The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-16
THE COTTAGE HOSPITAL.


The meeting at the Grand Opera-house. last
night, under the auspices of the Flower Mission,
was not as LARGELY attended as had been ex-
pected, but all that was numerically lacking
was COMPRISED by the more substantial zeal of
those present in the course Of the meeting. Tine
object was TO give full explanation to the pub
lie of the proposed cottage hospital and training
school for nurses, and the methods upon which
it is to be operated. The institution is to be es-
tablshed under the direction of the Flower Mis-
sion.
The meeting last evening was addressed
frat by DIR. Theophilus ParvIn, who said,
in the course of his remarks, that the training OF
nurses not a modern movement. However.
the oldest institution in America for training
professional nurses was established in Phlladel-
phia fifty years ago. and now nearly every large
city III the country has one. He spoke in partic-
ular Of the good results OF trained nursing, and
urged the citizens of Indianapolis to respond
literally to the call for money to aid in establish
ing au institution in this city.
Miss Hemple, the superintendent of the Chi
oago training school, gave very full expiana-
ton of the methods of training. The profess
sion of nursing, she said, gave to woman
a lucrative and cOngenial employment.
1t is profession which requires as thorough
training as for the the practice of medicine. IL
is hazardous to entrust nursing to the ignorant
and Inc perienced. Women are not nurses by
instinct, as is wrongly supposed by many, but
peculiar qualifications by nature are required
for the work. The practced nurses are in great
demand IN the cities, by physicians, at good pay.
The work is hard, and those who throw about it
glamour Of sentiment, she said, made mis-
take. 1t is the duty of the nurse to carry out
the orders of the doctor, to give cor
rect reports OF all symptoms developed
in the case of the patient, and
to be always attentive. Her vocation
is not likely to interfere with the physician s
practice, but she gives only theassistance which
he demands. The doctor is the autOcrat In the
sick room, and 1t is only the duty OF the nurse
to obey his orders, There are now, Miss Hemple
said, sixteen training schools FOR nurses In this
country and to-day 500 trained nurses could read
lily get employment in Chicago. The demand Is
growing, and there is now movement TO place
the insane confined in public in situations under
the care OF trained nurses. Indianapolis with
its well-Organzed charities, she thought, should
not fail to be among the first cities to have a
trainingschoOl for nurses.
DR.. Wishard, superintendent Of the City
Hospital, heartily Endorsed the project. General
John COburn SAID that the service of trained at
PENDANTS is badly needed in the insane hOspi-
tails, and spoke Of the brutal treatment of the
patients, which he knew was praetieed, and will
continue to be as long as the care OF the patients
is entrusted to the class of attendants now em-
plOyed at such institutions. He warmly com
| mended the idea of a cottage hospital.
DR.. Kitchen said that the executive of q
hospital during the war his management would
have been q failure without the assistance of
women, and he approved the movement for the
special education or nurses. II seriously sick
and lett to the alternative of choosing
between physician and trained nurse, he said
that he would not hesitate to give preference to
/ the nurse.
DIR. o. S. Runnes stated that the project was
\ one which he heartily favored One of the
dlflnnlfiRa RuPnnnrRra1
| mont of patient by the physician was the need
| of the assistance of good nurse. The qualih-
| cation FOR the work, he said, was matter Of
| hundred things. He thought there would he
| no trouble in raising the funds needed to estab-
| lish the proposed training school, aud promised
/ his hearty support.
| Rev. Oscar G. MeCulloch said that the project
| was already beyond the pale of an
uncertainty, aud that, although work
would begin at once, 1t would
| not fully materaze before the LIST OF September.
Three trained nurses from Bellevue Hospital in
| New York. would arrive sometime soon. One
would be made superintendent of the cottage
| hospital and two would be made head nurses Iii
| the City Hospital, where many pupils would
he give Instructions as the facilities would per
NIT.
Subscriptions in aid OF the project he said. are
| being raised now. A lady in Washington had
offered to give 81 900, and subscriptions rang
| ing from $25 to $780, had been promised by
| quite a number Of indianapolis citizens.