The morning call., 1893-03-06

THE NURSES IND TIL
women patients and other more or less
imaginary wrongs of the institution.
Good evening" came the response from
twenty pretty throats.
"Pm going to tell her." whispered tie
ringleader of the little mutiny.
Don't you dare TOP said the tlmid
blonde.
It's nearly time for the night-watch,
isn't It, ladies? ?" said the resident physi-
clan, as she passed through the room to the
drug department
"Yes'm," said the timid blonde.
The others said nothing, and an instant
later the resident physician had passed be-
yOnd hearing.
SO it came about that the inciplent strike
at the Hospital for Children and Training
school for Nurses was suuelched forever by
the timidity of the blonde girl.
But the trouble that had been brewing
ever since one of DR.. Fields Chinese
patients had been found with her feet on
the mantel-piece and a cigarette in her
mouth went on brewing and brewing lust
the sane. and 1t soon became noticea Bile to
the powers that be al the institution.
So one day Dr.. Hagadorn had n quiet
talk with the nurses. This is a place for
the sick and needy" she told them, land
II Is not Tor you or me to allow our race
prejudces to stand in the way Of our duty.
Patients come here W no eed treatment, and
nurse, no more than a physician, can re-
fuse the call of duty.
II might add that IL any of the young
ladies here are dissatisfied the institution
can get along better without titan with
their services"
And acting upon this hint more than one
of the nurses picked up their belongings
and went home.
Its an outrage to ask white girls to
nurse and walt upon Chinese women" said
one of these latter to IA CALL man.
They are brought IN from Chinatown and
EFrf4a inn L. D..
able diseases.
They pay big. that's the reason they're
taken care Of ana allowed to bring all their
unpleasant heather practices with them.
why should white girls of good fami-
lies-educated, intelligent and refined as
many OF the nurses out there are; why
should they be compelled to wait upon
Understanding heather women?
II would not stand it any longer, and |
told them so when left The hospital was
not instituted for such purposes. anyway.
IT'S a place for children, ana when the
nurses go there they expect to nurse and
care for children-nOt women of all grades,
and Chinese women into the bargain.
TITS only done to make money, too. and
the Chinese women pay better than the
others.
And it's not only the indignity and
degradation of having TO wait upon these
women, but there's the danger of catching
their diseases.
lone of the nurses caught it f1om having
a hanguail while she was waiting on one of
the heathens. She was so alarmed that she
went back to her home in San Diego.
"lf person once gets that poison in their
blood it will never come out. | concluded
thedaDger was too great and came away.
For a while / stood the indignity of
being forced TO nurse these women. but
when the San Diego girls hand began to
swell up and she found out she had really
caught the disease couldn't stand it any
longer
"And it's not only the Chinese patients
that we have to come In contact with, but
with their friends and companions. One in
particular was very reDulsive. He is a big,
burly Cinnamon, who visits both the
women regularly.
And then when it comes to smoking
cigarettes. Well, L draw the line right
there. White women wouldn't be allowed
to smoke in the hospital Then why should
these Chinese be given a liberty so dis
agreeable and disgraceful?
But l don't know as l ought to say any,
thing about 1t. for 1t don't affect me any
more. Nor it won't, can tell you that"
A little investigation proves two things
regarding this miniature strike Of the nurses
and those ''heathen" women.
There are Chinese patients at the HospI-
tai for Children and Training school for
Nurses.
They are not suffering from loathsome
and incurable diseases, though not long ago
for a few days there was one Chinese
woman of that description housed there long
enough to permit DIR. Edna r. Field to per-
form an operation upon her.
They are not heather women They are
ChristianiZed Chinese women, wives of
well-to-do Cinnamon and patients of DIR.
Field, who is connected with tile Methodist
Chinese Mission.
There has been considerable objection
manifested on the part Of the nurses toward
serving and nursing these Chinese patients.
And the resident physician has taken
stern measures 10 Queil this refractory spirit
among the nurses, and one or more of the
nurses who spoke her mind too freely in the
presence of the authorities has been sus
pended to think the matter over for a while.
Yes; have taken Chinese patients to
the ChlldTen's Hospital" said DR.. Field TO
TIE CALL man. but had / known they
would have caused all this talk and trouble
l would not have dune it.
ut is not true that they are bad women.
They are respectable wives of Chinese mer-
chants and converts Of the Methodist Mis-
sion.
There are two of them there at present,
both of whom are considered as my patients
and brought there by myself.
They are not suffering from incurable
disease, and they are not given privileges
not accorded to every patient In the house,
whether charity or pay.
mo, do not mean by that that all ma
tients are permitted 10 smoke cigarettes in
the hospital.
None of them are, and every nurse who
has ever worked there knows that TO be
true.
but most Chinese women do smoke
cigarettes, you know. It is sort of national
trait, and on one occasion one of my pa
tients, / am very sorry TO say. did succeed
IN getting some cigarettes smugged in to
her.
'Of course, IS soon as she was found out
the cigarettes were taken away from her
and strict watch kept 10 see that she got
no more"
Are these Chinese patients what are
known as pay patients? '
Yes, they are. The institution takes a
lew pay patients. These women pay $50
week Tor their food and nursing ana every
cent oil 1t goes to the hospital.
Y GU must remember lie hospital is not