Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-29
A MISSING ART.
wonaa's knowledge of What to no In Cases
az sudden Illness.

az sudden Illness.
From Harpers Bazaar
IL Is surely TO be wished that every one Of
our girir. on leaving school or rather upon
finishing the course prescribed in their text
books should take another course OF shorter
or longer duration. and that in a hospital train
ing school for nurses. They are all taught. rs
much from observation as ANYTHING else. that a
fainting person should be laid on the back and
iannsd ana freed from any constraint OF cloth
ing ABOUT the waist or throat; that a piece Of
hot hannel Is good for rheumatism ard growing
pam; that hot lemonade at bedtime il good for
a cold; that bicarbonate Of soda is good for
acidity; that they had best not sit between
fever patient and the fire. or attend before eat
ing. any one suffering from a contagious fitness
or come into such presence while perspiring
and that Is nbout all thew know in relation 10
illness. 1t might not be desirable that they
should know anything more OF the life OF the
sick room, since their youth is the time for
lghthearteoness and joy, and one would spare
them all that possibly they might be spared.
but by and by. youth passing. or the uecessi;v
having risen through love. the need Of knowing
more may come 10 them with a force bit
tcrer than any direct KNOWLEDGE Of pain and
suffering they could have gained in a three or
Si1 months course in hospital ward. What
suffering would be saved to themselves as well
as TO those they love IN that by and by IT. for
instance, they knew enough n. sight Of the
sNht-pUi>inS JET from tlt severed artery 70 te
the oandage between the heart and the cut IL
they knew that hot water shuts up the blood
vessels and prevents CONGESTION and the black
snd blue mark OF bruise where the little tod
der has bumped his head: if they knew that
the wasting and fatiguing night sweat OF con
sumption could he lessened, If not hindered,
oya sponge bath with salt water Just before
sleep, or that the disgusting after flavor of cod
liver oil could be turned in the the deli
cate little Blue Point oyster by a quickly drunk
gass OF water IN which q bit Of iron has rusted
that IN sudden Cases of poisoning warm thin
mustard water will empty the stomach ~ soon
as anything that can be ordered ina the apothe-
cary cabalistic characters. and that. IL corro-
sive sublimate has been swallowed, following il
az once with the white of an egg IL will
turn IL into what is known ss blue mass,
and let the victim escape with q salvation,
that patient can be bathed IN
bed without letting any moisture escape upon
clothes or sheets. If, the sponge being squeezed.
the back of the bathcrs hand is hurriedly
turned and wiped on q handy thick towel before
applying the sponge 20 the surface of the SKIN.
III they knew how to make a pansdo, or an
agreeable decoction of toast water TO cure a
hlscough. to make poultice, to administer an
enema how much better off they would be
than where their ignorance obliges them TO sec
those they love suher, or else have some one
else better informed than themselves give
THEY dear ones the relief they themselves are
longing to give. How much better of would
they and all concerned be if they only knew
how to make the bed for the sick-not in the
fashion they have always thought sufficient.
with the under sheet well tucked in at the
head and the upper sheet well tucked in at
the foot, but with that under sheet drawn
tightly as possible. and fastened by means
OF strong safety pins at the four corners. the
sides and top and bottom, SO that not a
wrinkle may come to tease the poor sleeplesr
wretch tossing and turning for relief In fact,
efr Will xxh n
as now educated, finds herself now unac-
qualnted- And for the sake OF their own future
happiness. TO say nothing Of the well being OF
those for whose comfort in the time of sickness
they are responsible, il wonld be we'll If, before
our girls began their careers of pleasures
their dances and lunches and teas and other
| amusements, however innocent-they had first
received the diploma that might be given them
Tor skill in some of the simpler branches of the
great art of nursing the sick.