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[Page 38]
the week we received a small quantity of horse or dog flesh for dinner. We have many arguments regarding the nature of the meat, however it is quite a vague controversy. A welcome adjunct to the soup is an occasional spoonful of peas. This is quite a treat after "saur kraut" and "swedes" but I am afraid it will not continue.
1st June. The weather is ideal much to our comfort in one sense; on the other hand, the odious smells are more abominable. The hot weather so effects wounds not dressed regularly. Numerous deaths have been recorded lately; amongst the most recent, are four Australians. This morning a man of my Battalion, had a leg amputated without anaesthetic. He certainly was too weak to take the ether, but on the other hand, his life should have been saved. The operation was necessary weeks ago and his health would have withstood a general anaesthetic. However, the operation was performed this morning. A local injection was administered to ease the pain. His screams of agony were awful; he died several hours later. Usual ordeal.
2nd. Pte. Muller of the 14th Batt. A.I.F, died. He had the one foot amputated, and severe body wounds in addition to a badly frostbitten foot. The foot was green and decomposed with mortification. Muller suffered extreme pain and misery, caused through ill-treatment. I am certain he would have survived the operation had the Huns amputated the remaining foot earlier. He was very cheerful until the last few days; I saw and spoke to him waiting in the operating room only a few days back. Men who knew him in the Battalion, all say he was a fine athlete and strong and healthy. Very severe cases receive one raw egg and a little horse flesh and periodically four ounces of white bread, if the meat is not issued. They perforce, rely upon the ordinary soups. In an ordinary British hospital, these cases would receive whatever food, stout, or nourishment they cared to ask for. The Muller case is quite a common thing here. Death through neglect and inattention, is more prevalent amongst the Russians; the numbers