The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-01
NOT GOOD FOR SICK FOLKS.
SUCCESSORS OF SAIRY CAMP HIGHER
UP I'M THE SOCIAL SCALE.
But They Know How 60 Do Little for the
Sick md n Great Deal for Themselvss-
Several DISTANCES of Refined Cruelty Prac-
ticed in the Sick Room.

In his character OF Sdlry Camp Dickens
has shown the professional nurse in her
most repulsive form. Imagine the horror,
when sick. of being waited upon by
nurse like Sairy, whom he thus describes:
'She was a fat old woman, this Mrs.
Camp, with a husky voice and a moist
eve, which she had a remarkable power of
turning up and only showing the white of
it, Having very little neck, it cost her
some trouble to look over herself, if one
may say So at those to whom she talked.
She wore a rusty black gown, rather the
worse for snuff, and a shawl and bonnet
to correspond The face of Mrs.
Gamp-the nose in particular-was some
what red and SWOLLEN, and it was difficult
to enjoy her society without becoming
conscious of a smell of spirits"
SaiTy's long training in the sick-room
had made her Indifferent TO pain. Her
night watch in the sick-room consisted of
eating q cucumber supper, with frequent
drinks out OF the bottle, after which she
administered the patients medicine by
clutching his windplpe to make him
gasp and Immediately pouring 1t down
his throat. Then, taking the patients
pillow from under his head, she proceeded
TO make herself comfortable Tor the night.
Meanwhile the sick man tossed and tum-
bled on his weary bed in delirium. Sairy
gave him many orders to "hold his noise"
and then went off into a drunken sleep.
The modern professional nurse is a
much better looking object than Sairy.
She is required while on duty TO wear a
plain dress of blue and white seersucker
a white apron and cap and linen collar
and cuffs. She is required to take entire
charge of the sick-rOom, and must be
careful not to increase the expenses OF
the family in any way. She is earnestly
charged to hold sacred the knowledge
which comes to her ears of the private
affairs OF the household in which
she may serve. Another of the
accomplishments required of the pro-
fessional nurse is the knowing how to
prepare. cook and serve dishes for the
sick. The professional nurse is invaluable
to the surgeon. Her knowledge and skill
cannot be replaced by that of an I'M
skilled person but in cases of ordinary
fevers and like diseases she is said to DE of
far less actual service than members of
the family.
One great complaint urged against the
modern nurse is that she is unable to en-
ter strange house and perform her du-
ties unaided, but that she demands con-
slant waiting upon. From the moment
her neat figure appears upon the scene I'M
til she takes her departure she issues
orders at the rate OF three minute so that
frequently entire neighborhood is kept
busy running errands for her. One of
these Jewels, imported from Chicago was
sent to attend sick woman living upon
the South Side. The nurse was a stranger
i'm ha r9f huf hn had hoap fnlH hot ba
South Side rested under a social ban, and
she was exceedingly indignant at being
sent there. She arrived in the morning
about 10 o'clock and found a neighbOr
lady in charge, whom the husband of the
patient had asked to help. She did not
look in the least like a servant. but the
nurse did not stop to consider this. Come"
she said, don't stand around here idle,
get to work at something" Some one
was sent for TO 90 out and obtain bed
wrappers for the patient, those she had
not being considered the proper sort by
the nurse.
The lady who volunteered to do the
shopping was given very explicit direc-
tons
But" she demonstrated, 81 cannot OBJ
trim anything like that here. Can't you
make some old wrappers do?"
kind of place is this anyway? Why, in
Chicago | never have bit of trouble get
ting anything l want. l have a notion
to send to Chicago for them. l
was told that l would have a hard
time if | came on the South Side" This
nurse was in the habit of appearing in the
kitchen at odd hours and between meals,
when the work was DONE and ordering
cup of fresh coffee and light lunch so
that one person was required to wait upon
her.
The condition of the patient it is said
has great influence upon the modern
Sairy Camp, in the matter of securing
efficient aid. When a patient is certain to
recover, she is shown much loving care in
order that the nurses services may be
secured again, but when the patient can
not live the nurse is more negligent since
her usefulness will end at the death
OF the patient. Recently a nurse was
called to family in particularly sad cir
cumstanoes. The mother was seriously i'll
with a three-weeks-old child, and the
older child was taken i'll with diphtheria
and died. The night of the removal of
the child's remains the nurse was left to
comfort the heart broken mother. who
was denied the privilege of seeing her
child, and this is the way she did it.:
You oughtn't to complain" she said
IF you only had my trouble you might
mourn. loved man and just did every
thing for him and be went off and married
another woman. If you had suffered as
have you might talk" And in this manner
she ran on to the weary invalid. The
nurse hated her profession and was very
careful to inform her patients OF this fact
She also told them that she hated to get
no and wait on people and that she could
not bear to be awakened at night. Her
neglect came near making her patient Sc
riously i'll, and the exasperated husband
told her to leave.
Another instance is known Of nurse
being called to a woman who was seriously
i'll, and who had no relatives in the city.
This nurse found things in an ANNOYING
condition. for the patient was taken down
suddenly with fever and there
was an ignorant girl in the
kitchen. Some of the sick woman's
gowns had buttons missing here and there
as a result of having ones laundry work
done by professionals, but while the nurse
was required to take entire charge OF the
sick room, doing everything in it, she
pinned the gowns on the sick woman and
suffered no pricks of conscience, though
her patient was scratched by the pins.
This nurse was an inveterate sleeper.