Telegram-herald., 1891-11-17
CARING FOR IHI SICK
How the Patients at ST. Marks
are Treated.
KINDLY ATTENTION CIyEy TO ali
Whether in the Private Roems Of the
sick OF in the Charity Waras-A
Young Lady fati~st fays Trib-
ute the lnstitoton.

your mind the next most terrible place
on earth TO prison. Hospitals meant
places for loathsome diseases snd hor-
rible surgical operations. A visitor sx-
pected to hear the groans OF people IN
mortal agony aud the unearthiy
shrieks of the feyer-tossed patients
But our ideas of hospital life are fast
changing, and now tits quite the proper
thing to 60 TO such place TO De treat
ed, no matter what the ailment-from
an earache up-or down.
Grand Rapids 10 specially fortunate
IN having two good hospitals. where all
who are sfilic ted are well taken care of
in a better aud cheaper way than Is
possible at their own homes. And hos
pital life even has q pleasant side, If
the testimony of a young lady VINO has
Just come out of ST. Marks may be
taken as fair sample.
The young lady IN question had
terrible case of infiammatory rhcuma-
tisn and had ~ undergo three critical
operations. She mas Just come out ai-
ter three months treatment, and TINS is
what she has 10 say of her sojourn
there:
"Did I enjoy being at the hospital
Indeed l did. Why l grew.so attached
to the place that l actually cried when
had to leave. One couldn't help but
like life there. The nurses and doctors
are so kind and everything is SO ex-
quisltely neat. And another Thing,
there isn't that air of sadness about IL
that you might expect to notice. The
nurses are just IS jolly as can be, and
they never let you know that death is
knocking for admission at any of the
doors. You wouldn't think that their
calling was . serious one. Their uni
form 10 very becoming, too. They
wear light blue wash goods dresses. and
fresh, clean white aprons and caps.
When they first 20 there they are put
on trial for month. If they chow any
aptitude for the work, they are retained
and become ''junior nurses" at salary
of Sc q month, besides their board,
room, washing and SO on. That's
small salary, isn't it? Every one is sur
prised when they hear it. But this sal
ary is raised every 60 often,-l think
every three months, SO that by
the time they graduate, after
being there three years tley earn quite
q respectable amount OF money per
month. And then their hours aren't
very hard. The dav nurses come on
at Z in the morning, and are relieved
by the coming on of the night nurses
at in the evening. There are fifteen
nurses in all. and all but two of them
do day work. The night service con-
sists of one "senior" and one "junior"
nurse, unless there are some very ee-
verely sick people in the hospital. when
more help - put on. Every day nurse
has two hours recreation every day,
and the whole afternoon once q week.
Just as soon as they report at night
for oH-duty, they may 90 where they
| please. None of them sleep in the
building. They all room in house
across the street. All OF them have an
opportunity to do night work, for the
night nurses are changed every So
often. Yes, the nurses eat in the build
ing. Indeed, just now the dining room
is reserved for the nurses and officers
of the institution. There are three Ia
bles set for each meal, the first for the
"Junor" nurses with the superintend-
ens of nurses presiding. the sec
with the house physician In
Wutt tDc tdlIu tdU q - iof
the matron and officer. Every patent
has a little tray brought IN on which
his or her meals are spread. The trays
are all numbered, 60 every one gets the
same tray all the time he is there-and
the same individual dishee for that
matter. And the dishes are very pretty
and dainty. too. The food is isexcellent.
and always ready on time. If the pa
"a StaE ha
thing he wishes from the bill of fare of
the .'diet-kitchen;' otherwise, he has
his meals from the general kitchen
Unless extremely ilL the charity pa
tients are served the meals prepared in
the general kitchen. They try t. vary
the bull of fare as often az possible.
During the three monthe / was there.
don't think the same desert was served
more than t@ice.
The nurses on the first floor never go
to the second; neither do the second
finor nurses work on the frat. They
are all obliged TO make . tour of in
spectlon every 90 often, and really
don't think | was ever left without
come one or the other looking 1T me
for more than ten minutes ST a time.
They come IN quietly To zee If YOU
need anything or TO give you your
| medicine. and they always try % 90
everything to make YOU comfortable.
They usuelly bsthe yon once q day,
| and always every other day. Then
they try to make up your bed every
day. Every bed is provided with .
rubber sheet ss well as the usual bed
ding. The bedding ie furnished and
kept in order by the people who fur
| nished the room. Some of the rooms
are iast beautiful. One, called the
Wright Memorial" il ell IN white and
| gold, and is the hsndsomest room IN
the house, I think. It's aboot the
most expensive, too, bat it 10 seldom
empty. The prices of the private
rooms range from 50 TO $40 .
week, and in some casee more
bed IN the "vard" is s5 .
week. These price. iDcludc board. at
tendance, and medicine. Its really
. great deal cheeper 70 he SICK ct the
hospital than 81 your ovp home. Some
times u isn't pleasant not 20 have the
| physician you want. for you cant have
| any peysicisn except those on the hos
| pstal staff. But that 70 snnsll trouble
when one thinks Row many convent
ences there are 10 be enjoyed. For in-
stance, there are invalid chsirs for ell
| psterts Who wIsh 10 use them. Then
they vii let yon take anything from
| vouf o~n home that - dear 90 you s<-
| cause Of its familiarity. A great many
! flowers are ssDt IN from the schools and
tee children ard the nurses ere very
/ sk1<frr-4 shx Il IF fssrxs