The Washington times., 1901-09-15
AS OTHERS SEE Ter.
Tie Sick Woman Likes to Have a
Mirror to Consult.
One Physician of Long Experience
Relieves Ii Helps His Feminine Pa
tients to Look at Themselves Free
quentIy in the Looking Glass.

A womaz's vanity not infrequently acts
as health tonic and saves her from Sc
rious illness II not from premature
| death. A physician with long experience
| in some of the principal hospitals of the
country declares that a mirror-one OF
| those that fatter the user-is sometimes
| of more value than entire medicine
chest Il began my career" he said re-
Gently, by serving several months as an
| inferno in Pittsburg hospital 1t was
| the rule there that no ward patient should
| be allowed to have a mirror of any de-
scription, and you might rake every ward
in the hospital with a finetooth comb
without finding piece Of looking-glass as
big as postage stamp.
THE management had formulated and
enforced that law with the best interests
of the patients at heart, for they figured
that to study ones own pallor and sunk
en- cheeks and eyes is conducive to de-
preston of spirits and consequent physi-
cal deterioration. l considered their reas-
oning false, but l was OILY one against
many and did not forcibiy express my
opinion. but discreetly watched the wo-
men patients fuminS and fussing away in
secret over their appearance, OF which
each tried to get an idea tcorn the de-
scription given her by her neignborS.
lone day | was passing through a GER
tain ward and stopped beside the bed of a
girl, whose face at that moment wore the
most IuEubriouS expression i had ever
seen on a human being. 1 took alarm in
stantly and began to study her condition
why, Elsie 1 said, what in the
world ails you?
she cried then in earnest oh. DOCTOR
she said, if | could only see myself I'd
get better. | know L would. haven't
looked in glass for month The girls
try to tell me how | look, but 1 know Iney
are fooling me. I'm sure / must look
great deal worse than they make out. IL
l don't, why won't the matron and super.
, intendent let ME have glass?
Il went right down to the office then
and spouted out the piece of advice had
had stored up for so many weeks. After
thinking the matter over they decided To
allow Elsie to cultivate the acquaintance
of her own features once more. and when
she found that she did not really look so
deathIy i'll as she had imagined she began
to mend and continued to improve Stead
| lily.
80 1 give sick people. especially the
women, a mirror when they ask for IL
There may be times when person who
| is very near deaths door loses interest in
| her personal appearance and does not
| care for a mirror. but the average woman
who is able TO lift hand wants TO judge
| for herself how she is looking. and II she
| may not have the privilege of finding out
| her suspense will be more harmful than
positive knowledge. MD !
- here are very few hospitals now TINT
| forbid the use of looking glasses, and It's
| to be hoped that those few will soon re-
scind their absurd rules and provide mir
rors of their own l urge this latter point
! for the reason that there is a great DIFF
| ference in glasses. Some lend CHASTITY
| hue to the freshest countenance. whereas
! others throw pink tints on a colorless
! skin a look into one of these fiattering
| mirrors now and then would be worth
| more to a sick person than dose of med
icine. and they ought TO be supplied
| abundantly.'