The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-12-22

lHOSC III JIG pllNdlC IOolllS lllC ldCA VI
entire privacy being the only objection.
There are head nurses for day and night
in each department, and the provisional
nurses work under their supervision. The
superintendent of nurses has charge of
the training school, and these provisional
nurses take two years course. They
must serve one month and show liking
and adaptability for the service before
they are admitted as provisional nurses.
They must be of good health, be fairly
well educated and between 20 and 30
years of age. A young girl must have
genuine love for the profession, who
undertakes it and graduates. She must
be prepared to give up young so ciety, to
devote her evenings to study, to live
isolated in a measure from the world.
She must learn to go without sleep at
times, to be gentle, patient and persever-
ing, to inure herself to distressing sights
and sounds and perform many disagreable
duties, and above all to be obetlient and
pains taking, following faithfully and i'm
plicitly the rules laid down by superior
officers. Ii she can do this for two years,
she becomes that most useful of all beings
an efficient and gentle trained nurse. The
medical staff consists of twelve physicians,
eight of whom are visiting surgeons and
physicians, serving > months elch, and
four who are a consulting board. They
give their services, free gratis. Every
thing is conducted on such a liberal scale
| that he sum paid by the patients does
not begin to pay the current expenses; for
| instance the past year, the deficiency was
over 81, 300 That is, the expenses amount
to that much more than the sum paid by pa
tients and the annual appropriation by the
city. This however, was mainly due to 4
large expense incurred in finishing the
rooms in the third story of the main
building.
| cannot close this article without refer
ring to the noble work performed by the
committee on aids and charities. This
committee is composed of twelve women
of high social position. 1t would be i'm
possible to describe the good they accom-
plish. All the luxuries and many OF the
essentials are provided by them. Through
their care the hospital is thoroughly equip
ped with everything that adds to the com
/ fort of patients and the convenience of
nurses; not only is bed linen and towels
provided in abundance, but every toilet
requisite that could be desired, also night
shirts, night dresses, bath robes, dressing
gowns, all manner of fruit, games, books,
newspapers, and appolinars water for ev-
cry patient who desires it. They also pay
| board for some who have no other means.
and often provide artificial limbs for I'M
fortunate ones. To secure money fo1
their noble work, they hold every year a
grand charity ball. The tickets are pac-
ed at 81 to SIS, which is all spent wise
~. 70 make this ball a success these
ladies divide the city into districts and
make thorough canvass themselves, 60
ing from house to house in localities
where there is the slightest likelihood of
making a sale. 1t is no small task fol
delicately nurtured women who have not
had much contact with the business side
OF life. to do this, but. bearing in mind
the words Of the Great Master, ''Inasmuch
as ye have done il unto the least of these
We have done it unto me" they cheerfuly
perform this duty. Their reward comes
when they see little children tenderly
cared for through sickness. and provided
with books games, fruit and flowers dur
ing the tedious convalescence.
There are debts which money cannot pay
and the so per week, which we paid for
private room care of two trained nurses
services of physician. surgeon and house
doctor, and every care. comfort and atteh-
tion from the superintendent down to the
boy who brought in the ice. is a moderate
figure when the benefits are considered.
L have written ut greater length than l
anticipated when began. trusting that
this account OF a wise and beneticient
charity, may prove interesting to those
who take an interest in humanity | re-
main yours. HELEN \. PACKARD
Springfield Mass