The morning call., 1893-10-07

passed across her face and the way she
shuddered as she spoke that experience in
cludes scenes which are hardly capable or
description. Miss Paukee is at present at
the Girls Union on Taylor street
1T is two weeks since / left the asylum,
continued Miss Paukee. II was there only
a week, but in that time | saw more suffer
ing by the innocent little children that
are so unfortunate as 10 be brought there
than | had ever seen before and than l
ever wish 10 see again.
ut is dreadful place. We tried to
keep things clean, and the day nurses
were expected TO give their charges bath
every day, but that would not overcome
The filth which years of accommodation had
fairly ground into everything. The walls.
the floor, down in the laundry. and every
place seemed 20 breed the awful smell and
stencil which was constantly present.
When one opened the door of the ward
one was almost overpowered by the odor
of the room. vet those poor little babies
had to lie there ana breathe il all the
time.
During the week that was there there
was no attempt AT fumigation. and all the
airing that could be given the rooms would
not remove the disease that was lurking
there. The nurses could not stand II long,
aud | never heard Of one that stayed there
so long as month.
And then the food that we had for
them was neither sufficient in quantity,
nor good in quality. The doctor allowed
only so much milk a day for each child.
but ! disobeyed orders and used my COM
mon sense, and when baby cried l gave
IL something to satisfy its hunger.
And the milk was not fit for the chill
dren. According to the doctors instruc-
tions. Ii was mixed with barley water and
so ethng else. aud Ii curdled frequently.
Aw,A H-, ssNk Ia sx-.<
there / went upstairs 10 one or the other
wards 10 try to get some milk that was not
soured, but it was all the same, and we
had TO feed the little things. even when
they were sick, en- this kind of food. And
that was enough 10 make them sick, even
If they had been well.
While l was in the asylum ! saw
bright healthy babies, with rosy cheeks
and sparkling eyes, brought into the
home. and in a day or two they began to
fade. and were soon sick like the rest The
very air was full of it, aud il seemed only
question of time until every child would
die that was brought there.
During that one week / think there
were eight that died, and Of these five died
on Saturday, Saturday night and Sunday,
and they were all packed or thrown into a
big tin box that stood out under the front
porch. and thers they stood until Monday
when they were taken away by the under
taker.
And they were not placed In this re-
ceptacis in any very careful manner. but
just pitched IN, almost as you would throw
something out of doors, 1t got to be so
awful 10 me that could feel nv flesh creep
every time / saw the box. and when I
looked out Of the window al light ! thought
/ could see the faces OF the innocent little
things, all wan ana pale, dead just be-
cause they had been brought to that dread
ful place.
Even if the wards had been fit place
10 take sick children there were not
enough nurses TO take care Of them. The
doctor said that one nurse could take care
of ten babies. ard even if they were well
that would be too many for enc nurse, but
when they were ali sick ii was sim ply an
impossSibiiity to give them The care they
needed. ! have been nurse good many
years. but never worked as / did during
that week in the asylum.
And we nurses were uliserably pro-
vided for. Those who worked al night
had TO occupy the same rooms as were
used by the nurses on the dsv force. So
that these rooms were constantly in use,
and instead of being aired ont during the
CAV were in use. aud the effect was any
thing but healthfuL
1T was shame that such an Institution
should be allowed Sc be open here in the
clty and in that way. / left il because
could not stand ii to stay there and see
those helpless little things suffer and die
and powerless to help them"