Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 9]
were told off into watches to do the nursing. Early next morning we arrived off Cocos Island, near the cable station, and having ascertained the damage done we took off the Eastern Extension Telegraph Co's Surgeon, Dr. H.S. Ollerhead, to help us with the German wounded. We then steamed back to North Keeling Island to the Emden. We now had the sick bay rigged up as a theatre, having unshipped the beds and made as much room as possible. Our great difficulty was lack of space and trained assistance. We had used up all the sterile towels on the previous day and had no chance of getting more.
The shortage of trained theatre staff, with lack of conveniences, caused much delay in the preparation of the theatre between each case, and the actual operations were delayed for the same reason. There was also much delay in getting instruments sterilized, and one could not get what was required in good time. Consequently, the asepsis was not what it might have been. Later in the day we organised a theatre staff from volunteers. They helped to clear up, held basins and receptacles and got things for one, and did remarkably useful work with composure that was astonishing, since they were present at many bloody operations and gazed upon some sights to which none of them had been previously accustomed. Sugeon Todd acted as anaesthetist & Dr. Ollerhead assisted me with the operations.
The first case we took was "B", A.B. He had had a restless night, and from his dyspnoea and the oozing of blood it was obvious that there was