Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 11]
fragments, but none could be felt with a probe, & it was decided not to cut down and look for them because more harm than good would have been done. The wounds were, therefore, thoroughly cleaned & syringed out with hydrogen-peroxide and plugged with iodoform gauze and with careful dressing they remained clean, and patient was doing well when he left the ship. There was a good deal of destruction of muscles and nervous tissue, but the main vessels and nerves had, presumably, not been damaged. An "X-Ray" photograph, taken at Colombo Hospital, showed numerous pieces of shell in his right leg, none very large, and it was there decided that it would be unwise to remove them then.
By this time we had returned to the Emden which was flying distress signals, and arrangements had now to be made for the transhipping and receipt of about 80 German wounded. The figures are the estimates of the surviving German Surgeon, and there was never an opportunity of verifying them, but they are considered approximately correct. All available stretchers, hammocks, and cots were sent to the Emden with a party, under Dr. Ollerhead, who did not return until the last patient left the Emden some five hours later. Even then some Germans who had got ashore could not be brought off until the following day (Wed.). The transhipping was an exceedingly difficult and painful undertaking, as there was a large surf running on the beach where the Emden went ashore, and she was so much of a shambles that the shifting, collecting and lowering of the wounded into the boats was necessarily rough. They were hoisted on board us in cots & stretchers