The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-22
DIRECTORS ELECTED.

Directors were elected as follows for
three years: Mrs. c. H. Welles. Miss
Emeline K. Richmond, Mrs. L. S. Oak
ford, Mrs. NJ. H. Holgate Mrs. Thomas
E. Jones.
Colonel Fl. M. Boles then spoke OF
the fact that the hospital had met a
want and so offered the hope that
some time a union Of all the hospitals
of the city might be effected when uni
ted effort in the different departments
would concentrate means, energies and
devotion to better results than have
yet been achieved. He followed with
an excellent address to the nurses, in
part of which he said:
The duties, the office may almost
say the profession of the trained nurse
| in these days Of marvellous scientific re-
search, discovery and invention in both
therapeutics and surgery have become
as important and essential very nearly, to
the successful treatment of human all
ments as the knowledge, skill and genius
of the doctor and surgeon. They indeed
order and conduct the warfare against
disease, they plan the campaign against
sepsis and the insidious bacillus and mi
crobe, they perform the operations which
are necessary to remove the obstacles
from the road to recovery but as the
general relies upon his subordinates, his
troops to achieve his triumphs over his
enemies so they depend upon the intel
| ligence, assiduity, vigilance and patience
| of the nurse under whose watchful eve
their patients are left, to secure a sue
cessful conduct of their compaigns.
| In most cases of the well understood
diseases which affect mankind think 1
may safely say, that the physician de-
| pends quite as much upon the careful
! nurse as pom his medicines for cure; in
| some cases entirely upon her. In surgery
after the operation the patient is left
almost entirely in chalg ge of the nurse
| 1t is upon her the doctor relies to carry
| out his directions correctly, to watch
and note the first symptom of change in
| conditions, to record temperature and
every Incident in the pIogress of the pa
tient which may afford useful informa-
tion for the treatment of the case. She
| has become to a very large extent his
right arm and his eye, without her he
! will not willingly undertake any serious
| case.
THE TRAINED NURSE.
The profession Of the trained nurse
| for II is entitled to be called a profes-
sion now when its ranks may be en-
tered only by means of diploma certify
| ing from a CO mretent faculty the uuali-
/
of dignity and honor, and it is recog-
nized as one Of dignity and honor by the
| merical and surgical profession as well
| as the people in general The whole sys-
tenn OF public hospitals depends upon it.
| These great and noble charities would be
| impossible upon their present scale of
| usefulness without this body of trained
| nurses. In Germany a five years course
| In training school is required before
| the nurse can receive a place in a hos
| pital, but In this country II is custo-
mary to train the student in the hos
| pital In the actual care of patients un-
| der the constant supervision of the doc
| tors and superintendent. 1t is not only
a profession of dignity and honor, but OF
| higher and more attractive and lovely
| qualities than these, IL is a profession OF
| charity, mercy and that love, which Is
| the chief duty of maa to man, ana to
| God, and which is Divine The Creator
has endowed woman with especial facul-
ties for the exercise of those qualities
How grateful to the pain-racked patient
| are her quiet and gentle ministrations
| during the night watches, how tender the
| soothing touch OF her hand, how prescient
| her anticipation of every want how Wig
| liant and lovely her care. The trained
nurse enters the most sacred circles OF
domestic life. She is permitted to wit
ness and sympathize in the anxieties and
| griefs perhaps, of husbands and wives
OF parents and children, of brothers and
sisters. She is present In the supreme
moments of birth and death, and shares
with the spiritual and professional at.
tendant che sublime condolences of those
sacred hours, so is the way opened for
Liner into our affection and hearts Her