St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-07

yfIA III W'iIIIHII less driver, runs down
dAH pedestrian, some cEe
slips in getting off a
~ car, there is a collision,
Zor any of the many ac-
cidentS that are common occurrences in
a CITY. Some one is hurt-he lies
stunned and helpless on the pavement.
The accident always draws throng OF
eager spectators. The business man
chances up for a moment, and is again
absorbed with his own projects: his
wife shudders and turns away; the
idlers gather around, discussing the
affair i'm all its phases: school girls Sidle
through the crowd. hand in hand, ShiV-
ering at their own temerity, yet anxious
to view the pitiful sight: street gamInS
and bo0tblacks hurry about, whistling,
and shouting in their shrill voices. The
crowd grows larger every moment,
standing room is at premium.
Those nearest call out inter
esting BITS Of information to
those in less favored positions. Sud
denly the sound of a gong is heard, the
patrol wagon daShes up at a rapid
pace. The injured man is placed on a
stretcher and taken to the hospital.
All this is but the work of few
minutes. When an accident occurs the
DdtIOl II NullCu w ININ llilOliN. III a. ACN
seconds the harness is dropped Oh the
horses. an officer and driver take their
places, receive the address and drive at
a furious pace to the scene of the acct
dent The crowd meltS away as rap
idly as it gathered. A few perhaps
think with a shudder of the victims in
juries and subsequent hospital expert
ence, but the majority are absorbed in
their own affairs and within five min
uteS have forgotten all about the acct
dent.
But the invalid at the hospital hears
the patrol coming and feels thrill OF
excitement. Something has happened
to break the mOnOtOny. How many are
hurt? will they come into our ward?
Will they live? form nucleu for thought
OF discussion for several hours.
Not only from the street or workshop
do patients come. The invalid always
feels as if lost, when told by his physi-
elan that he must be
MOVED TO A HOSPITAL
in order TO have proper treatment. But
the reality is not so lonesome. The
wards are so clean and quiet; the nurses
move about with a precision and bust
ness-like air which impreSSes the new
patient favorably. One wonders if good
looks be a necessary qualification for
trained nurse. 1t seems so. But the nurses
never appear to be conscious of the fact.
Their neat dresses and caps may be
seen at all times fitting here and there,
giving medicine or dressing wounds.
The nurses are trained to their work,
and find in it a special fascination.
A hospital nurse works hard, and
some of her tasks are diSagreeable;
the contact with suffering humanity in
its various phases keeps them from be-
coming old or cynical. They seem al
ways to have a bright smile and CHEEKY
word for patients. Through the after
noon and evening there is more or less
stir, but finally the gas jets are turned
down, leaving one only Pickering here
and there. The new patient gets rest
less. The man with a broken arm
means uneasily. Another has hollow
cough. You begin to feel that you
don't want any company In your misery.
By and by physician comes along say
) ing, Hello, not asleep yet" He brings
what looks like a glass of clear water
You drink, a languOr steals over
the senses, and you know no more until
a CHEEKY voice shouts ''GOOd morning."
You awake with a start to lind the sun
light streaming into the room; patients
compare notes as to how the night was
spent: the resident physician makes his
morning round. Some patients are
cheerful and anxious to appear better;
others take the opportunity to air their
ailments at length. A few have grown
so used to hospital life that they answer
mechanically. hardly lifting an eyelid to
betray interest.
THE WEATHER
seemed to have a special influence on
the patients temper. A dull, chilly
~, sTnr -lNsNrlx ~,
spirits under the dominion of those
blue imps. who gain ascendency over
all of us at times. But let the sun shine
and all are happy. The story teller
brings out his fund of anecdotes. There
is always to be found the person who
wants to make the others happy and
thinks not of himself. He is generally
defOrmed or lame. and would be an OBJ
ject of pity only he cOntriVeS 10 forget
himself so thoroughly. The piOus pa
tient reads his psalm book and deals
out Christian advice to all with an i'm
partially which is not half appreciated.
His fellOW-patientS would like to see
him try his philosophy on himself and
not be so anxious about others. There
is also the grumbler, who never has
proper attention. No scheme has yet
been devised to make that fellow happy.
According to his own estimate he suf-
fers more and has less attention than
any patient in the ward. He is to
be found i'll every hospital. There is
the patient who is dangerously i'll,
but you would never guess that such
was the case. He is cheerful and calm,
looking always on the bright side of
life, ever ready TO pity and comfort
those who have only some slight injury,
seem to feel their burden most heavy.
The truth is that hospital life shows the
real character of inmates. All artificial
restraints are thrown off and each shows
his Individual peculiarities, little ex-
aggerated, perhaps, like silhouette.
LIFE IN THE HOSPITAL
is checkered sunshine and shadow, but
it is strange how quickly the patient
adapts himself to pew conditions. Death
no longer seems so terrible when it is
an everyday occurrence. Often a
patient passes away peacefully: he lies
so still, free from all pain and care, that
others nerve themselves to make hard
struggle for life, and, if death comes
after all, it has no fictitious terrOrs.
SURGICAL OPERATIONS
are of such common occurrence that
they. too, are viewed in a more favora-
BILE light. You see your neighbOr taken
out some morning and brought back in
few hours minus limb. But the
nurses take special care to make him
comfortable, he seems cheerful, soon
RECEIVERS and goes out. As one of the