The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-20
Sem ON ARMY HOSPITALS.
Great Surgeon Makes Authoritative
Uncle Military

war by the use of hospital ships. The
medical department of the army and
navy recognized at the proper time the
necessity of employing ships adapted
for the transportation of disabled sol
diers from the seat of war back to their
own country, where they could receive
better care and nursing and escape a
prolonged staN in malarial, semi
tropical country The hospital ships
Relief, Solace and Missouri were the
means of saving hundreds of lives
which without such means of trans
portation would have persisted in Cuba
and Puerto Rico. The horrors enacted
on some of the transports are more
than balanced by the comforts and
even luXuries the sick and wounded en-
joyed on these floating hospitals 1t
was on these vessels that the nations
patients were largely in the care Oh
competent female nurses. ASK any OF
the sick soldiers who returned on any
of these ships and you will find him
ready to praise and bless the female
nurse under whose care he was placed
on his return from the seat of war
He will always remember with graft
tude her gentleness and devotion
WOMEN THE BEST NURSES.
During the four trips I made on the
hospital ship Relief to and from Cuba
and Puerto Rico, l had ample oppor-
tunity to compare the work of the male
and female nurses and have no hesl-
tation in speaking in decided terms IN
favor Of the latter Nursing is woman s
special sphere. 1t is her natural cali
ing. She was born a nurse. She is en-
doWed with all the qualifications men
tally and physically to take care of the
sick Her sweet smile and gentle touch
are often of more benefit to the patient
than the medicines she administers.
The dainty dishes she is capable of pre-
pairing as rule accomplish more IN the
successful treatment Of disease than
drugs. Her sense of duty and devotion
to those placed under her care are sell
dom equalled by men. The sick sol
der far away from home, relatives and
friends realizes keenly the superiority
of female over male nurses, and eSpecl-
ally So if his illness is tinged, as IS
often the case with inconsistencies. 1t
is under such circumstances that the
professional female nurse is greeted in
camp, on board ship and in the hospital
as an angel of mercy, and every look
and move she makes are of the keenest
interest to the eXpectant sick. For the
time being she takes the place of the
dear sister at the bedside. She watches
the progress of the disease by day and
by night and her heart rises and glad
denS with the approach of symptoms
denoting improvement; deep sorrow
and tender sympathy take possession
of her when, in spite of all her eXer-
lions the shadows of death advance.
Woman is the natural nurse, and no
where does she appear grander or
nobIer than when she is mi" STEERING to
the sick and dying of an army in ac-
tive warfare. The American woman
above those of any other nation is
peculiarly we'll fitted for such post of
duty She is enthusiastic, energetic,
tireless, devoted and, more than all
this, intensely patriotic. Our sick and
convalescent soldiers owe a lasting
debt of gratitude to the small army of
female nurses who left their homes
with no expectation of pecuniary gain
and served them and their country in
camp and field in fever stricken dis
| tricts, and in common with them suf-
fered without word of complaint the
privations incident to an active cam
paign.
TASK OF SELECTING NURSES.
From the very beginning of the war
the surgeon generals Office was over
| flooded by APPLICATIONS for service in
/ the hospitals from all parts of the
country. The material to select from
was enormous, but the task of making
a careful selection proved to be diff
cult. The surgeon general was over
burdened with the various details of his
important office and in his desire to
supply the sick with competent nurses
he assigned this duty to DR.. Anita Nc
Gee of Washington, who was commits
stoned acting assistant surgeon, prob
ably the first time this honor was con-
ferred upon a woman in this country
/ The services of DR.. MCGEE proved of
the greatest value in selecting from the
thousands of applicants a sufficient
number of trained, competent female
nurses for duty in the hospitals at diff
ferent points.
The American Red Cross society did
excellent work, not only in furnishing
supplies Of all kinds where and when
they were most needed, but also in sup
plying nurses when emergencies arose.
Miss Clara Barton, the Florence Night
ingale of this country, president of the
society, has performed her onerous du-
! ties during the entire war with a deVo-
ton and earnestness that merit recog-
milton IT home and abroad. She has
been tireless in her efforts to bring
| comfort to the soldiers at a time when
her services were most urgently in de-
mand. The State of Texas and the
little steamer Red Cross, under her
| command, made their appearance at
Siboney at a time when outside help
was most required. Ice, medicines.