AWM41 1008 - [Nurses Narratives] Staff-Nurse J M Mathews - Part 1

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STAFF-NURSE J.M. MATHEWS
 
 A.W.M.

LIBRARY

Class No  373.2

Salonika N  J Matthews  38/[?]
60th General -Hospital Platoon

shortage of food owing to

the great fire 1917

"The Australian Red Cross

worked wonders in this matter

of supplying us with goods,

tinned fruit, fish, milk, etc-

linen and quantities of socks

mufflers etc for the patients.

Varda winds, and pressing

cold, drove them off the

hills, so [[?]] 52nd General Hosp

nearer the city.

Sisters took [[convalescent?]]

patients for walks - - the

only time patients were

allowed to go out was when

the sisters took them.

To 42nd General Hosp at

[[?]] , " very bleak,

mosquitoes, sand flies,

centipedes, snakes, lizards

frogs, grasshoppers and

spiders as large as crabs

and many other creeping

and jumping things.

Tortoises

frequently 

[*The Official War Historian of the Commonwealth

Government (Dr. C.E.W. Bean), after his study of the

collection of private war records preserved in the Australian

War Memorial Library, wrote:

"The private diaries in this collection furnish some of its most

valuable historical records, but, like all private memoirs which were

not compiled with any historical purpose, they should not be

regarded as first-hand evidence except where it is certain that they

are so. The diarist is almost always sincere in his desire to record

accurately, but he is subject to no obligation or inducement to

indicate whether he is recording his own observations or incidents

told him by friends or heard at third or fourth hand at the mess table.

Then, in some of the diaries in this collection, scenes described with

vivid detail, and without any warning that they are told at second

or third hand, have been found to be completely inaccurate in

important details. A certain number also have been written up

or revised long after the events, through documents usually from notes

made at the time. In most cases the student must rely on his

experience and on internal evidence to guide him in judging what is

and what is not likely to be historically accurate".*]

frequent

No [[?]]

[[?]]

ward.

[[Vardas?]]

almost

patients

[[?]]

at [[Kata?]]

and pneumonia 1918.

Salonika  N J Matthews  38/[[110?]]
60th General -Hospital Platoon

shortage of food owing to

the great fire 1917

"The Australian Red Cross

worked wonders in this matter

of supplying us with goods,

tinned fruit, fish, milk, etc-

linen and quantities of socks

mufflers etc for the patients.

Varda winds, and pressing

cold, drove them off the

hills, so [[?]] 52nd General Hosp

nearer the city.

Sisters took [[convalescent?]]

patients for walks - - the

only time patients were

allowed to go out was when

the sisters took them.

To 42nd General Hosp at

[[Maha?]] , " very bleak,

mosquitoes, sand flies,

centipedes, snakes, lizards

frogs, grasshoppers and

spiders as large as crabs

and many other creeping

and jumping things.

Tortoises of all sizes

frequented our quarters.

No serving tents were

some distances from

wards, and owing to the

Varda winds it was

almost impossible to find

patients hot food

Sr Gertrude Munro died

of Kalamaria - malaria

and pneumonia 1918.

June 27th 1919

38/110.

To the Assistant Collator,

[*Matthews ] [Salonica*]

In compliance with your request, I

will endeavour to relate some of my experiences

whilst serving with the Australian Army Nurses

abroad.

In June 1917 I sailed from Australia

per the S.S. Mooltan, being one of 276 nursing

sisters proceeding for service abroad. The

voyage though very interesting was uneventful & we

arrived at Suez early in July, then proceeded by

hospital train to Cairo, where we parted with one

unit of sisters and continued our journey to Alexandria.

After a few days we proceeded to Port Said and crossed

the Mediterranean, by the S.S. "Chagres", to Salonika,

arriving there on July 30th. We were anchored

in the harbour for a few hours and had ample

opportunity to view the strange fantastic city,

which was to be our home for an indefinite

period.

Around us on all sides were numerous

craft of many sizes and descriptions, the harbour

seemed buzzing with activity. Alongside the

wharf were dozens of large sailing boats & smaller

pleasure craft with peculiarly shaped sails &

gay with crimson rugs and cushions. The boulevard

stretched for some distance behind & on the right

some shady tea gardens full of a gaily dressed

throng met our gaze. Rising out of their

midst we observed the splendid building known

as the White Tower. Behind stretched the two-storied

white shops and houses with their red-tiled rooves,

2.

many possessing domes and dotted here and

there among them rose the tall and stately white

minarets. Away behind & on either side we could

see the various camps & hospitals. Some composed of

long lines of red-rooved huts & others entirely of

canvas. The fierce rays of the midsummer

sun blazed down upon everything & a most

oppressive heat kept us quiet & inert.

At 5 p.m. a motor launch took us over to the

wharf, where we were met by a number of

ambulance cars and thus completed our journey.

