The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1884-09-20
Home Nursing.

Apart from the helpless tediousness
Of a long illness, which alone may af-
fNt the patients temper and cause
varying degrees Of i%rritability, there Is,
with some diseases, m accompanying
fretfulncss or moodiness most difficult
10 manage. SO marked may this be-
ONE that. occasionally, the patient
seems to have changed his character,
and the most amiable and unsellsh In
health may become the most impatient
and exacting 10 illness. The trained
nurse, accustomed to watch the effects
OF disease, will understand and make
allowance for such perversion; but in
private nursing the patients friends
often suffer acutely from manifestations
OF i'll temper, for which they could only
account on moral grounds.
There is such q thing Ms spelling a
patient. even though he he past the ago
w generally associate with tho word
"spoil.' Illness often brings back
some Of the Maynard peevishncss of
childhood, and you get such things 10
contend with rs positive refusal TO take
food o. medicine. or to comply with
some order Of the DOCTORS. As re-
CARDS the question Of how far to give
In to y patients whims and f%ancies,
there Is no better general rule than
III $: oppose his wishes only on ques-
lions OF right and wrong; and, when
opposition becomes a necessity, use
special efforts so TO keep our self-con-
troll as to avoid all expression OF anger
Or Impotence.
How far you succeed in steering
your patient through such troubled
waters will depend greatly upon what
measur you possess OF that valuable
gift, sympathy; In other words, tho
power OF putting yourself in ~another's
place. seeing from his point OF view,
and feeling with him in his difficulties.
A hard, cold, OF even n merely narrow
nature can not be trained into a really
good nurse; and. indeed, as a broad
rule, ack Of health and lack Of SYM
pathy are tho only two absolutely In
~surmountable obstacles In the way OF
those who desire TO be helpful in the
tick-room. =
For observe that the qualities OF self.
control, cheerfulness and patience.
though much easier 10 some than TO
others, are within the reach OF all who
earnestly strive 10 possess them; and,
moreover, each and all are capable Of
being developed and cultivated to an
almost unlimited extent. sympathy, on
the other hand. though capable OF de-
v%elopment by It's fortunate possessor. Is
n of those natural gifts which no
amount Of training a impart, and
which Is no more within the reach Of
all than Is that good heslth without
which attempts at nursing can not but
end in failure. Given these two special
gifts Of health and sympathy. and you
have the ''born nurse" needing, in
decd, much patient care and training.
but one who may confidently count up
on success.
Various other qualities and habits,
such n humility, gentlenoss. iirmness,
Order aud accuracy. are useful In nurs-
ing. There are also various gifts. "a
god hearing and sight. cleverncss of
fingers, and natural q~uickncss of APP
p%rchension and of movement. which,
though very desirable. are not absolute.
ly Indispensable. aud on these II Is not
necessary to dwell. Those who have
them may rejoice; and those who have
not need not be disheartened. as they
q very well DO dispensed with, pro-
vidcd there Is thorough, consideration,
effort made to acquire those more nee.
essary things which are to be bad for
Tho tryIng. -Harper's WeekIy.