The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-03-05
sIcKROoM sUPERsTITIoNs.
The Inhue nee of Certain Beliefs EN-.
tertained by Patients ON
Their Condition.

The nurse who can control the SUI
perstitions of her patient has fought
half the battle for the physician in
charge of the case. Here are some
cases in point:
A woman in Washington who is a
firm believer in palmistry, was OPP
Grated on for appendicitis. When the
incision had been made the surgeons
discovered that it was case OF peril
tonitis instead of appendicitis.
The woman was in critical condi-
ton, and when she recovered from
| the influence of the anaesthetic, the
| physician in charge of the case
deemed it best that she should be in.
formed of the true state of affairs.
This was discreetly done by nurse
and doctor, and it was suggested that
| She send for her mother and her
clergyman, says the New York Sun.
Now, it happened that the patient
had neither, but she had something
| else-an immense amount of grit and
/ an unshakable belief in the lines of
/ her hand. With an effort that showed
in her Tightening lips, she turned her
| right hand and held it where the doc
tor might see it distinctly. Then she
remarked, in weak, but determined
voice:
Doctor, do you see the life line in
that hand? 1t says / will live until
l am AS. Those lines never lie. You
can't kill me with a trifle like peri
tonitis. am only 80. Give me some
water and I'll go to Sleep"
She fought her fight and is about
again to-day. ~
just the reverse of this situation
was shown in Philadelphia hospital
i where one of the nurses underwent
a serious operation from which she
was rallying apparently without diff
| ficulty.
The superintendent of nurses
dropped in to see her just at dusk
and congratulated her on her evi-
dent progress. The girl turned ques-
tioning eyes to her chief and said:
/ "Yes, it seems all right, but pray
Heaven that peacock won't call!
You know what that means"
The superintendent spoke reassur-
ingly, but when she had left the ward
the words of the nurse worried her.
A wealthy woman living next door
to the hospital owned magnificent
peacock, which ordinarily was ex-
ceedingly quiet, but a superstition
existed in the hospital that when
ever the bird cried, death stalked in
one of the wards.
At two in the morning the superin-
tendent found herself sitting straight
up in bel and seized with a sudden
horror. The peacock was uttcring a
mournful wall.
Pulling on her wrapper and slip
pers she hurried to the ward where
lay her, assistant. 1t was as she
feared. The reaction from the OPP
Grafton had set in, preceded by yio-
lent nervous chill.
The house physician had been sum-
moned, but the patient seemed like
:. one in the clutch of supernatural
power. Her temperature went down
with plunge, her pulse followed, she
seemed unable to respond to any OF
the emergency remedies. and in less
than an hour was dead, as her chief
said, the victim of her own fear.
For one whole year New York
| man suffered from hallucination
which he could not throw off, and at
the end of the time he was practical
ly victim of nervous prostration, be.
, cause he could not get away from
. himself.
: An astrologer had foretold that he
: would die when he was 55. At the
time of the prophecy the man
laughed heartily, but as the year ap.
preached he found shadow. walking
ever at his side. He tried to think
that it was due to overwork and
worry about his business, and he de
termined to go abroad for rest.
Then something stayed the pur
q chase Of tickets for the journey, and
:, he realized that it was fear-fea1
! that the steamship might go down
: He became afraid even to 60 on /
: railroad journey and doubled his lift
? insurance.
!. Finally he took several friends in
|
u the streets at night without one o
them in his company. He dodget
4 trolley cars and trucks like one VIII,
. thought all methods of traffic wer
p in league against his personal safety
n His friends ceased to jest with hin
: on the subject, and seriously aide,
# in what to him seemed fight TO
II life.
4 When at last old Father Time land
/, ed him safe across his thirty-sixt
j. birthday this perfectly sane an
IL thoroughly healthy man collapse
y from pure reaction and took the tri
Ia abroad which he had feared for ]
long months.
A Sad Predicament.
IA A vaudeville artist out west recentl
" adopted four pickaninries ranging