Dr. H. Couper Patrick, who was a member of the staff of the Scottish Women's Hospital in Servia, the Liberal Club, Glasgo Miss Patrick said it was exactly " year ago that day that the staff of the Scottish Women's Hospital arrived at Kra-Rujevatz. She had charge of the cooking department. The hospital had accom modation for 100 patients, but it had not been established very long when they had about 250 of the less serious accommodated in inns in the town, while the hospital was reserved for severe cases. In March five doctors and 20 fever-trained nurses arrived, and they took over a hospital for 200 typhus casco, and also a smaller one for recur-
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871 rent cases. During the first three months there was a good deal of sickness among the staff. In May the work was lees, and in June the fever hospital was traneferred further north in order to be nearer the army. Except for an air raid in June, when five persons were killed and ten injured, they scarcely realized that the war was raging until towards the end of September. In that month, however, there waa another air raid, aad good many bombs were dropped. The Servian air defence forces replied, and two.of the hostile aeroplanes were hit, one of which fell in the main street.
'The enemy aeroplanes returned next day, and though lees damage was done it was stated that a letter wae dropped threatening vengeance in nix days' time. At the end of about a week a severe bombardment of Belgrade was begun. From that time onward the wounded came pouring into the hospitals. The fever hospital to the north was considered to be unsafe, and it had to be moved to Kragujevata. All the time the reports showed that the Germans were coming nearer, and one town after another fell into their hands. The fever hospital staff were sent toward the southwest, and on the following day she and her fellow-workers orders to go also, the patients having been sent away previously. The Germans occupied the town the day after she had left it, The party had great difficulty in getting bullock waggons for their journey, and even after they secured the waggons there was delay at almost every point. The roads were full of fugitives, and only slow progress could be made. The bullocks travelled at a rate of about two miles per hour, The sight of ro many families fleeing before the enemy was a striking one. At night they camped by the road side, or if the rain fell they sought shelter in the villugea by the way. When they reached the mountainous districta they had to leave the bullock waggons behind and take ponies. The road over the mountains was simply a bridle path, over steep gradiente and round sharp comers. The difficulty there was that there were atill many refugees crowding the pathway. After much difficulty the party reached Scatari, Misplaced Optimism. a letter to her brother Miss Patrick writes had quite a nice time all summer till the end of September, when several aeroplanes visited us. One was brought down and fell in the mai street. The enclosed newspaper cutting gives a fair outline of what happened to us after that, so I need only fill in details.
Wo left Kragujevatz on October 25, travelling by rull to Krushevatz, taking forty-eight hours to a journey which an account of ber experiences in should have taken at most eight or ten that country at a meeting held in hours. The railway, which is a single tine, waa very much congested with re fugee trains and ammunition trains, for the arsenal was also being evacuated. The Headquarters Staff had already removed to Krushevatz from Kragujevate and when we arrived we found they were preparing to move further on. Sir Paget called to discuss the situation with Dr. Inglis, with the result that it was left to the individuals to decide for themselves whether to go or stay. Dr. Inglis was most optimistic about the military situation, saying that the British would soon be up for our relief, but some of tus decided to make the attempt to get riginal from
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.