The Portland daily press., 1863-11-07

emily No. j is found without his badge and ar
rested he is constrained to disclose the name
of his partner in the unlucky transaction; and
both delinquents are led to make a note OF
the business and its results, for future refer
ence. For the rest, the duties of No.
are very nearly those of which Herenes COM
plains TO his mother in Lucians dialogue
sweeping, dusting, making beds, laying the
table; or he may be assigned to section,
when No. ! answers the assistant ward
masters function; and in general, it should
be observed that the system is flexible and tie
number of attendants is increased or diminish
cd with constant reference to the actual neccs-
sites of the ward. No position is suffered to
become sinecure.
No. 6 is furthermore the special assistant of
the nurse, and his post, in the rare intervals
of leisure, is in the centre of the ward, by the
large medicine chest OF which she is the Gus
todiau. All the attendants are sometimes
called nurses, but the nurse par crcetteRcc Is
woman. There Is one in each ward and
thousand delicate touches show where her
graceful hand has been. The inner walls of
the hospital buildings are of the fine strong,
paper in which hardware is commonly wrap
ped closely woven con1ning and opposing
to the outer cold, six inches Of what builders
call dead air. Through her agency, direct
or indirect, this blank, buff waste is covered
with pictures Noble texts are written over
all the doorways. The glaring windows are
neatly curtaiued. Over each bed is its num-
Der. The little field on which these numbers
are inscribed, will be found to vary in form
and color in every ward. Now she hangs
little packet by each bed-head to hold a comb
and brushes; and presently she has bethought
herself, that a small shelf overhead for a book
OF two and mayhap pipe and tobacco, would
be WELL and straight sets to work to get it put
there, The medicine chest is under her sole
supervision. Not only the prescriptions, but
the cordals and stimuants are there, and the
prudent little woman does well to keep the
key in her pocket. When she leaves the ward
at night, she measures out all the liquors that
have been prescribed and turns them over
with the pillsjand powders to the nightwatch,
who instantly locks them up again in his own
recepticlc. Her daily duties are mostly over
by noon, though she is usually in the ward
again for an hour or two in the evening
When she leaves the ward. she retires to the
snug little box beyond the chamberlans house,
with the narrow passage running through 1t,
and the ten little rooms, like the state rooms
of steamer, on each side. The little box has
good bath room too, and diminitlvc draw
ing-room. Perhaps Professor Henry comes
over from the Smithsonian Institution, and
takes tea with the ladies'; or a brother gets
leave of absence from the army of the Poto
mac for q day or two, aud comes up to see
how his sister fares, 1t is not all rosecolor
though this hospital business. Gaping wounds,
pallid faces, death itself, low groans and CUR
giles and delirious rawlings, arc not sights and
sounds wont to be attractive to delicate ma
tured women. And in proof that these wo-
men have been delicately reared, may ven
ture TO name the names OF Fulton, Marsh.
Lowell, Parker. There are so many Night
ngales among our colntrywomen, that none
can reach the cminence OF the Englishwoman,
whose name is better known the world over
than that of any general commanding in the
Crimea. Iu every Nothern city and hamlet,
woman are waiting and watching, who would
only be too happy to do a womau's part to-
ward helping forward the cause OF the nation
and alleyating the cruel suffering incident to
this sad war. One of these nurses relinquish-
ed the prospects of a European tour TO take
her place here. She made her choice of the
attractions, and she chose wisely, and Gods
blessings must forever justify the election.
The prescriptions not only of medicine but
of special diet are administered under the eye
of the nurse. To prevent waste in this par
lcular was a matter of the utmost consc-
quence. The Government allows only 20 cents
per diem for each inmate of the hospital.
Whatever is expended beyond this sum, for
dclicaces, must be drawn from the post fund
The sutler pays "A tax Of Sl20 a month, which
is turned into this fund; the pay Of the nurses
is generously devoted TO the same purpose;
the sale of swill, bones and other refuse brings
in $50, or $40, month; and there are dona-
tions besides. The monthly cost of extra ar
ticles of food is about 500. 1t is obvious,
that the strictest economy must regulate this
expenditure. The cookery alone is not an
unimportant item. One Of the nurses with
her friends contributed 800 last summer TO
buy cooking range for this exclusive use.
1t was found impossible TO depend on the or
linn fha-, IL
dict with requisite care. A small building was
accordingly erected for the new range in Oc-
tober, and special cook engaged To insure
reasonable economy in the distribution of
this food, the surgeon in charge had before cs-
tablished an admirable system. 1t was ascer-
tanned that list Of about sixty articles of
special diet comprised all that were usually
called for. Every article in the list was then
designated by an invariable number. To
avoid the needless Inconvenience and expense
Of preparing nearly every dish for each meal,
four bills of fare were printed, for Monday
and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Fri
day and Saturday, and Sunday. These bills
are so arranged, that in the course of the
week everything in the list is introduced, but
the choice is limited to about ten articles for
each meal. OF course the rule remains en-
trely subordinate to the welfare of the patient.
To each item on the bill of fare is attached its
:
tcndants always prefer the numbers to the
names, never referring TO milk, except as No
II. Little Dorritt's big child would have been
slow to recognize "chickng" broth as No. %,
and No. 10 seems but dry substitute for
corn-starch pudding. Any rarity, furnished
in its season or by donation, is put upon the
bills in writing and numbered above the regu-
lar list. Blackberrics, for example, were
known last August as No. 81.
Before explaining the application of this sys-
TEN of numeration, il is necessary TO refer to
another ingenious CONFERENCE.-The record of
treatment and diet. When the hospital was
first opened, all the prescriptions were entered
in an order book. The surgeons call sounds
at quarter past seven. Every patient is re-
quired to be at his bed. The medical officer
of the ward then makes his round and pre-
scribes medicines and treatment for the day
| The same process is repeated at seven in the
evening. From seven till twelve in the morn
ing and from four till ght afternoon, the med
ical officers are not allowed to leave the hospi-
tai without pass from the surgeon in charge
! The order book was OF course sent TO the dis
| pensary for the medicines, and was necessarily
| detained until all the prescriptions were COM
! pounded, usually during the whole forenoon.
During this time it was impossible to ascer-
tain with certainty what had been the treat
ment of any patient, and after the book re-
! turned the surgeon was absent so that con-
sultation and advice respecting particular cases
became almost impossible. TO obviatc this
difficulty, DIR, Bliss abolished the order book.
H. a.