| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, Hôpital Auxiliaire No. 10, Hotel Bristol, Aix-le-Bains, Savoie, France, to her relatives, regarding delays in writing because she is busy and tired; she is enjoying all the new experiences; heavy rain has cleared the air; Aunt is suffering a little from the heat, but the hospital is cool - she could never do this work in Rome; massage is now general and she has three nurses and three nuns to supervise; she is to give them a lesson this evening; they are willing and interested pupils but none has the healing touch or a sufficiently sympathetic nature; Delalande refused to be massaged by Mlle. Perolaz and insisted on having Amelia instead; her cases are now spread out over the hospital again which means she meets other nurses; Delalande did not complain to her but was unusually compliant when she gave him instructions; Dupont, another patient, has a difficult character, and hid his splint under a neighbour's mattress, but the other patients gave him away; Bordes told her afterwards that Dupont had been roundly condemned for his actions by the other patients; he has improved as a consequence; the younger patients are not a problem, but the 35 - 40 group are more stubborn; Seurin has had his tenth operation; his nerves the night before brought on pain in the loins and colic, and Mlle Podex, the lady doctor, thought it was a muscular infection; he refused to be operated on but was eventually persuaded, and the operation was a quick one, finding that he was healing well but a fistula had formed; some of the nursing is unkind and there is needless touching of wounds; two patients have been sent away in disgrace as they climbed over the wall to go to the theatre; those unfit are sent to military hospital, while the others are sent straight back to their depots without the usual home leave; the rules are apparently stricter here than elsewhere; she regrets the loss as they were both delicate cases and needed more work; this is apparently the only hospital where massage is practised; the doctor is very pleased with the results; she now has 30 patients; the doctor has given her considerable authority and made sure she has no trouble with the nurses; Mme. Brouard could have proved difficult; Aunt calls her 'Vinegar'; she made Tanton carry mattresses when his shoulder was injured; Blake is heading for Mürren where he intends to replace Uncle, even though this has not been formally arranged: Uncle has said he is willing to yield as long as Blake undertakes to stay the winter, as constant changes are not good; Uncle's communication is brief and censored. |