We rode for many miles, first through the town,

where our excited gaze viewed dirty thoroughfares

crowded with people of all nationalities & the

strange dresses & headgear fascinated us exceedingly.

We saw tradesmen at the street corners roasting

nuts and cooking pastry. Bootmakers and cobblers

working in the open thoroughfare. Merchants

with their goods suspended on the street railings.

Brightly hued materials, fans, silk scarves &

handkerchiefs, many-colored beads, perfumes,

soap & pottery all jumbled together. Vendors of

cool drinks, with shining brass containers &

mugs, calling out incessantly, costermongers,

with sweets of all descriptions. Buffalo waggons, 

and native carts drawn by donkeys. Mingling with

the busy bustling throng were numbers of British,

French, Serbian, Italian and Greek troops. We

gradually left the town behind and & came to more open 

country, passing many camps and hospitals on the

way & the country becoming more and more

mountainous as we proceeded. We passed through

several villages where the quaintest old world people

dwell and the cobbled lanes are very narrow.

We continued though very mountainous country,

past many a deep ravine and along the steep 

mountain sides, passing now & again a tiny donkey

 

3.

with huge bundles of brushwood or other

merchandise upon its back. Although the

ravines far below us looked so beautifully cool &

shady the sun scorched our faces and dried our

tongues & the dust of the roads descended upon us

in large clouds, making us look like white

mounds in a box of sand, but the novelty of it

all cast its spell upon us & we looked for the 

end of our journey eagerly. The sun went

down and dusk came upon us quite suddenly &

still we journeyed on among the mountains &

finally arrived at [[Nortraih]], where the tents of

a newly erected hospital confronted us. The

medical officers & orderlies had been there for

some days & a few patients had that day been

admitted. 

We assembled in a large marquee in 

our quarters & by the lights of some candle lanterns

we there had our sleeping tents allotted to us. A

mattress, two blankets, a mosquito net & a lantern

were then issued to each of us & we departed for 

our own  especial abode feeling very tired &

hungry, but glad indeed to be at our journey's

end. The discovery of a bathhouse with

five beautiful baths added much to our

contentment. Later we supped off bully

beef & biscuits & drank refreshing draughts of

tea out of enamel basins, with tablespoons 

for the sugar & thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Before retiring for the night our wards

were allotted to us & we were informed of 

the times of duty for the following day.

Next a.m. we breakfasted at 7 o'clock

and then sought our wards & thus started

our first day on active service.

We found that some of the wards were

ready to receive patients but in many a

good deal of adjustment was necessary.

 

4.

Beds to be made, lockers scrubbed, 

annexes set in order & boxes  found & made

into cupboards for utensils, linen, foodstuffs,

etc, Lotions & a few necessary articles to be

obtained from the dispensary, also charts &

books & many other odds & ends to be obtained.

Soon, convoys of patients arrived, the 

greater number suffering from Malaria, also 

some cases of Dysentery which were sent to

a group of wards isolated for the purpose.

We had one orderly to help us in each

ward & another to carry stores etc. for two

wards.    At first the ordering of the deck

puzzled us somewhat and the Commanding

Officer found it necessary to give a course 

of lectures on the subject. Another difficulty

was the water supply, which was quite unfit

for drinking and all had to be chlorinated before

being used. Also, water for sponging purposes

was not always as plentiful as one could

have wished & restrictions as to its use were found

to be necessary in order to prevent shortage.

Then, too, the patients were having rigors so

frequently, followed by heavy skin actions &

great care was needed to make the supply

of linen meet the demand.

On the admission of a patient a blood film

was taken & sent to the laboratory for examination.

If malarial parasites were found the patient

was given Quinine. The dose varying from 30 to 

60 grams daily according to the severity of  the

symptoms, and the amount decreased gradually

as the patient progressed.

After doing duty there for three weeks the

3rd unit arrived from Egypt and took our

places & we were transferred to the 66th General

not far distant, where likewise most of the patients

 

5.

were suffering from malaria and dysentery.

The heat and the mosquitoes and all manner of

creeping, crawling and jumping insects added

greatly to their discomfort ; but the Tommies were

excellent patients and very grateful for anything

that we were able to do for them.

Our hours on duty were from 7.30a.m till 8pm,

and usually three hours off daily and one half-day a

week when possible.

We drew the meals from the cookhouse, all

ready for serving, also the tea and cocoa with the 

limited amount of milk and sugar added,

so it was necessary to serve the meals as

quickly as possible as we did not have any

means of keeping the food warm. Any extra 

nourishment, such as 2 hourly drinks, we made

with the aid of a primus stove. But the 

wind was sometimes so severe that it was

almost impossible to keep the stove alight.

Some days the heating of water for rubber bags,

sponging  etc, and the boiling of instruments

for intramuscular injections proved a long and 

difficult task if the weather were unfavorable.

