Letter from Jacqueline Labesse-- Dr. Wilsey's French student

310.146.1-2.2016 Transcription

[This was a just-

graduated French girl

medical student sent to us c̅[1]

a French-Aux-Team. European (& Fr)

Anesthesiology is at a horribly low level.

I acted as a “Deciple”

of American Anesth. to

Europe’s pitifulness &

taught her machines,

intratracheals, pentothal,

nitrous oxide, ether.

(Everything except spinals.)

Others who read this

think, as I do, that

its too cute for

words. (if you

knew this

little girl

&

French “philosophies” & mores.)][2]

Medecin Auxiliare Jacqueline Labesse

65, rue d’Alleray

Paris 15^e

Paris 7 April 1945

Dear Captain Wilsey,

I have been very sad to not say

you adieu before my starting; but I

have not dare to awake you because I

thought you are very tired with the working

of the night. I was very sad too, to set out

without your photography. It is the reason

for wich I dared to take the photography

that I send you. I hope you will not

shocking by that, because I think it is

not shocking to see somebody sleeping

after very much working. But if you

are shocking I promise you to burn it;

and you send me another for I keep

the remembrance of you on the page

of my book where I have put the

photographies of my others friends of

the 116^th hospital. But surely I shall

not forget never the remembrance of you

[2]

who were with me the best of teachers

and more than good and more than pretty.

I hope you understand my bad explaing

explaining because I write so bad I speak.

But formerly we understand us in spite of

all that things. And I have lost

my interpreter Miss Ruffer who is

set out with the Captain and the boys (and the dog)

near the Atlantic. Miss Renaudin too

had leaved me: she is in a new hospital,

field-hospital, near Lyon. Me, I am

starting to-morrow in the 1^st French Army,

alone, and probably in Alsace. And I am

very sad without my friends and my dog.

And perhaps my letter never shall arrive

to you because the armies walk more

quickly than the courrier.

Give me the permission to thank

you very sincerely for all everything you

have done for me. Give too a strong

fisticuff to Chester for me, and for

you my friendly shake-hand

Jacqueline Labesse

[1] Medical abbreviation meaning “with.”

[2] Bracketed text written by Wilsey in the margins of the original.