New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-10
PLAGUE NURSING IN INDIA
\ SISTER" TELLS OF HER LIFE AMONG
THE SUFFERING PEOPLE.

HOW THE BODIES OF THE VICTIMS WERE DIS
POSED oF-PLAGUE CARRIED FROM HOME
TO HOME BY RATS
A SISTER" writing to The Hospital Nursing Mir
ror' concerning her experience in plague nursing in
India says the native babies lovely little Great
ures so dehcately formed and so sweet to nurse
1t has been pathetic" she says. Ito see these
small creatures suffering from plague and patiently
bearing the suffering older person might have
rebeled against Poor little things! some were only
six months Old and II is wonderful how good they
were and how soon they took 10 English treatment.
quickly understanding the use Of feeding bottle
which 10 their mothers eyes was novelty to be
held in awe"
The little cots in the children's wards were crude
" built up Of pieces of old boxes In speaking OF
the burial of the plague victims who died in the
hospitals the same Sister says:
THE bodies of the natives had 10 be dealt with
according 10 their religion For instance. the Hin
docs were burned and the Mahometans were
buried and II q pity that cremation was not
made the rule without exception, as It was by
far the best and safest mode. our camp was close
nv the river on the banks OF which the bodies OF
the Hindoos were burned The funeral pile was
placed over the body covering II entirely and IN
six hours the remains were reduced TO ashes
When plague was raging and the death rate was
high sometimes twenty OF these funeral piles were
burning al a time the bright flames Of which could
easily be seen from our camp These burnings went
on al night and the next morning there was moth
INK les, but few ashes The burial ground was
Also lust outside the camp, and each body was
placed SIX feet into the ground and buried with
ouicklirne II was indeed. heartrending sight TO
see these poor nameless graves near together.
one vast sea of death and ruin, and II made one
realize TO the full that in the midst Of life we are
in death
After spending a short time az the hotel 70 enjoy
little rest and holiday. four OF Us received orders
20 proceed 10 the European plague camp. which
had quickly been rebuilt. Here I was placed in
charge and l must confess our work there was
hard. We began by taking IN a few convalescent
plague cases but soon others began TO come In
and we became busy. To nurse Europeans required
& great deal more time and trouble than nursing
The natives as Of course could not let the
latter do as much for our English patients as they
could so well do for each other. Consequently, our
work was infinitely more trying We also greatly
felt the heat in Bombay. The sun all day was
burning hot and there was not much shelter in
the camp
THE plague among the Europeans lasted only
short time and counting all the cases DO not thlnK
We had more than twenty weight or thirty. OF when
We must have lost eight. Most Of the Europeans
had a fairly mild form Of the disease. but those
1rbo died Of il suffered acutely as any native
rlagre case have ever seen. Plague is said TO De
carried from house 10 house by rats. and an IN
stance OF this may De seen in the following case:
Strange 10 say seven Of our European plague
ing fatal and on the place being thoroughly eN-
a,,i,ed dead rats were discovered 70 be IN the
flooring and there is no doubt this must have been
The cause u it, owing 10 the recent hre all the
hospital linen and property had been burned y. Iss
and as al that time there were rev cases ~ "as S
not thought necessary TO 20 to the expense 90
getting more than absolutely needed. 70
cases began 70 arrive We had by no means
good stock of things. and had 10 get them WIN
great difficulty as quleky a. diog rorj1ing order
everything again in larry soo- WI me ft in
70. ~ 80 nurses and we received urgent orders
:, 5000 ~ Kurrachee where II anything. plague
s-rte RoSnital which was built OF stone. was given
- - - fe,s cases. the centre part double
storied and the nurses occupied me rooms W
stsi-s In a short time it plainly seen that y
Iat!ents VINO ro,'nd sheds Of mating and bamboo
IOLlo C- IN arecfed and soon every ward and
.1erv shei was full The plague authorizes az.
RANGED thar no nurses should be kept on duty nlght
Or Sav for longer than eight hours. Even then II
~ -r,.ine work and we found that. owing 10 the
noise heat and light II no easy task LOT NOSE
the daytime In Kurrachee we again INC
tsfsI 4 monty OF overcoming the preJudlces OF me
go I'm, M " bsd the same dscOuraging treat
nerr when we 50 anxious 10 90 our 81 -
Tor hem Indeed / have often said, and hrmly
$3.50 - sorne OF our patients died OF high
casfe This sounds strange. but so much lldt We
sc,,'eu,. bad n do for them strictly against
- -syoior and in some cases / myself have seen
natives driving away and hiding their food 10 pre-,
Vent nv shadow falling across II. II was not untl
sfter eyon7e Tftle time when they saw other pa
tiepfs in ne wards being nursed and looked atter
fsat fbev hegan 10 believe in Well If they re-
f.9 ny - 49, onIy on account Of their religion
which perhaps may be d mistaken one DuI never
theess they are more true 10 II thah many -
In order 10 make the natives happier and to let
them see the treatmeni OF tne eacb 5atient might
t-ve one relative al hand who could come ana
S. ~, whenever thev liked and sheds were built
t ~. accoynn ton Of these people
u many Instances they stayed Win thet -
untI he end the Government providing them with
apd