The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-02

LET THE GIRLS NURSE.
A TRAINING THAT WOULD BE IN
VALUABLE TO EVERY FAMILY.

NALOH6LE 10 EVERY FAMILY.
Every Female Should Be Taught How to
Treat the Sick and to Make Her Pres
ence in the Invalid's Room Like a Ray
| of Sunshine.
| 'If had dozen girls" said a dear old
lady whose sole hostage to fortune CHANGED
| to be boy, and one not very well trained
at that, Il would have them al finish their
education in a training school for nurses"
As she uttered this wise remark she was
standing at the foot OF sick bed watching
the very amateurish attempt OF a well
meaning but inexperienced hand to ar
range the pillows, etc, TO the satisfaction
of an invalid. And her remark was heart
lily echoed by both amateur nurse and the
poor sick one, whose nerves were being
rasped by the kindly meant but unayailing
attempts to render him comfortable.
In these days Of thoroughness of train
ing in all lines Of education, when schools
OF manual training are regarded as de-
cidedly the proper thing for the education
of boys who have no IDEA of becoming me-
chanics, though trained TO handle the tools;
when the particular talents of the young
Of either sex are sought out with serious
attention and their educational upbrinS-
ing all bent to the one end of unfolding and
developing that talent TO perfect whole.
why should not the idea prevail of training
all young women TO such point in nurs-
ing that they may have confidence in
themselves when called upon during life's
pathway TO care for the sickf No matter
what position a woman takes or is born to
in this world, two things which she cannot
escape are sickness and death II the one
comes not-as in rare instances-to her
self, know no woman who at one time or
another has not been called upon to nurse
some suffering fellow creature near and
dear.
IT COULD BE TAUGHT AT SCHOOL.
In these days of professional nurses, when
all who can afford their expense bring
them into their families at times of long
or violent illness, the quiet peace and COM
fort which may be brought into sick
room is fully realized. But the vast ma
jority of educated persons pecuniarily are
debarred from indulging in such expensive
Injuries and their sick ones suffer Sup
pose in the department of physical train
ing, which Is being added to most girls as
well as boys schools, branch of nurs-
ing was included, how many mothers do
you suppose could be induced to pen q
letter of excuse to the head of the school
framed in some such language as this:
kindly excuse my daughter from the ex-
ira fatigue of pursuing this new study. I |
feel that she is already sufficiently taxed" |
/ hardly believe that in all our wido land |
there is one who would have so little |
thought for her daughters future as this; |
ON the contrary there would be general |
feeling that even an important study |
would best be given up to gain little |
knowledge OF how easy it is to make the |
suffering more comfortable.
But such giving up would not be nee
essary; the physical art of nursing could |
be taught in connection with the gym
naslum exercise in the departments of |
physical culture, and a course of lectures
On this subject alone be added TO the study /
Of physics. Why would it not develop the
power OF the arms as perfectly /
20 be taught how TO take a suffering frame
On one arm, and arrange the hot and
pillow with a few deft touches
If the other hand, as to move up and down
/ certain system of weighted machinery
;alled health lifts" or to swing back and
orth on rings suspended from ceilings2
DuI suCh IItIe UhlnS as HAlnB the PHI |
ows, You say, why any one can do that.
[ es, so they can. But If you watch the look
f expectancy and relief on the face of
lex person when he sees trained nurse
bout to do this simple thing, and the sigh
f satisfaction when she is finished and he
3 put back to cool and absolute comfort;
nd again the anxiety and distress so visi-
ly depicted when he sees one of the fam
ly approach to do the same simple thing,
nd hear the fretful voice exclaim after
yard, "Oh, my pillows are not Eghtr' it is
asy enough seen that there are ways and
rays of doing things,
IT Is NATURAL TO SOME.