23 JANUARY 1915, Page 16

URGENCY CASES HOSPITALS FOR FRANCE. [To Us EDITOR Or THE

..SPECTAT011.”] Snt,—We venture to bring to the notice of your readers a scheme for the provision of a Flying Surgical Field Hospital for the immediate treatment of urgent cases of badly wounded French soldiers.

It may not have occurred to every one that, owing to the fact that the French troops now engaged actively in the western theatre of war are something like ten times more numerous than our own, the number of wounded to be dealt with is relatively enormous, and puts a severe strain on the resources of the various French hospital organizations. A large number die of gangrene, tetanus, de., from being unavoidably left unattended for a prolonged period, whereas the lives of many of these could be saved were it possible to afford them immediate and skilled surgical aid. It is to meet this need that Miss E. L. C. Eden has started the above scheme.

An important point is that the staff ie to be entirely professional. Miss Eden has already obtained the consent in writing of the French military authorities, and the following have expressed their approval of the scheme, and have allowed their names to be used in connexion with it, La Comtesse de Frangneville (Lady Sophia Palmer), Lady Laura Ridding, Lady French, Sir Wilmot Herringham (Vice- Chancellor of the University of London, Advisory Physician to the British Expeditionary Force), Major-General Sir Ivor Herbert, Bart., C.M.G., M.P., Mr. Stephen Paget, F.R.C.S., and Miss Houghton (Matron of Guy's Hospital). The Committee consists of Mr. Stephen Paget, F.R.C.S. (Chair- man) ; Sir Lauder Brunton, Bart., So.D., Ac.; Sir Arbuthnot Lane, Bart., M.B., F.R.C.S.; Herbert Samuelson, Esq.; Herbert Powell, Eaq. (Hon. Treasurer); James Baird, Esq. (Ron. Secretary); Miss E. L. C. Eden (Hon. Secretary National Union of Trained Nurses); Miss A. E. Gibson (late Matron Birmingham Infirmary) ; and Miss Gadsden (Matron Officers' Hospital, 24 Park Street, W.).

Owing to the courtesy of the editor of the Times, an appeal appeared in that paper on January 5th. The subscription list has now reached the figure of £1200, in addition to which the sum of £300 has been guaranteed. A further sum of £3,500 is urgently needed to enable the hospital to be efficiently equipped. Beyond this motor-cars and motor-ambutanwes will be required. Contributions in kind, such as bandages, linen, drugs, and other hospital requirements, should also be sent to "Urgency Cases Hospital," 600 Carron Street, W. Subscriptions should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, " Urgency Cases Hospital," 50A Curzon Street, W.; or to Messrs. Cox and Co., 16 Charing Cross. S.W.—We are, Sir, Ac.,

CURZON OF KEDLESTON. LAUDER BR1TNTON.

W. ARBUTHNOT LANE. IVOR. HERBERT, Maj.-Gert.