Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1899-09-19
MISS ELLA RIST.

rance, however, so fixed was the dlsbe-
lief in a woman's ability to do anything
recurring strong nerves and self control.
The Crimean war experiment was
the entering wedge of the Innovation
1t was triumphantly successful. From
that day on the profession of the trained
nurse became second in dignity and i'm
pmtance only to that of the medicine
itself. Honor is due to Florence Night
ingale above almost all women who
have lived. She opened new profess
sion to her sex, one that was at the
same time of noble service to the hu-
man race.
Only few government nurses came
here in the beginning. The first ones
reached Manila Dec. 20. No fight was
on then, the regular hospital corps Of
the army attended mostly to the sick.
So the young women had time to get
accustomed to their new quarters.
With the outbreak of the insurgents,
Feb. 4, the girls began to have plenty
of work. They are now occupied in the
hospitals all day long, those that are
here, and more are expected and needed.
The regular army nurses have made
q record for their country women, yes,
and men, too, to be proud of. You can
judge how their services are appre-
ciated by the fact that their pay has
been nearly doubled by the United
States government since they started
in. At first they were hired by the
month. They received $50 month and
quarters and food. Now they sign a
contract for a year and receive $50 a
month. As steady thing that is not
bad pay even for trained nurse. The
quarters of the army nurses are among
the cleanest, cheeriest places ! have
visited in this town. The ladies gather
about them pretty bamboo furniture
and artistic belongings, SO that their
home is spot which rests the eye.
Of women nurses in the island there
are now 25. Two are in the hospital at
Cavite, two on the island Of Corregidor,
in the convalescent hospital. the others
are all in Manila, at the First and
Second Reserve hospitals.
The First Reserve hospital is, the
principal one. Here at times there have
been as many as, 800 sick and wound
ed. The lady who has charge of all the
other nurses at the First Reserve hos
pital is Miss Mona Bowman of Port
land, Or. She is called chief nurse
Since Feb. 5 she has been in attend
ance in the operating room Of the hos
pital without losing a day.
The women nurses that come here
are of three classes. One division is sent
by the United States government.
These are called contract nurses Then
come the Red Cross ladies, supported
by. Red Cross organizations in their
respective states. Finally come the
third division, called Auxiliary Red
Cross nurses. These are sent by the
private philanthropy Of ladies at home
who wish to do something for their
country. Miss Helen Gould and Mrs.
Whitelaw Reid are at the head Of the
enterprise that maintains here the third
auxiliary branch of Red Cross nurses.
The women do not go out on the
! field of battle. In battle members Of
the hospital corps dart out under fire
and bring in the wounded to the field
surgeons at the dressing stations and
regimental hospitals. Then 80 soon as
possible the wounded are sent to the
general hospital, where they can re-
ceive the attention that, it is impossible
to give them on the field. You will
see, therefore, that it is not necessary
for the women nurses to accompany an
army actually on the field in fight.
Indeed this would not be wise or advis-
able The argument againet it Is that
If the soldiers saw half a dozen nice