"Boat come--must stop--am going back to Braila to do surgery. Have sent every trained person there.
"Ever, you dear, dear people, "Your loving sister, "ELSIE.
"We have had lots of exciting things too--and amusing things--and _good_ things."
Two further retreats had, however, to be experienced by Dr. Inglis and her Unit before they could settle down to steady work. The three retreats took place in the following order:
_Sunday, October 22nd._--Retreated from Medjidia.
_October 25th._--Arrived at Braila. Worked there till December 3rd.
_December 3rd._--Retreated to Galatz, where very strenuous work awaited them.
_August, 1917._--Left Reni, and rejoined the Serb division at Hadji Abdul.
The work during the above period, from October 25th, 1916, to August, 1917, was done for the Russians and Roumanians. As soon as it was possible, Dr. Inglis joined the Serb division in the end of August, 1917.
"Dr. Inglis was still working in Reni when the Russian Revolution broke out in March.[20] The spirit of unrest and indiscipline, which manifested itself among the troops, spread also to the hospitals, and a Russian doctor reported that in the other hospitals the patients had their own committees, which fixed the hours for meals and doctors' visits and made hospital discipline impossible. But there was no sign of this under Dr. Inglis's kindly but firm rule. Without relaxing disciplinary measures, she did all in her power to keep the patients happy and contented; and as the Russian Easter drew near, she bought four ikons to be put up in the wards, that the men might feel more at home. The result of this kindly thought was a charming Easter letter written by the patients--
"_To the Much-honoured Elsie Maud, the Daughter of John._
"The wounded and sick soldiers from all parts of the army and fleet of great free Russia, who are now for healing in the hospital which you command, penetrated with a feeling of sincere respect, feel it their much-desired duty, to-day, on the day of the feast of Holy Easter, to express to you our deep reverence to you, the doctor warmly loved by all, and also to your honoured personnel of women. We wish also to express our sincere gratitude for all the care and attention bestowed on us, and we bow low before the tireless and wonderful work of yourself and your personnel, which we see every day directed towards the good of the soldiers allied to your country.... May England live!