The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-03

if he could never let 60 Nearly every
one in this ward had some friend to
visit him that day, and the room looked
quite gay with the flowers and maya
zines.
The general surgical ward is very
like the fracture ward, though the pa
tients here are usually in worse condi-
tons. Some Of them are bandaged from
head to foot, while others have their
hands or feet bound up with great rolls
of cloth and gauze. There is cheerful
ness here, as in the fracture room, how
| ever, and almost as many visitors.
| When The Spy man went in, group
of old men were chatting in one corner
| seemingly as happy as though they were
not tied up in cloth. Just outside the
room door was patient in a wheel
chair, too weak to move himself, and
| giving him drink was another patient
| with his hands so bound up that he had
to hold the cup in both Of them
For very sick patients, or those
brought in during the night, there are
| special rooms just outside the ward
rooms where they are put SO as not to
disturb the other patients.
| The long, sunny corridors and the
broad piazzas are used by the conva-
| lescent patients to lourge and read
| One of the worst things which can hap
| pen to some men is to be deprived of
| their pipes,a and when a patient, be-
comes we'll enough to get out on the
| piazza for half an hour, where he can
smoke to his hearts content, he feels
| that all happiness is his. And another
delightful thing which comes with con-
valescence is the right to eat in the din
| ing room, instead of having the food
| brought to ones bed. Special dining
rooms are prepared for the GONZALES
cent patients, with red table cloths on
the table and service of the best sort.
The reading matter used by the pa
tents is sent in by friends, and is kept
just outside each ward, where it may
| be got at handily. When any of the
periodicals become ragged or worn
through service they are burned, as
nothing but clean things are allowed
at the hospital. Its one law, in fact, is
cleanliness.
The hour for visitors is from to
on certain days of the week. Each pa
tient is allowed to see two visitors dur
ing the day and is allowed to receive
such things as the nurse deems harm
less. When visitor comes, he or she
is admitted by nurse, and the name
of the patient to be seen is taken in or
der thatsno more than two visitors can
| COME 10 Set lilG SdAtlG pdblGAls II ~ 10
| before the hour the visitors are ushered
| into a corridor, where they wait until
| 8 o'clock strikes, when they are al
| lowed TO go to the wards, Almost ev-
cry visitor carries. a package of some
| sort, fruit or flowers or books for the
| sick friend AT the ward doors nurses
| stand who examine every package be-
| fore it is given to the patient If she
| thinks the contents harmless, the pa
| tient is allowed to receive 1t. II she
| be in doubt she keeps 1t until the doc
| tor comes in, and If she is sure that It
| is something the sick person should
not have. it is returned to the visitor
| All sorts and conditions of humanity
| come to see the patients at the hos
| pltal, and it is interesting to watch
| them as they sit in the corridor wait
ing for permission to go to the wards.
| Women make up the larger part Of the
| crowd though there is always a good
| sprinltling of men. Some of the women
| bring babies along to see papa, and
often there are children who have come
| alone to see mother or father, as the
| case may be. 1t is hard to say when
| is the most anxious, the patient or the
visitor, when the clock Strikes ana
| some Of the scenes at the bedsides are
| enough to bring tears to the eyes OF
| the most calloused on-looker.
| Little murmurings are heard through
| ont the rooms, and now and then
| woman may be seen to bend over and
| Hiss her husband, moved by the i'm
| nuIse that Is best in woman, ana When
| 4 o,clock comes, the time for leaving,
| the nartings are indeed hard to look
| upon. o,,,o,,4 80 the
hospital is like that OF any other large
| institution. System counts for every
| thing, and in this particular, the Wor-
! cester city hospital Is as completely OF
ganized as could be wished. Across the
| street is the home for nurses, the large
| bricl building where they live, close
| waugh 10 be ready in case of necessl-
~ and far enough off to forget for a
| dive the scenes of suffering they are
| cnrnnelled to witness when at work
me management of hospital takes
,,ncb thought and hard work, and the
nccupation of trained nurses y one
] thot needs continual study. years Oh
| raining are necessary before one ne
| comes capable of attending TO the SICK
| and. of course, nowhere can sucn .Ia i
an ~ had better than In a hospital.
The old feeling of dread of hospitals
"a diving away and people are becoming
- realize that they are blessings rath-
w than prison houses. Not only are
thew ~ ,"i boof,s of incalculable value for The
nor .mes hut also havens Of refuge for the
lpUaaItbv who may be alone in the world.
"a was with a feeling of greater. re-
snect for the angels In white and piue
striped Bingham and of greater ress ,1.,
a. the big brick building that me Spy
man walked down the steps OF tne Wur,
lister city hospital fully resolved that
~ aver illness came to him he would
occupy one of the neat white cots NM
! self