Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-28
DIPLOMAS TO NURSES.
SEVEN OF THEM GRADUATE FROM
THE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL.
TIE CLOSING EXERCISES LAST NIGHT.
DIR. Mcclure Discusses the Noble
Mission OF These UnseIash women
DIR. Carmichners Address-MedaIs
and Diplomas Awarded.

me amphitheatrc OF the University
College OF Medicine was crowded to its
capacity last night. when the graduates
OF the training school for nurses of that
institution were awarded the hardwon
honors Of their two-years' probation.
Rev. DIR. Tudor. Of Centenary church,
opened the proceedings with prayer.
Dr. Hunter Mcguire, president of the
college, followed in a brief but absorbing
address. He reminded the nurses Of the
meaning OF the word commencement"
To the graduates, he said. il was the
dawning of O career OF usefulness, hard
work, and ministration TO the sick. He
contrasted the surgeon OF to-day with
the ignorant. brutal. barber surgeon"
OF the past, and the nurses of to-day
with those of the Sarah Camp type, i'm
mortallzed by Dickens.
model for the nurse, and one that
never should be lost sight of, was Flo
renee Nightingale She had originated
the system Of nursing, and the system
she inaugurated had scarcely been i'm
proved. He spoke at length of her work
and her achievements, and the develop
the Crimean war. incidentally he touch
ed upon the army hospitals Of to-day.
and said il was a remarkable fact that
the South had always excelled the North
In these matters. and as an illustration
he quoted the superior systems Of hos
pital work in the camps Of Generals
Wheeler and Fitzhugh Lee, compared
with those Of other generals.
ADDRESS OF DIR. CARMICHAEL.
Rev. DR.. Carmichael, who was the ora
tor Of the occasion, made a brief but
excellent address. He traced the history
Of the physician from the days of the
skilful doctor Of ancient Egypt through
the darker ages that succeeded, the con-
fusion of the apothecary and physician
in the time Of Henry VI, Of England,
Of the apothecary and grocer In the
time of James L., and Of the physician
and the barber in the reign of George
il. The world is now in the age of spe-
cialism, he said, but still the physician
is dependent for success on the strict
obedience to his orders. Nursing was the
latest development. The dress Of the
nurse marks mission, and her pres
ence in the sick room gives confidence
at home. IT would be a good thing, the
speaker said, If more of our young wo-
men would turn their attention to nurs-
ing. There is nothing mental in the work,
for ii is sacred. 1t is not the shallowest,
but the best, nature that can face petty
duties. "Be assured" he said in conclu-
sion. addressing the nurses, that in your
duty there is nothing beneath your at
tention."
MEDALS AND BADGES GIVEN.
DR.. w. S. Gordon who had been chosen
to deliver the diplomas to the graduates.
made few happy remarks. in the course
Of which he thanked the nurses for their
kind attention at lectures. and was fol-
lowed by DR.. J. Allison Hodges, who
spoke eloquently Of the nurses as evangels
OF mercy and of their calling. He
then presented the gold badges which
serve to distinguish the graduates OF the
Virginia Hospital. Each nurse was loudly
applauded as she received the honors,
and each was the recipient of one or
more handsome bouquets. The following
are the graduates: Misses Dorothy
Stuckey, Bessie Merritt Sally Alex,
Webb. Agnes Randolph, Mary Wills
Douthat. Elizabeth w. Terrill, and Per-
nette V. Spencer.
Miss Agnes Randolph received the spe-
cial medal as the graduate who had re-
ceived the highest number OF marks.
Dr. Hodges presented MISS ROBERTSON,
the new superintendent WIN heuai
as a token of the esteem and apprecla-
tion of the faculty, and Mr.. Edgar ID.
TAYLOR was presented with the following
testimonial from the nurses:
we, the graduating class Of $685. feel
that we cannot take leave Of our Alma
Mater. that our duties here will remain
unfinished. without expressing our appre-
citation of our director in charge, MI
Edgar d. Taylor
lie has at all times been unfailingly
tind and considerable and has won our
heartfelt thanks as well as our regard
and esteem, and we hereby wish TO tender
IN him. as a body, on this happy OCCASION
our appreciation of the same.
The exercises closed with benediction