Bert C. Ball Letter to Dr. Hans Peter Andersen - April 2, 1918
Transcript
[April 2, 1918] Dear Hans; I can't account for your long silence. Hence I am sending you a short letter seeking news from the University and about the other fellows there. We are now and have been very busy during the past 10 days. In fact unusually so. Working harder than we ever have since our arrival here many months ago. Of course just at present are doing surgery almost exclusively as this is the type of case that comes down when there is any thing doing up on the front. Many cases reach us untouched by the surgeon. Such cases have been wounded from one to five or six days back. Hence many wounds reach us very dirty. Just at present we are seeing considerable gas gangrene. - Hence many amputations are done and radicall operations preformed. It's hard to conceive just how dirty a wound can get that has been uncared for for a period of 3 or 4 days. A few days ago we received notices that we had officially graduated on the 16 of March. This of course you know, a few days previous to this we were also diplomatically informed that we would have to pay said tuition and diploma fee, totaling $155.00. This was a surprise to several, considering the circumstances. Much comment was made upon the subject both pro & con, mostly con however. I wrote home to have dad pay mine, as I suppose every other fellow did. We made applications a few days back. Just when we shall hear from same I could not say
Transcript
You probably know by this time that "Dean” Opie formerly Captain is now a Major. However he is not with us and has not been for some time. It was rumored that he would soon return to the States, but rumor I think it was too. Your friends Drs. Thomas and Bell are doing the pathological work connected with the Hosp. They have been helping and in the operating room recently. What have the boys done about a house, and how have they gather along during this scholastic year? How is Swede? Say Hans have you still got my worldly possessions in your care? Some junk. Were you able to sell the anatomy books at the price you mentioned? Let me know what your plans are during the ensuing year. Have they offered another summer session of school? Have those men, juniors who attended school last summer left the school are they still there doing some work in the hospital? What ever you do don't let any [MS illegible: 1 wd] you into joining a Medical Corps until you have fully graduated and equipped yourself with the training desired for such work. I could tell you a great deal about what has happened but shall not here as it is some what out of place.
Transcript
Give Dr & Mrs. Baumgartner my regards. Also hello to your Stenography Mrs. Miller. You know Withers. He is not with us any longer. He and Alvis were diagnosed T.B. patients and the last account I got of them was while they were in #2 R. Cross. Paris. Supposedly they were returning to the States. Let me hear from you soon Hans With best regards Your friend Bert. C. Ball Base Hosp 21 #12 (St Louis U.S.A.) Bn Gen, B.E.F. France.
Details
| Title | Bert C. Ball Letter to Dr. Hans Peter Andersen - April 2, 1918 |
| Creator | Ball, Bert C. |
| Source | Ball, Bert C. Bert C. Ball letter to Dr. Hans Peter Andersen . 02 April 1918. Andersen, Hans Peter, Papers, 1909-1920. R0832. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | In this April 2, 1918, letter to his Washington University colleague Dr. Hans Andersen, Bert C. Ball discussed his work at Base Hospital 21. Ball, a Missouri native, served as a ward orderly in France during World War I. |
| Subject LCSH | World War, 1914-1918; United States. Army. Base Hospital 21; World War, 1914-1918--Medical care; United States. Army. Medical Corps. |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | R0832 |
| Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | April 2, 1918 |
| Language | English |