The Dickinson press., 1888-01-14

At.iNS.
"Can'n, these arc the DAYS that try mems
>olcS,"
Inc company Groantd. while some OF them
cried; "k,.l Inn on the spot"
McCrackcn had his arm disabled by q
sha!lS,ou:rr's bullet i'll the trenches around
Petersburg. but, refusing a discharge. was
among the few ragged rcl> that grounded
their arms when the sun Of ttr Confelcraov
wen. down behind the hills "i ~.ArromattoN.
-fiartweil SIM.
a SICK STRANGER SPENDS THE
NIGHT ON A COT.
i.k.n >tck on the street. He Goes (" :.
New Work. N">pital-iIi. ltcc. ptiom
.,ni What u. >aw-TAlks With the
PATIENTS.
Ii" s''!' st,S iali,r, aee am: business. To-
>.:i.r witr y fanny history and the names Of
Relatives aini friends. We're recorded IN q his
fr-'a. ny. Richards Was sent tor. .titer as
>u:.,s ,lr. ~,',,le.: tina: lie would NJ. die be
~. in"l1it-, ,ie HAN VAS escorted 10 ward
II ai,i ila.. ri ul,i.r tie care II n motnerlv
h"ai mu,>-. Miss Booth.
"Olr irivats !oe:i> are ali engaged. said
Size; "l'at We viii take good care Of You here"
Ns!'i II las a h!gi! ceiling and Is we'll Ven
tllai.ei The ilaer is ti.-:. II is acHecHiul
hall. Containing twenty five cots. From the
SNOWY sheets prntrui,d tw.n.y-fuur heads vi
nj. >i1ts. 'olNr> ami shapes, Ties. heads be-
l"n:e: "inval!l>in various Stages "t sickness,
wiz. Us. ~, stranger. was seeking relief. The
tail win!"w> We're or,ian .tcl at thu top
viii. rolol.e! glass, hut there We're III dcrol;l-
tons on the wall.
TAX. of Your ciothin.." said Miss Booth.
What. right here. before all tllcSt. Young
ladies"
'Wrl'. H.. In. orderly Is placing II screen
aroulli y ur taHl AMI You un,iresS behind il"
\. "lcAE night SHIRT VA, passed i'll and the
stranger stretched his limbs IL q hospital cot
for the first TIM" iii his life.
Tir srr"cn mu> removed and curiosity made
him f"r-r. In, aches. He asked questions of
his n"i.li,nr> u:l Of every attendant who
calnc rear. II. began to feel on friendly terms
with everybody, when he vas brought to his
senses 10y having II thermometer thrust into
his mouth.
"We are ordered t" register yorr tcmpera.
ture hourly" said the nurse.
suddenly the attention of everybody was
conferred on the larg. doors. Something u,l-
usual was apparently about to happen. The
convalascentS, who had been Strengthening
out bandaseS and rolling them W, and anus
ing themselves in various ways, now became
Silent, and assumed n sort OF military bear
Ing. The poor fellows who had their knees
curlcd up Oh the cots for comfort straight
tne,i them out. Silence reigned supreme. 1t
was the inspection, or rather consultation,
hour of the physicians.
DR.. Peabody, tho visiting physician; DIR.
Richards, the house physician: DR.. Locke and
an assistant bri>kly marched into the room,
and the great doors of the ward were closed
behind them. not to be opened for even the
president until they retired. They marched
over to cot No. /, followed by the nurses and
"r,lellies. They e~ncilcle.l its occupant, and
the orderly took from the wall IL document
and handed it to the head physician. 1t was
Il full report of tile case before them, the
medicine lie had received and the notes of the
attending nurses. y short consultations was
held, and the orders OF the physician were
booked by the head nurse. a similar consul
ta!ion was held at the bedside OF each pa
tiert until they reached the last one. Then
they mu,chel ut OF the room, and the ward
WIS left in charge of the nurses.
The corps of nurses were neatly attired in
light blue Bingham dresses, ~spotless white
aprons, and white muslin caps. They had
White kerrllieis over their shoulders, OH which
wero pinned n few flowers. a bronze or sill
Yer medal of the Nurses guild was worn ut
the throat Each nurse was armed with a
pair of scissors. a pair of tweezers and a hang
ilg pin cushion filled with all styles and sizes
Of pins. A sneeze or II groan would bring
one Of these young ladies' to your bedstead in
an instant, day ar night.
II ,voc Nay tLa vrru, ,ua,'o t,,., m yaoo;x va Of
%tention. The Thermometer scented with car
bolic acid was again put in his mouth. His
pulse WINS timed by n small eight day alarm
clock. The nurses had no watches. He was
p.asttred and roulticcd until lie was red in
the face. They then left him. Curiosity led
q few of the convalescents to his side. They
read his bedside notes and chatted in IL sym
pathetic tone. To them the reading Of the
bulletins and Il chat with a new patient WERE
e~ventful episodes in their hospital lives.
ut is all nonsense" said one, ito engage a
private room III IL hospital when you become
very lonesome and are likely to die of eniui
In the wards there is always something going
OH to make you forget your sickness, ant
when you are not going to die yourself there
is something exciting i'll seeing others die.
know it is the general impression among
those inexperienced i'll hospital life that pri
vatc rooms IRE q necessity, but once the,
leave them and spend n day in a ward they
will not return to them.
Six o'clock p. III. was supper hour to some
but aggravntion to many. Dietetic instruc
tons are risidly carried out. IL u patient
required it there was 10 limit to the food liz
might obtain, but there is 10 guess worl
about his requirements. The fever patient
might yell. US one did yell, For Gods SAX,
...si:-. - ., -, 7 ,i.l - a.
brdclothc-," but lie only received Just villa
) his case and condition demanded.
Milk was given i'll abundance, and sur
l Trisingly good milk it was, but it was served
ice cold and u patient might quatf it at Oh,
gulp if he wanted to. They say one get
y hardened to tine scenes of suffering abou
him, and the stral. ger believes it. a man q
i one end Of the hall suffered terribly. H
spoke SO that the solid building fairly vi
u brattd. Opposite him sat u portly lropsica
patient serenely eating oyster soup, roas
Il chicken and rice pudding as calmly as thougl
70 at IL banquet.
Supper over the backs and limbs of the in
v lids were bathtl i'll alcohol by the hand
IS of female nurses. Mule nurses would vast
too much alcohol and their rough hand
would iriltate bed sores.
Ten o'clock, aud all was quiet save MI OF
casional sigh or moan from some sleeple:
invalid.
1t was midnight. Through the row of tai
crimson capped windows flooded the clectri
light, casting upon the walls and ceiling Ion,
a. even streams OF pale, quivering light. IL
form of the faithful nurse was diinly outline
le i'll the darkencd room.
S: Streaks of daylight finally cleaned throug
the eastern windows. lseiclothes were toss.
lie here and there, and limbs OF disease lade
IF bodies i'll every conceivable direction al
Of shape were seen. The nurses soon put Il
S. ward i'll order. Their pleasant Good NOR