Themotiveofmystartingonajourneywasusuallyademandfromsurgeons.IwentwitharadiologiccarwhichIkeptformypersonaluse.Inexaminingthewoundedinthehospital,Icouldgaininformationofthespecialneedsoftheregion.WhenbackinParis,Igotthenecessaryequipmenttomeettheseneedsandreturnedtoinstallitmyself,forveryoftenthepeopleonthegroundcouldnotdoit.Ihadthentofindcompetentpersonstohandletheapparatusandshowthemhowtodoit,infulldetail.Afterafewdaysofhardtoil,themanipulatorknewenoughtoworktheapparatushimself,andatthesametimealargenumberofwoundedhadbeenexamined.Inaddition,thesurgeonsoftheregionhadgainedanideaoftheusefulnessoftheradiologicexamination(whichfewofthemknewatthattime),andfriendlyrelationswereestablishedwhichmadethelaterdevelopmentofmyworkmucheasier.
OnseveralofmytripsIwasaccompaniedbymyelderdaughter,Irene,whowasthenseventeenyearsold,and,havingfinishedherpreparatorystudies,wasbeginninghigherstudiesattheSorbonne.Becauseshegreatlydesiredtobeuseful,shenowstudiednursingandlearnedradiology,anddidherbesttohelpmeunderthemostvariedcircumstances.ShedidambulanceworkatthefrontbetweenFurnesandYpres,andalsoatAmiens,receiving,fromtheChiefsofService,testimonialsofworksatisfactorilyperformedand,attheendofthewar,amedal.
Ofthehospitallifeofthoseyears,wekeepmanyaremembrance,mydaughterandI.Travelingconditionswereextraordinarilydifficult;wewereoftennotsureofbeingabletopressforward,tosaynothingoftheuncertaintyoffindinglodgingsandfood.However,thingsalwaysendedinarrangingthemselves,thankstoourpersistenceandtothegoodwillwemet.WhereverwewentIhadtolookaftereachdetailmyselfandseeinnumerablemilitarychiefstoobtainpassesandpermissionsfortransportation.ManyatimeIloadedmyapparatusontothetrainmyself,withthehelpoftheemployees,tomakesurethatitwouldgoforwardinsteadofremainingbehindseveraldaysatthestation.AndonarrivalIalsowenttoextractthemfromtheencumberedstation.
WhenItraveledwiththeradiologiccar,otherproblemspresentedthemselves.Ihad,forinstance,tofindsafeplacesforthecar,togetlodgingsfortheassistantsandtosecuretheautomobileaccessories.Sincechauffeurswerescarce,Ilearnedtodrivethecar,anddiditwhennecessary.Owingtoallthispersonalsupervision,myinstallationswereusuallyswiftlymade,whereasappealtotheCentralHealthServicewasansweredslowly.Sothemilitarychiefsgreatlyappreciatedtheassistancetheycouldgetfromme,especiallyincasesofurgentneed.
Weboth,mydaughterandmyself,havepleasantandgratefulmemoriesofthepersonnelofthehospitals,andwereonthebesttermswiththesurgeonsandnurses.Onecouldnotbutadmirethesemenandwomenwhoweregivingtheirserviceswithoutcounting,andwhosetaskwasoftenoverwhelming.Ourcollaborationwaseasy,formydaughterandItriedtoworkintheirspirit;andwefeltthatwewerestandingsidebysidewithfriends.
WhilewewereattachedtotheBelgianAmbulanceService,wewerepresentseveraltimesduringvisitsofKingAlbertandQueenElizabeth.Weappreciateddeeplytheirdevotion,theirsolicitudeforthewounded,theirextremesimplicity,andthecordialityoftheirbehavior.
Butnothingwassomovingastobewiththewoundedandtotakecareofthem.Weweredrawntothembecauseoftheirsufferingandbecauseofthepatiencewithwhichtheyboreit.AlmosteveryonedidhisbesttofacilitatetheX-rayexamination,notwithstandingthepaincausedbyanydisplacement.Onelearnedverysoontoknowthemindividuallyandtoexchangewiththemafewfriendlywords.Thosewhowerenotfamiliarwiththeexamination,wantedverymuchtobereassuredabouttheeffectofthestrangeapparatustheyweregoingtoexperience.
Icanneverforgettheterribleimpressionofallthatdestructionofhumanlifeandhealth.Tohatetheveryideaofwar,itoughttobesufficienttoseeoncewhatIhaveseensomanytimes,allthroughthoseyears:menandboysbroughttotheadvancedambulanceinamixtureofmudandblood,manyofthemdyingoftheirinjuries,manyothersrecoveringbutslowlythroughmonthsofpainandsuffering.
Oneofmydifficultproblemswastofindthenecessarytrainedassistantstooperatemyapparatus.Atthebeginningofthewartherewaslittleknowledgeofradiology,andapparatusinthehandsofthosewhodidnotunderstandhowtohandleitdeterioratedquicklyandwassoonuseless.Thepracticeofradiologyinmosthospitalsinwar-timedoesnotrequiremuchmedicalknowledge;itcanbesufficientlygraspedbyintelligentpersonswhoknowhowtostudyandwhohavesomenotionofelectricalmachinery.Professors,engineers,oruniversitystudentsoftenmadegoodmanipulators.Ihadtolookforthosewhoweretemporarilyfreefrommilitaryservice,orwhohappenedtobestationedinthelocalitywhereIneededthem.ButevenafterIhadsecuredthem,theseoperatorswereoftentransferredbymilitaryorders,andIhadtosearchagainforotherstofilltheirplaces.Forthisreason,Ideterminedtotrainwomentodothiswork.