New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-04
THE "CRAZY NURSE.n
AN UNPLEASANT OCCUPATION.

al created a sensation in small way the nrst
eJening | came 10 NV present boarding house." OBJ
served the stern vi>agcd woman. occupy a room
with two sewing girls who Informed BY the house,
maid she prepared bed that expected hoarler
was crazy nurse | thought thew stared at
rather strangely I taking Off bonnet and
sacaue, and afterward learned that they went down
TO the landladv that evening and protested thar their
lives not safe. one Of them had already noticed
d wild look in ewes. and the other that
woman would do her hair in such a queer
fashion. Nevertheless they somev hat treasured
when it explained to them that not crazy
Self-Only a person whose profession II TO
those who were.
"A very ariuons profession it is can tell You. and
that is the reason going 10 nurse myself
awhile. and not undertake a for some months
| to come. Ms last particularly wearing. Ny
| patient a victim of the opium habit. Ear
that the doctors agreed il useless Ia ty to restrain
her TO any extent Her mind gone. and so.
may say were her morals. "a never before heard
any one tell MANY foolish falsehoods. Nv. how
she used 10 SANDER when the other members Of
the family would come in TO see her! Among other
things. she would accuse of taking her trinkets
and even her dresses. and handing them out OF the
window at night to confederate thieves. She
planned too. that opened her letters before she saw
them. she charged me. besides. with having moro
than once tried to poison her. and she gave her
relatives 70 understand that it constant habit
box her whenever she offended me-dsar knows
| often felt strongly tempted TO do SO. for never
had more irving patient. There was no
counting on her. especially in the matter Of
sleeping. Sometimes | would S by her bedside til
IL O'Clock at night, aud then thinking she was safely
OF. I'd be preparing 10 10 Ia bed myself. when sud
denly she would start up. wide awake and see moro
live things In the room than were ever crowded into
Noahs ark. She and lived in two large. elegantly
furnished rooms and the housekeepcr came to ms
r,,ipyt N pxp orde for mpa
patient ate 10 nothing and. after being shut up
with her a week Two, ! had no appetite 10 speak
Of Nobody knows who has not tried il what wear
and tear of the >enSibtes there Is in looking after
patient with diseased mind diseased body is moth
ing in comparison.
We'll l STAYED with the poor creature till her DEATH
which was literally one starvation she had eaten
much opium that she could retain nothing else
thought when laid her out that my work was ended.
but It wasn't. Her mother and had a squabble over
the amount of my bill. Three months, at $50
month. is S240.' insisted the old lady. Thirteen
weeks, at 900 week. is $500 Madam replied | (:
and informed you when | engaged that nv
charges were $50 a week. Ii not until threat
ened her with the Worl,ingwomcns Protective Union
that she would pay me what demanded, aud made
ND my mind then and there 10 have my business
dealings in future with the man OF the family that is.
If the family included man.
Most Of my have been those OF natural in
sauity-I mean insanity that hasn't been brought on
nv either opium or stimulants. one "A schoolmas-
,er's wife, and remember how her husband described
her condition 10 me:
"She reminds me. madam. Of George Fox who. ac-
cordpg to Macaulay. had intellect in the most un.
happy u all states-too much di>0rercd for liberty
and not sufficiently dSordered for bedlam.'
This did not last long. had not been in tho
house week before of the children took scarlet
fever and thereupon the mother forgot herself and
recovered her
had been with my next case for several DAYS
before | could detect the slightest symptom of in
sanity She was a well TODD unmarried woman. and
had begun to have my suspicious that her relatives
wished to get control Of her property when was
walked up one night by her pounding me in the face
with her doubled fists, and swearing At me like .
sailor. She had called me once or twice TO bring
her glass of water, and had been too fast asleep
TO hear her. Then | discovered that to have her
wishes disrrg ar,ied was what threw her oil her bal
ance and made her too profane for the society OF her
sister, Young children. Ii Is odd how often insanity
brings ont profanity in the most refined, gently nur-
tured women. $1,000.
into "A store and IL my business to 20 shopping
with her. and restrain her when she wished Ia Diy
dozen hats time, or indulge in any other eAtraVA-
gance of that kind. - -.
=. Another was melancholy mad The doctors would
have sent her 10 the asylum but she had such horror
of going there that her relatives Thought III best 10
keen her at home and engage nurse to watch ncr
constantly as they feared she might commit suicide.
We'll. did watch her constantly, but neverlhcp,s,
up to this day, ! cannot make up my mnd whether
the girl really insane or only siiannihg An'-
WAY know she gained her point. Her faiher seeing
her slowly wasting away (for she hardly ate enough
10 keep life in a birdl withdrew his opposition 70 her
marrying the worthless fellow she had set her heart
on and in n very short time afterward II was found
that my services no longer required"