File No. 763.72112/2125
The Ambassador in Germany (Gerard) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 17.]
Sir: I have the honor to bring the following case to the attention of the Department for its consideration. Dr. Frederic Kammerer, professor of clinical surgery at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, is at present in Berlin as the head of an American medical expedition, consisting of four doctors and six nurses to care for German wounded. This expedition is financed by American citizens and is the second one of its kind, the first expedition under Dr. Hermann Fischer from the German Hospital in New York having been in charge of a hospital at Oppeln in Silesia since October 1915. Doctor Kammerer has earnestly requested me to inquire from the Department if it could obtain, through the British Ambassador at Washington, permission for the shipment direct to him of 500 pairs of rubber operating gloves. Doctor Kammerer has stated to me that the need for these operating gloves is imperative, as the operations which they are called upon to perform are practically always those where the wounds are infected, and operating without the protection of rubber gloves involves serious danger to the life of the surgeon and attending nurses. In fact it is stated that it was while assisting at an operation without the protection of rubber gloves that the infection of the American nurse, Miss Emma Duensing, at the American Hospital in Oppeln was caused, who died from blood poisoning within 48 hours.
It can be readily seen that the surgical treatment of extremely septic cases, without the protection of rubber gloves, involves the greatest danger to the life of American citizens who are working at these hospitals.
Doctor Kammerer has stated that, should permission be granted for the desired shipment of rubber gloves for his hospital force, he will sign an agreement that they will be destroyed after use.
The question of the permission for importation of surgeons’ rubber gloves to Germany was referred to the Department in my cipher cable No. 3044, dated October 27, 1915,1 and I most respectfully and earnestly again bring this matter to the Department’s attention for its most serious consideration.
Should the desired permission be obtained from the British Government, I request that this Embassy be informed by telegraph.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