The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-25
THE CASE OFTHE LEPER.
STATEMENTS FROM BOTH SIDES
SETTING FORTH THE FACTS.
Miss Douthars Friends Tell Why She De-
ciined TO Nurse the Patient Tho
Hospital People Talk.

Inc story puDlSntd eNciuSiNeiy III SUI
urday's Times Of Miss Mary w. Dou-
that's acceptance CT expulsion from the
training school for nurses at Johns-Hop-
kins University in Baltimore. rather than
nurse A patient suffering with tubercu-
lous loprosy. was widely read and Great
cd comment. Miss Douthat has many
friends here who @ pressed sympathy for
her in her decision. She is membet
Of a prominent family iE Virginia and
is connected with well-known people IN
Richmond
BOTH SIDES OF TIE CASE.
Tho Baltimore Sun Of yesterday gives
the following account OF the affair:
A few days ago Miss Mary W. Douthat
one of the pupils in the training school
for nurses at the Johns Hopkins Hospital
severed her connection with the insttu-
ton and returned TO her home at Wyan-
oke Va. where her family lives, she
being a daughter Of the late Fielding Lew
is Douthat, Of that place. Miss Douthat
left the school because she declined 10
nurse Mary Sansone, a patient suffering
from tubcIculous loprosy. who Is confined
IN the isolated ward of the hospital
Several Of Miss Douthats friends have
taken an interest in her case and have
defended her position. one OF her friends
has written 10 The sun in her behalf,
making a statement which presents very
fully Miss Douthars side OF the case.
lie says among other things:
1t is conceded that the hospital will
not knowingly receive leprous patients
and, therefore. the nursing Of such pa
TENTS is not contemplated in any agree
~ ent that the nurses may make when en-
! terng the institution 20 learn their pro-
| fession. Las. fall Miss Mary a. Nut
| ting superintendent Of the nurses train
| ing school, sent for Miss Douthat and
! directed her 10 repair 10 tho Isolated ward
and take charge OF the lsprous woman.
| There are many nurses who are willing
10 brave this Infection but Miss Douthat
| objected. Miss Nutting gave Miss Dou-
| that Until January 20 decide whether she
would obey her orders in this respect.
a few days ago Miss Douthat was
asked by Miss Nutting II she was ready to
take charge Of the leprous woman. Miss
! Douthat replied that she could not do il;
! that anything else that Miss Nuttlng
might direct she would willingly per-
form, but that the care OF a leprous pa
| tent was not contemplated when She en-
! tered the institution, or she would not
| have entered it at all. She was then in
! formed that she was dismissed from the
| hospital.
The Hopkins Hospital" continues Miss
! DOuthats friend receives young ladies'
who wish TO become trained nurses. These
ladies are required to remain three years
at the institution. The hospital gets their
services all this time without pay. The
ladies are furnished with their boarding
and their uniform. but they get no money
| The only compensation they pet is the
| diploma which Is given them at the end
OF the three years certifying that they
! have taken this course Of preparation and
! experience and are competent TO nurse the
| sick"
This is. I'm effect Miss Douthat's side Of
the case. Miss Nutting, superintendent Of
the school. yesterday told her side 10 d
representative OF the Sun:
| STATEMENT FROM MISS NUTTING
Miss Douthat," she said, entered the
| institution on June 10. 1896, and left IL on
January 70. 1898. We have here now
about seventy pupil nurses and about
| twenty regular nurses, who comprise the
! heads and the assistants in the various
| departments. IL is a. part of the pro-
| gramme that all of the pupil nurses. at
some time during their three years
course. shall serve for a period in the
| isolated ward. in which Sansone. the le-
prous woman, is located. According 10
| my books thirty-four or thrty-fiye OF the
pupils have served their time In that
| ward since Sansone arrived. Some Of
| them have been on duty there as long
| as three months.
Last October Miss Douthats time came
and she was told 10 report in the Isolated
ward She declined to do SO on account
Of the presence there Of the leprous pa
tient The authorities Of the hospital con-
ferred as 10 her refusal and decided to
give her three months in which TO recon
slider the matter.
The whole thing in a nutshell Is thar
since this duty was expected Of all thl
pupil nurses. it had 10 be insisted that
Miss Douthat perform the duty in order
10 maintain such discipline as ought 10 b'
maintained IN school Of this kind Il
we excused Miss DOuthat we would un
doubtedly have had TO excuse others o
the pupils and this we could not very
well DO. for the isolated ward-ward
we call it's part Of the hospital an'
in it all OF tho pupil nurses are 10 TAX
their regular turn. Many of the frs
year pupils have been in that ward sine
Miss Douthats refustl 20 do duty there.
when the pupil nurses enter the train
ing school they sign an agreement. which
ask them 10 read carefully before AZ
/ taching their signatures TO IL. This
agreement Mrs. Douthat signed. II state
that tho signer agrees 70 remain in tn
institution three years as a pupil. am
promises during that time 70 faithful.
obey the rules Of the hospital and schoo
and 10 be subordinate TO the governing
authorities.
Il am extremely sorry that such cas-
has been given publicity. but I would no
have sent any one into the isolated war;
had I believed that they were in DANCE
OF contracting leprosy. We all believ
here what our physicians and surgeon
tell US. and we do not think that lepros
is communicable IL ordinary precaution
are taken 10 not think that II is an
more comm unicable than tuberculosis
nave nursel the Sansone woman at vari
Gus time. and 7 would as leave serve 4
her room as ride in a street car in whic
were a number of consumptives. who di
not observe the first principles OF hygien
or decency.
WHAT DIR. II. NJ HURD SAYS.
Il consulted with Dr. Henry NJ. HurC
superintendent OF the hospital, in regar
10 Miss Douthats case, and he indorse
my position. II it need go any further
Dr. Hurd will possibly submit IL 10 IN
trustees"
DR.. Hurd indirsed all that Miss Nut
ting had said concerning Miss Douthat
| case. and said that she was the first o
the pupil nurses who had ever declined
70 enter the isolated ward since the lep
rous pats NJ had been there.
~ NrHNN