She was sent for the first evening to see a woman who was too ill to
leave her bed. The patient, in a two-roomed cottage, was lying in a
tiny room, without any sign of ventilation, past or present. She was
closely surrounded by friends; they had already put into her hand
the lighted candle--token that she was to die. The doctor opened the
window, forced a passage to the bedside through the mourners, gently
ousted them, and took stock of the patient. Double pneumonia was the
verdict. But there was no reason, except the expressed determination of
the relatives, why death should result, if only fresh air, and food,
and medicines, at regular intervals, could be assured. It seemed almost
a pity to rob the friends of their intended tragedy, but the doctor
removed the candle from the victim's hands, and said that there was no
reason why the woman should not live; but orders must be obeyed. "Who
was in charge?" The mother came forward. "Very well, now you must see
(through the interpreter) that your daughter takes the medicine, which
I will send, every four hours. Do you understand?"
"Yes, but how are we to know when it is four hours?"
"Have you no clocks or watches?"
"None."
"And none in the village?"
"No!"
"Very well, then you must give the medicine every time you eat your
meals."
"We only eat three times a day."
"Then give the medicine three times regularly, and do everything that I
tell you, and she'll get better."
The friends in chorus promised that if she got better they would give
the doctor a pig--a fat pig. The fat pig was earned, and many other
pigs, and fruits, and presents of all kinds were received by the doctor
and her staff from grateful patients.
CHAPTER XVI
There was now only one more dispensary to be established, and on
September 9th I drove with Colonel Dragomiravitz, who was accompanied
by his wife, and little son, to choose the site. We examined the map
before we left, and the Colonel suggested Pruyelina. But when we
reached this place, I didn't like its appearance. There was only the
one road of approach, and Jelendo, a village further along the road,
became our objective. But as we drove, the Colonel remembered that at
Ovcharska Banja there were 150 Bosnian and Herzegovinian refugees,
and that, hidden away amongst the mountains, were many villages, with
neglected populations, and he decided that he would like the dispensary
to be placed at Ovcharska.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account