Letters received March 27th from Nurse Madge Addy, Ucles

              LETTERS RECEIVED MARCH 27TH FROM NURSE MADGE ADDY, UCLES
1.3.39
Many thanks for the clothes and parcels.     Two sacks and cases are missing as yet, but are possibly in the Almacon in Valencia, where all the cargoes are sent, and the different 'Misions' and Committees claim their consignments.     I am enclosing a letter of thanks to the people who sent the clothes.     I cannot describe how much appreciated they are, and I think the knowledge that these things are sorely needed will be ample compensation to you for your trouble in packing and sending the things.     You will by now have received a letter from me telling you that we have 600 new wounded in and mostly without clothes, so you can imagine what a god-send the men's clothes were.
2.3.39
I had to break off writing last night.  I am at the moment staying on duty all night.   Possibly you remember the photo of the blood transfusion.     The same man is back here again, and when I arrived was having haemorrhages from his stomach.     Three nights ago I gave him another blood transfusion in preparation for his operation the next morning.     It is the first operation of the kind Dr. Landa has done, and naturally he is very interested and anxious about him. Knowing I share the same interest, he asked me if I could possibly manage to stay on at nights till he is out of danger.     The operation took three hours, owing to lack of decent materials and Dr. Lunda's first attempt.     The man had a 'pyloric stenosis and gastric ulcers'. A large resection of the stomach and gastro-enterostomy was performed. The spinal anaesthetic here in Spain is rotten, and three-quarters of an hour before the operation terminated he was conscious of everything.  It was ghastly, and ultimately he was in a shocked and severe state of exhaustion.     However we dare to hope now that he will live and the fear of peritonitis passed.     In the cases you sent were odd tins of milk, soup etc.   You cannot imagine the pleasure these have given me, to know that I have proper nourishment for him, and so be able to complete what I venture to hope will be a successful recovery.     I wonder if you are interested in all these gory details, but as nothing ever happens in Ucles but the work of the hospital, I am afraid I am developing into one of those boring people who have no other topic of conversation save work.     At the moment we are extremely isolated, as the military authorities have confiscated all wireless sets, we did occasionally hear something of the outside world when we had electricity enough in the hospital.     You can imagine what it is like, no wireless, no newspapers and no letters.     I hope someone will let us know when the war is over.     However you know I am happy at Ucles, and I like to feel that Louisa's good work will be terminated here with the same conscientiousness, and that the name of Mision Sanitaria Britanica will evoke pleasant memories in the minds of all the people here.
Holst phoned me this evening to say he has been talking to Dr. Puche (I don't know if I have spelled it right) and he has told him he is expecting Rosita.     Oh I do hope so, you can't imagine what a pleasure it will be to have her here.     Holst has promised faithfully to get a car for her, and bring her down as soon as she comes.
My regards to you all, and please write to me. I am beginning to look forward to some replies to my letters via Dr. Nystrum.  Dr. Landa and Agustin ask me to give you their warmest regards and thanks.
P.S. This may interest the doctors on the Committee. We had only three needles for the operation, ordinary suture needles. How can people turn out a first-class job, when they are so handicapped?