Evening star., 1899-02-04
WOULD DISSIPATE RESPONSIBILITY.
Anita NewcOmb McGee's Objection to
the Hospital Nurse Bill.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
The Star of Friday quotes me as opposed
to H. r. 11770 and S. 1858, known as the
bill ito provide for the employment Of wo-
men nurses in military hospitals of the
army" and 1 beg permission to make a
correction. l am happy to say that the i'm
aginary difference of opinion between the
National Society of the Daughters of the
American Revolution and myself, spoken
of in The Star, has no existence in fact.
1t was the D. A. R. hospital corps, of
which 1 was director, that established the
standard for army nurses, with the sanction
of the surgeon general. Ihls Standard
namely, graduation from q training school
was maintained for the nurses selected
by the Daughters, who warmly supported
me in all my efforts in behalf of the army
nurses. The Daughters ceased to have any
connection with the army and its nurses on
September last and the national society,
which does not meet until February 20,
has taken action regarding the details
of the bill under consideration.
Having been officially in charge of all
matters relating to women nurses, under
the direction of the surgeon general, since
that time ! have been enabled to promote
their interests in way that was not posi-
ble for outsider, and / oppose some OF
the details of this bill because, being IA
miliar with the subject, l realize how HARM
full they would be to the nurses.
This bill. instead of placing the superin-
tendent of nurses at the head of her de-
partment, under the surgeon general, Gre
ates extraordinary nursing commission,
consisting of the Secretary of War Eek
oficio). the general commanding the army,
the adjutant general the surgeon general
and three women, which commission is to
have general charge of the nursing ser
vice" and is also to make rules to govern
the hospital corps men when duty in
the hospitals. In other words, this commits
sion Will control
file of the medical department and have
authority not only greater than the sur
geon general, but also greater than the
Secretary of War. To carry out the plans
of the ladies who have prepared this bill
the women members of the commission will
have to propose considerable changes in
military methods, some of which would
conflict with existing army regulations and
would, If adopted, render the latter null
and void. If one Of the officers on the COM
mission should vote with the women they
have majority which would overruIe the
Secretary's regulations and present the
unique spectacle of an officer being prac-
tically the superior of his chief H. on the
contrary, the three officers Should sustain
the Secretary the efforts of the women
commissioners would result in nothing If
1t is maintained that the Sec ,etary might
himself be willing to amend tn ! army regu-
latfons reply that he has that power now
without restriction; has not the least need
OF commission to relieve him Of the re-
sponsbility.
l might also incidentally call attention
to the fact that the surgeon general al
ready has corps of trained women nurses.
numbering now about 800, and as many
nurses as the service requires will be re-
tanned in the army whether this bill passes
or not.
Ignoring various minor defects in the
terms of the bill, l wish to emphasize nv
objection to the tying up of the nursing
service in endless red tape with the fric-
uon which inevitably follows conflicting
authority. The people of this country are
loudly demanding that praise be given and
blame be fixed where they belong; but if
the Secretary of War is not to be the
head of the War Department and the sur
geon general not to be the head of the
medical department, how can this be made
possible? l maintain that no adminstra-
ton can succeed unless authority and re
sponsbility go hand in hand.
Army methods are none too simple now
and TO introduce such a cumbersome and
impractical method as the one proposed
would result in crushing the life and eff
cheney out of the nursing department.
ANITA NEWCOMB MCGEE.
Acting Assistant Surgeon, U. S. Army:
Vice President General, National Society
of the Daughters of the American Revo-
tuition.
February g. 1890