The San Francisco call., 1896-03-16
A TEMPEST At
THE HOSPITAL,
The Cruel Matron Has Pro.
hibited All Tender
Chances.
NO MORE FLIRTATIONS.
1t Is Whispered That Miss Pat
tons Prohibition Has Been
Ignored.
DIR. STABLE AS A CHAMPION.
The Head Nurse Prohibits Association
of Nurses and Internes, but DR..
Stable Interferes.
Miss Mary A. Patton is cruel.

Miss Mary A. Patton is cruel.
At least SO say the pretty young nurses
and the gallant young internes st the City
and County Hospital. The lady in ques-
ton is not of the ferocious order of femi-
ninity, as far as appearances 60. She is
plump, pleasant little person, but-the
nurses and internes say-she is too profess
sional.
She has posted up on the walls of the old
buildings a notice to the effect that there
shall be no social association between the
nurses and physicians of the institution.
And that rule has been held until re-
Gently to be as infexible as the oft-quoted
laws of the Medes and Persians. 1t inter
dicted any coquettish glance that be-
capped and aproned maiden might desire
to bestow upon some new and interesting
inferno.
1t put an embargo upon any surrepti-
tious handclasps in the wards or corridors,
or any sweet, stolen conversations behind
doors half jar. AS to the internes Joining
their fair enslavers at an impromptu tea
when they were off duty, that was beyond
the confines of prepriety, and as to a
merry evening at the theater and a plate
of succulent oysters at a downtown res
to describe such violation of etiquette.
Thus the victims of her severity define
the attitude of the little lady from Phila-
delphia who is at the head of the San
Francisco Training School for Nurses.
The fair contingent supplement the story
of their wrongs by such effeminate little
characterizations as "Mean thingr' 'She's
perfectly horrid ~ and the masculine rep
resentation use stronger expletives.
OF late cham pion has arisen, they say,
and he is none other than the superin-
tendent, DIR. F. A. Stable. And his posi-
ton was declared in an unequiyocal
manner.
The story goes that in test case of
fortnight ago DIR. Stable ruled that when
nurses were off duty it was nobody's busi-
ness what innocent amusements they
chose; neither might any one interfere
with their choice of companion at such
times. One of the youngest and iveliest
of the probationers applied for pass, and
written permission to be absent from the
building until IL o'clock was granted her.
She extended the time of her cessation of
duty two hours, and this aroused the in
dignation of her instructor. Miss Patton
alleged that the heightened absence was
willful, and therefore called for discipline
of the offender.
Her companion in the protracted stay
was one of the internes, or house physi-
clduS. IL appears t1dI ne was ameNdDle
to no one for lingering 100 minutes longer
in the society of his charmer, but the
charmer, being a student of the training
school, was, and the head of the school
held her strictly accountable. According
to the rigid rules that obtain in the insti-
tuition the young lady would have been
dismissed. She, howe. er, appealed to DR..
Stable, and the superintendent gave her
another trial"
Her tears changed to smiles and those
smiles have been reflected by dozen or
more of the busy young people at the hos
pital- The precedent delighted them, and
they have since literally taken advantage
of it. Nobody looks at the posted notice
except in derision, and it is no uncommon
sight. that Of proud and happy inferno
escorting blushing nurse to and from the
theater ana as for tender little passages at
the bedside of patient, who snail forbid
them, we would like to know?
Who knows how many happy matches
that cruel rule of Miss Patton's might
have prevented? Considering the fact that
DR.. Titus. the former superintendent, met |
his fate in the form of q charming nurse |
in the institution, it is not to be wondered |
at that Miss Patton's unfeeling stand for |
professional association merely was in |
dignantly resented.
A musicale for the benefit of the training !
school is to be given shortly, and it may |
be that at that time the final decision in |
the case of discipline VS.. affection will be |