The morning times., 1896-10-11
AnLLIcENT ARRowPo1NT.
AFRO AMERICAN NURSES.
In the South, Colored Women Granted
Superior Advantages. T

\ Sanitarium. novel n its way, is shortly
to be opened in New orleans. II is 10 be
founded by colored women for the tenefit
of their own race. Its purIoS is to enable
the Afro 4 merican OF means TO have the
privilegesin a private institution of the hest
and most scientific medical and surgical
attendance, to furnish free wards to the
indigent sick of their race, for the training
of sick nurses, and to give the colored
medical Students and physicians the benefit
Of hospital practice.
This ambitious and philanthropic work
is being undertaken by THE Phyllis
Wheatley Club" a wcll-organized asso-
citation of colored women, many of them
university graduates and all clever, think
ing women, who have as their founder and
president, Mrs. Sylvanie F. Williams, q
well-kno Sn educator.
This pro- ject of the club has been rendered
perfectly feasible from the fact that a part
the building Of the Medical School of the
New Orleans University (for colorcd youths)
has been placed at the service of the work
ers. who, by private subscription taken
up among club members only, Will be able
TO open the sanitarium with possibly thirty
beds to be divided into wards, for men,
tention Will be given to a maternity
department. This number of tetls may be
somewhat Inadequate, but will serve at
least as beginning
The Medical school OF the New Orleans
University, which is now seven years old,
is exceptionally well located, being situ-
ated on the curner of Canal and Robertson
streets, and is within four minutes walk
ofthe great hospital known as 1.-The Charity
Hospital OF New Orleans" and almost di-
rectly opposite the Medical college OF
Tulane University. The building has a
front of 32 feet and depth OF Ia
feet. while there is ample room on the
| lot for additional buildings, which, with
the growth OF the sanitarum, will be sadly
needed Realizing this, and being in SYM
! pathy with the movement, the press OF
New Orleans is giving space to the Phyllis
Wheatley Clubs appeal for financial aid
Thus with building to hand and the
cooperation OF the faculty of the medical
| school the future of the sanitarium is al
| most assured. The faculty of the Medical
| College is composed OF a dozen or more
| able physicians, both colored and white,
andthere is goodly attendance of students,
including women, who are admitted to the
same privileges as male students There
is to De a woman graduate during the
coming session, the first of her sex to
receive medical diploma in Louisiana.
Thus the Afro-Amcrican woman is being
granted In the metropolis OF the South an
entrance into profe ssion denied to white
women.
1t is easy to recognize the need OF such
sanitarium in a large Southern COM
munity Where there are many Afro-Amer
leans of means who have had heretofore
no private institution in which to enter
for expert medical treatment. In all of
the large public hospitals of New Orleans
there are free wards to which the poorer
class of negroes have ready access and
the best of care, but there is no place for
those in need of hospital treatment who
do not desire to be classed as Charity
patients
But perhaps the greatest benefit of the
new sanitarium and enc that directly ef-
fees public interest is the opportunity it
gives for a training school for colored
purses
1t is recognized fact, at least in the
South. where the negro is known at his
best and his worst, that up to the present
the hospital nurses do not exceed in care
full and good work the dear old auntie
who knows ins.inctively how to care for
the sick. The Colored nurses in their kindly
sympathy with their patient and perfect
suborfination to the physician in charge,
are unequaled as attendants in the sick
room. At least Southern people think SO.
And not only think so, but give practical
proof of this belief by giving the colored
Rurse. who picked up her knowledge by
the way in many cases. the preference
over the white trained nurses. colored
sick nurse, who makes no preteilse of
marvellous ability. can easily command in
New Orleans $t5 a week. while the
more sought after, claim and obtain q
like salary to the trained nurse. There.
Is a helpful sympathy. q loyalty that is
characteristic OF the negro race. that makes
the profession OF nursing ono efninently