St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-09-17
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WHOLE NO. 26d

the bowl ana1,4,lps a ht he
nurse by the~ saying H.
"Do tate csts Yoas q kultfhe 'sa4t
man. Iet.pe that wound"
He rose at|onee s,ying ~ should 81
very glad, as he was a greenshaa4."
1 tpok his place and tolyched the sore
with bit OF rag; as the FIRST drop Of wa-
ter fell on it the flesh quivered and l ask.
ed him if, the water was not too cold. "It
does feel colo" was the timid reply and l.
inquired Of the nurse for warm water, but
there was none: : insisted that tier,
certainly ntcss Be- warm water someplace
in an establishment Of tlae side wtes+
some one suggested That. there was plenty
iii the kitchen, but the cook would not
give him any: ! inquired the xherea-
bouts Of that favored spct and was Direct
ed: Before starting l told nurse waAt-
ed CASTLE soap, and the man dressing the
arm stump in ths passage told him to go
and get d piece finding the kitchen |
asked the first man MET for basin of
hot water to dress wounds. Every man
in the room d ropped bis work and stood
and stared, but the one I addressed got
the water. l hurried back and offered
little black eyes warn, water to temper
that used on his shoulder: .. !:
'No thank you," was his pleasant re-
ply, III like cold water best; would like it
with ice il. it!' "F
"Tbcn" ~ rejoined t'the cold is best for
you, but for this man it is not"
l know enough about sickness to know
that it rs best to keep the mind occupied
with cheerful conversation and fudinc
that the boy whose wound r was dressing
was one Of Sedgwick;s men, 1 told him
how saucy he wodld be by and Ly when
lie got we'll and had scars OF glory 70 show.
and how they would all be taking ai,s
over undistinguishcd civilians, &c., &C.
In the course of the talk the little bfaek r..
eyed patient, whom I soon learned to-
call Charley, introduced me to the gen.
ticman dressing. his shoulder, DR.. L., the
surgeon of the ward, aud spolosized for
interfering with; his business. He is
young French gentleman and with the
politeoess of bis race informed me he was
very glad Of such interference. When
that wound was dressed, I asked him
what more could do aud he gave me an
open commission to find work, saying that
some of their nurses had been called of
and put on guard as guards had been sent
to their regiments. Almost every bed in
that long ward was occupied, but to this
day have never taken time to count the
beds or learn the length of a ward. l
know it Is all a man can usually do call
ing at the top Of his voice at one end to
make himself heard at the other, aud all
the way on both sides the beds slowed a.
close as convenience will allow, vet not
more than half a dozen were without a
seriously wounded man. There was a
large proportion Of thigh wounds. Two
young 1rishmen lay, side by side, both
shot through the head, one above the
right eye, the other above the right ear.
Beside them an old German, sho: through
the breast. The ball having come from
ono side and gone in and out just below
the collar bone while another had passed
through his leg. Further up an Irish.
man, not less than 6fty-6vc years DID,
The ball had passed in at the right groin:
he and the surgeon said, and out through
tie thickest part Of the left hip. There
were days when the business Of wettins
the wounds fell almost entirely into my
hands as the nurses were kept on tho alert
lifting, changing and doing the, many
things that | could not do: This, poor,
old man and arranged Ii. that I should
leave him water and he should keep that
wound wet that he could reach and
should wet that one out Of his reach
The delicacy he ovinced, in the midst OF
his greatest agony, and the care he took
when he saw me coming With the basin,
to arrange his clothing" 50 50 that The: ban
dases and sheet, should cover him entirely,
was 50 marked that it increased. ones re-
spect for thc race: Through my hosp,-
tai experience the dclicacy and tact with
Which men men keep themselves present.ble
was to me subject Of wonder and .dmi-
ration. All that andy visitor or female
nurse has to do is to attend TO her own
business and she will have no OCCASION folr,