10 NOVEMBER 1917, Page 15

[To THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECIITOR."1 SID.,—I have read

with interest the correspondence under Shit, heading. May I give you my experience as Commandant of it small auxiliary hospital of nearly three years' standing ? We have fifty beds, and I have over sixty- V.A.D.'s who work in rota- tion. They are drawn from all classes, and do all the work of the hospital, nursing, cooking, housework, with one trained nurse sister and ono charwoman. In my opinion, Mr. Little's coote. lion does not hold good, as domestic servants, however excellent in their own sphere, are not suitable for hospital work. while ladies usually make good V.A.D.'s. My personal experient, is that the domestic servant as V.A.D. is lacking in discipline, grit, and sense of duty; she is inclined to grenade and take badly with the hard, monotonous work and high standard of eltwalinees• required in a hospital. A welbeducalts1 girl, however ignorant at the start, very soon learns the work. She is more intelligent and self-controlled, and has a far keener souse of duty; in the ward she is more capable of managing the patients and giving thirst the understanding and sympathy they need without risk of undue familiarity. Few domestic servants would care to under- take the monotonous. -menial work done willingly- by the V.A.D.'s, or to submit to Ilse strict supervision and discipline of hospital