Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-07-24
a sAoRr STORY o. oNg alokRoon.
In which Are Perhaps Some Suggestions of
Avoidance For Others.

." "hiSh arc iofhaps some suggestions of
Avoidance For Others.
Once upon time, not so very long ago.
was asked to spend few hours in a sick
room. The day nurse was exhausted, and
temporary assistance was necessary. or
course | consented TO serve, though would
gladly have scrubbed the sidewalk instead
mad been permitted to exercise my prefer.
ence.
The general reader may think this Is "a
hard hearted statement, but when say that
lhaye the same disliko-yes, more thnn this,
contemplation my own sickrooms It fnay
throw a different light on the. matter /
never remember TO have had palm in my
life that didn't feel Disguised with II.
Well, passed into closely shut--I might
say Theoretically sealed--apartmen where
the steam and vinegar treatment had been
In operation for the relief OF pneumonia
The patient lay on her back, with what
seemed cushion about foot high on her
chest. l discovered later that It was FAX
seed poultice.
The tired nurse made some final touches
TO the invalid's toilet, gave me some in
struetion in n dismal undertone and left me
to my misery. | was not TO speak to the
patient and allow no one else TO enter the
chamber, and on no account must permit
a breath Of air to float in. High screens
were placed against doors and windows.
Now, IL had he'd my way should have
thrown that poulticc rs far as could send
it, and after bathing the chest in warm wa
ter / should have covered itwitli soft, light
flannel, and then l should have turned the
sufferer slightly on her side covered her
comfortably, opened a window at the bot
tom and top and let in some OF Gods fresh
air, which / believe is moro important in
pneumonia than in health.
But was under orders and perhaps It is
just as well, for might have killed her,
because as she wns frightened ut the very
thought OF mir and everybody else In the
house was in the same condition my sense
of what was right could scarcely have borne
the weight of the opposition
For few moments there was nothing to
do of any consequence. The nurse had ap-
piled the half peck, more or less, Of faNseed
that went to form the ponltice, and had
plenty Of time to think.
SIS there any need Of this condition."
asked myself, and something which is to
me like the voice of God repliedi
mo, there Is not -
Once the patient moaned, with feeble
movement Of her hand toward the weight
on her chesti
"Oh, so heavy"
"Shall l take it oiTf"
mo, no, kill me, kill me-" she whispered
hoarsely.
Well, she passed on few days later, and
though | had previously specialized about
this peculiar method ofsuilocating patients
with foul air and pressing the breath out Of
them with heavy weights l never quite re-
allied till that day how utterly uuscientifo
and cruel such treatment was.
shall probably be accused of colossal
conceit when say that believe could
have cured this patient at this critical mo
ment il l could have been allowed the free
dom OF my will, to have raised her will from
the living grave into which IL had been
plunged-not by her malndy, but by the
concentrated thought OF every member OF
that household that she was doomed and
by the filthy and barbarous method OF the
attendant physician. But have said 1t, all
the same, and know am speaking the
truth.-Eleanor Kinks Idea