Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-02-23
EDUCATE EMERGENCY NURSES
In View OF the Expected Choiera
Visitation in the Spring.

The Suggestion Made by the Rev. y. y.
Cook, -. d., Of the Second Baptist
church = Tho Movement Might lie
Taken Up by the y. NJ. @. A., or the
w. g. r. q.
In view Of the possible visitation Of
cholera the coming spring various sug-
gesticns have been made IN connection
with the responsibility OF the authofl-
ties should such misfortune happen.
The following letter from tho hey H.
i. Cook of this city appeared ~ the
National Baptist. 1t was repuDlishel IN
the Chicago and Pittsburg papers IN
the latter place it is understood, the sus-
gestionB in regard to training choleta
nurses as emergency aids 70 physicians
have been actively taken up and
corps of women are already under m
struction. The letter is as follows;
DR.. Shakespeare gives it as his opinion
that this country will be visited py me
| Asiatic cholera next year, u IS salq 70 De
tile Judgment Of the Congressional com
mttee, having in charge the subject, that
| immigration should be entirely suspended
! for II months. And this is also the recon-
| mendatiUn Of Surgeon-general Wyman, N
| his annual report to the secretary Of inc
1 navy. But il has been asserted that
cholera germs have been found on the
paper money We use. That is, the seeds
are in circulation among MS, only WAITING
| for the warm spring. The situation IS 50
grave that it Is suggested that ali the oia
| notes be called in and new ones SUBJ
stituted. But this is not adequate.
Would il not be well to havethe cholera
scare revived now 2 The writer suggests
that physicians and trained nurses call
now for volunteer emergency nurses, or
ganze them for instruction and work, and
register them for service when needed.
They could be formed into classes-large
classes--maie and female, some TO serve
for pay and some to serve without pay.
Medical colleges, hospitals and other places
designated could be used as headquarters,
and lectures could be delivered daily OF
nightly by nurses and physicians. Il
should be q movement as extensive as oui
land that the whole people may be pro
tected by those prepared to do battle intel
ligently and successfully with the foe.
This plan is not meant to dispense will
the physician, but to be his aid. Fresset
with MANY calls in times OF epidemic, thu
wise physician can send his nurses, volun
teer or paid. on in advance to the homes
of the afflicted until he can arrive. II,
can thus give the benefits of his sklll AM
knowledge to more people, and CAN giS'
them better service.
{ If trained nurses are ever necessary
: how much more so in times Of such dread
full and general visitation as is here con
templated. True, the training will be i'm
perfect necessarily but better that thai
2 nothing. There may not arse an,
: Florence Nightingale or any Sister Dora
but there will be many noble women U
volunteer to learn, to serve and to save.
1t is want Of knowledge OF this disease
$ and of how to treat it, as well as Of how
: guard against il, that increases the pani
! Of the people and consequently the raw
ages. II the people were informed the.
I would stand their ground and help on
!, another. A nurse in the household, or il
! the neighborhood, would give courage an
$ safety to many. Miss Bradford, an Amc,
n lean lady, saved last summer, hundreds 9
lives in cholera-stricken Lauris, Persia, !
Q the face Of general panic, when everybod
:, was deserving the town, by her labor
u nursing cholera patients and encollragln
e others Thousands of such nurses ar
K needed in every city and town to be
>. readiness.
e 1t may be that the medical facultit
"a have not the facilities for the organizatio
q oil work on such an extensive scale, ~
y would be willing TO Join in any local NOV
4 ment and give all necessary aid. Ii 5
7. then let the work of organizing the NOV
ot ment be assumed by some national soeiel
such as the w. G. 4. u, or the y. NJ. G. !
'e This would surely come within their lii
~ of work. 1t would be better yet If u
" United States government would appoint
commission. But if done at all, in /
probability il must be accomplished
one or both of the societies named aboy
May God put it into the hearts OF some
IN His people.
l. WILMINGToN, DEL.