The convalescent patients helped out in every way

possible and without their aid we would not 

have found it possible to get through the

daily work. In the afternoon, when the 

sun was at its greatest heat, they usually stretched

themselves on their beds and drawing the mosquito

netting over them, rested in peace from the

vicious onslaught of the numerous flies & mosquitoes.

Sometimes on our half-day off duty

we took our tea out onto the mountains and

enjoyed it in the shelter of the huge boulders or

holly bushes, with the glorious view all round us

of a thousand sheep upon a thousand hills

and the  strangely-clad shepherds with their crooks guarding

 

6.

their flocks.  Even & [[morn?]] the tinkle tinkle of 

the tiny bells on the sheep and goats was wafted to

us on the breeze. Sometimes we rode on

donkeys to the summit of Mt Kotor and Mt [[Nortaich?]]

or down to Lake [[Laugaya?]], which could be

seen from the hill on which our hospital stood.

We visited [[Coarcil?]], the tiny village on the 

water's edge and explored the great ruined castle

which is now only a home for birds.

The homes of the [[native?]] inhabitants are made

of reeds, which grow around the edge of the lake,

and are shaped like a bee-hive, with a huge wooden

door on one side and a large padlock, which 

looks most incongruous on the flimsy looking

structure. A wonderful old church still exists

and at the corners of roof large nests are

visible and sometimes a stork may be seen

standing on one leg and viewing the surrounding 

country. The people live by the fishing

industry & the production of mats from the

reeds which grow there.

Sometimes in the evenings the neighbouring camps

entertained us in their recreation tent with concerts  &

musical comedies, and we as well as the patients

derived much amusement  therefrom, then

when time permitted  we visited the nearer villages

accompanied by an armed escort. We always had

to be within the hospital compound at 5 pm in winter 

and 8 pm in summer, as brigands, wild dogs,

wolves and jackals lived among the mountains and it

was not safe to be abroad after dusk had fallen.

For the first few weeks the laundering of our

personal apparel caused us much anxiety & until

we were able to get means of ironing our clothes

we had perforce to wash and hang them on the 

tent ropes and when nearly dry fold them carefully

 

7.

and press them under our mattresses. We 

were thus enabled to keep clean, although

presenting rather a rough dry looking appearance.

Throughout the  hot days we always wore hats

whilst on duty and carried umbrellas to &  from 

the wards.

At first the buying of food material was a

very difficult matter, everything being so scarce

and the Greeks, many of them, understanding very 

little French and not any English. Also, two 

weeks after our arrival, the great fire of 1917

occurred, and completely wiped out most of the

principal shops; but the Australian Red Cross 

Society worked wonders in the matter of supplying

us with goods -tinned fruits, fish, milk etc, 

also yards of white material for making into

ward gowns and  bundles of clean old linen, which

we were very glad of  and found many uses for.

And in addition larger quantities of woollen 

scarves, socks, mittens and caps which were 

invaluable to the patients during the severe

winter weather.

Early in the morning the first sound to be

heard was the paean of the legioned rooks,

hailing the uprise of the sun, followed by

the bugle calls from the various camps. The

familiar British sound, the musical French 

reveille, & the gruffer Greek call. Then, late,

the ping, ping, ping of the French troops

at rifle practice, the braying of many

donkeys, the constant drone of aeroplanes

overhead, the ceaseless boom of the guns in 

the distance and at night when all other sounds

subsided the gentle tinkling of the bells and

the shepherd boy's melodious tunes in his  reed

whistle as he guarded his flock by night from

 

8.

the wolves & wild dogs which could sometimes

be heard barking in the distance.

When the winter advanced with its

snow and ice and piercing Vardar winds we were

forced to fold up our tents ge like the Arabs

& quietly steal away to a better position nearer 

the city of Salonika, called Kalamaria.

We entered the 52nd General Hospital, which

consisted entirely of wooden huts, with tiled

rooves and the comfort of a firm floor & a

non-leaking roof was much appreciated.

The hospital was divided into medical

& surgical lines, also an isolation block 

for cases of diarrhoea & dysentery, temporary 

to their being transferred to the dysentery hospital.

In the surgical wards most of the severe

wounds were treated with Eusol.  The dressings

being kept moist by means of an irrigator

and Carroll tubing.

Ten wards were set apart for the special 

treatment of malaria.

In two of these wards the patients received

injections of Galyl, which with saline solution

was administered intravenously at regular

intervals for a stated period. The patients

being on milk diet the day before the injection,

the day on which it was given, &  the day 

following. They were then allowed to sit out of 

bed, having ordinary diet, until the day 

before the next administration was due.

In another two of the wards the Ross course

treatment was carried out.

The patients were kept in bed all the

time and received intramuscular injections

of Quinine gr XX into the buttocks, morning &