Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-06-19
GIRLS HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE.
All Pleasure. and Even the Operating
Room Had No Terrors.

| OF one again when | am i'll, provided
can help IT.. II Is much more convenient
| than II is to be III at home. You are
made perfectly comfortable, you have the
| best of attendance, and you do not feel
all the timc-if YOU are well enough to
! feel anything-that tie family is being
! entirely upset and made half sick as well
from the nervous strain.
1t is less expensive. too, I believe.
When one has had illness in the family.
and knows how many towels and how
many pieces Of bed linen a good nurse
feels are necessary for the welfare of
her patient, and what a trouble and ex-
pense 1t IS to get il Numbered, to say
nothing of the other expenses the cost
of hospital treatment seems small
one is not quite in the swim nowadays
| If one has not had an operation per-
formed Those words seem to be 4 sort
! OF open sesame to special select circles
and from the number Of people who use
| them one would think that there was not
thoroughly sound person in the commu-
nifty. So ] have had my operation per-
formed and for the people who don't
belong to the select circle and who don't
know the experience il may be interest
ing.
In the first place, the time for me to
90 to the hospital was one Of the hottest
! Of hot periods in the summer, so If
| lived through that and can still say hos
ought to believe me.
The first step was ne going to the
hospital, and that | did all by myself
took car ana went down there i had
stipulated that ! must be allowed 10 go
alone. ! knew that ! should be able 10
stand my own part Of the trouble. but 70
have sympa thizing family around would
unnerve me completely.
Il had made up my mind that | would
be cool. | had perfect confidence in .ne
hospital and also in the doctor, which
were two important points Then, per-
maps, one thing which may have helped
TO give me confidence was that | had
ncrved myself once or twice before,
i1ll inc tl.lY I ~, IA. Il
with the use of cocaine and that is much
worse than undergoing an operation iii
the regular way. The nurses themselves
do not like a cocaine operation. | learned
aftcrward, for the suffering Of the pa
tient tries their nerves. So having lived
through the thought of that | was pre-
pared for anything that would not be as
bad.
Il reached the hospital announced my
self, ana was shown upstairs to my room
winch was every thing that could be de-
sired. Then ! began to have callers. The
first was the historian. who took down
the hygienic history OF my family, an
sorts Of things about myself, etc, every
thing almost. though he very politely re-
lrAncd from asking my age which I had
gwen downstairs. Then came tHc super
intcndent wiki similar questions the doc
tor asking my personal hygiCnic history.
whether | had ever had An Of, ration
performed before, taken ether. etc Then
came the nurse.
All this was in the afternoon Of the
udN utlpIt tIlt operation Was 10 take
place. and the nurse took the first step
toward the real preparation for Il, That
was an alcohol bath. and then much to
my surprise came handage If The op-
Grafton ~ to DC upon the arm YOU arc
hdHdaEcd tightly on the arm. or II il is
upon the side you are baudagrl around
the whole body To keep the blood from
the place where .ac operation IL To BE-
~ far as possible.
That was the only thing FOR NE that
hHht' dhd Was ~ liberty ~ enjoy my
sen as pleased. had brought down an
exciting book, tbs room Was cOmfortab4v /
nEnttd with electricity. ana / was ny
own mistress until morning I could sit /
up or 90 10 bed as / pleased ana | sat
W ana read until ! felt sleepy
Everything about a hospital is 50 clean
thdJ III j. delight ANA evidently tnev
nag good chef A my hospital. for cv-
cry meal was delicious There. were non
~ the dcliCdCies Of the season that were
not served mo- ana everything in the dam |
ucSt way: "A regular course dinner. the |
~" anu chocolate III individual pots, ana |
ms emma an most attractive.
ne next morning / hal light break |
lhht ana about an hour before my par
uculdr doctor was expected u arrive tbY
nurse came 10 get mo ready.
There was bath Of ether this time |
Ind ! had to don the hospital regalia |
lhat was not attractive. Ii consisted of |
Two garments. H.ghJdress. ur the euuiy- |
tlent Tor one. and a pair of stockings
The niEntdreSs was a funny plain Iuars.
affair. opened in the back. ! asked the |
own uretucr than taa.. but she advised
the hospital garb. ana | put IL on. IT
WAS marked IN big letters un the outside !
with the words. private Patient W.. !
partmcnt," 10 identify mo urnhahlv M I |
got lost in the wards. But | wo,lI fnr
nave gone far i'm it. The stockings wcrc
iuhhy white things. marked with BIZ let
tcfS on the toes. Those stockings would |
nave kept me in good humor if nothing
else. laughed every time / looked at the
lettcred toes.
II only INDUCED in two more little van |
lucs after those We're on, and that was to !
ASK III L cuuldn wear sonnet ming to Keen |
thc stockings Up, and my side combs. b. |
cause knew l should look like a fright |
with my hair down over my face on The |
operating table.
My clinic robe was on the bed. and
Whth was dressed with my hair braided |
down my back. | was ready as soon az |
the doctor should arrive. The costume
was not uncomfortable for a hot day, ana |
/ sal down to 20 on with my hook
had reached most thrilling part in III /
50 the time passed quickly, though the |
doctor did not come whom he was expect |
MY carriage-a wheeled chair. with A
man ~ roll twas outside the door. ami |
thcrc they stood for an hour or two wait |
ing for a whistle which would notify the
nurse tho moment the doctor arrived, ana |
then ! must start off. When that finally |
ana come SIZE WAS with me in an instant |
my clinic robe was slipped on. and ! was |
in the chair ana we were on the elevator |
before | knew it,
The nurse went with me to the ether
iZlnS room, where there was one OF thr /
surgeons and the surgical nurse. to whom |
! was Introduced. There was another |
nice little chair to get into which also had |
Wheels-thc ethcrzng chair. The sur
Scon asked me a few qucstIons-had | |
ever taken ether before. ctr.-then | was |
in the chair, ana cone was drawn over |
my face My doctor came in then.
How do YOU do, Miss Blank said he |
l can see you. but You can't see me.
How DO You do" / answered, ana |
mat was the last | knew until | opcnci !
my eye: and said again:
- oh, ! feel better
Would YOU like to see some OF YOUR /
friends: asked the nurse.
There | was in my room again there |
was the same nurse and | was a Great |
ure all pulled up with bandagcs. ana be |
fore me, in spite Of my injunctiOns, were !
some OF my relatives
II had gone into the operating room |
and come ont again with a normal pulse
and though the rolls of bandages ana |
puunds-mOrc or less-of cotton batting |
We're not very comfortable ! was as well |
as could be under the circumstances !
had made up my mind that ! would not /
be excited, and had not been
The first thing | asked was If I had
talked on the operating table, because
people do say silly Things, ana that was
the one thing ] had been afraid of. But
hadn't said one word.
Then began a pleasant routine Of eat
nurses and doctors. and being always in
4i syn .l Rs,tF