Jack the Ripper – A Love Story ( Excerpt 189 ) – Malcolm Marsh

Jack the Ripper _ A Love Story ( Excerpt 189 )

I delegated the selection of the Nursing Sisters to my newly promoted Matron. I had briefed her fully on what I required from them, The rest I would leave to her experience.

Once the Sisters were selected, they in turn would choose the Nurse’s who would be working under them. In this fashion I hoped somehow to forge a strong team.

When the selection process was almost completed, I hosted a meeting of my senior staff, that included Doctors, Matron and Nursing Sisters.

I explained as best I could how I expected the hospital to be run. I did not wish to set myself up as a martinet, but no matter what the circumstance’s I would insist that the patient’s treatment and welfare came first above all other precedents. I then threw the meeting open for questions as I am sure there would be many.

One of the surgeons opened the questions, ‘With respect, Major, have you any practical experience of running a Field Hospital of this kind?’ ‘I would like to think so, I was a resident at Concentration Camp No.1 at Bloemfontien in the Boer conflict. I was also Doctor in residence at the Whitechapel Infirmary for a number of years. But, with regards to your question, the honest answer is no! until we arrive in France or wherever and set up shop we have no idea what we shall be facing and I would be a liar to say otherwise. ‘Thank you for your honesty Sir, replied the Doctor.