Medical Treatment

December 1 1916 

Dear Ada,

I wrote to you earlier about spending a wee bit of time in the hospital. Actually, I was dragged in by a few fellow soldiers of mine, after getting a scrap of shrapnel lodged into my side. I was then transported in an ambulance to a dressing station, and then later to a casualty clearing station. Of course, I was not the only one. There were hundreds either getting medical attention, waiting to be treated, or left to die. Since this war churns out so many casualties, doctors have to decide who can wait, who needs attention right away, and who is beyond help.

Moments after the shrapnel was removed, I observed a doctor, assisted by a couple of bluebirds, perform an amputation on a soldier. Overhearing something about him having contracted a serious case of trench foot, he was now having his foot cut off. 

After getting the shrapnel removed and being removed from the war front myself, I was brought to a general hospital somewhere in France to recover. I do not know what will happen when I am fully recovered, but I suspect I will be sent back to the frontlines.

Your loving brother,

Grant

Casualty Clearing Station. N.d. George Metcalf Archival Collection . Canadian War Museum. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www.warmuseum.ca/‌cwm/‌exhibitions/‌guerre/‌photo-e.aspx?PageId=2.C.3.c&photo=3.E.3.bs&f=%2fcwm%2fexhibitions%2fguerre%2fmedical-treatment-e.aspx&p=1>.

“Medical Treatments.” Canadian War Museum. Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. <http://www.warmuseum.ca/‌cwm/‌exhibitions/‌guerre/‌medical-treatment-e.aspx>.