New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-25
NURSES SCHOOL ct BEIRUT.
Miss Jane Van Zandt Sails Next Week to
Take Charge of It.

The Syrian Protestant College at Beirut, the Iarg-
est educational mission in the world. has decided TO
establish a training school for nurses, and Miss
Jane Van zandt. graduate of the New-York Post
Graduate Medical School and Hospitals training
school, viii sail the Slavonia March Is to take
charge Of the new institution. This will be the
only school Of its kind in Asia Minor. Turkey or
Egypt. though it has been proposed to establish
one in connection with the American College at
Constantnople. Under favorable circumstances it
will take Miss Van Zandt about three weeks to
reach Beirut. going by way OF Naples and Alexan-
dria.
In connection with the training school hospital
Tor women and children, called the Maria De Witt
Jesup Hospital. after the wife of Morris K. JesuD
president of the board Of trustees Of the college,
has been founded. For this purpose one old Arab
building has been completely reftted, and a new
one VIII bs erected as soon as the necessary per-
mission Is received from the palace authorities at
Constantnople, to whom all such matters through
out the entire empire are referred.
Hitherto the medical department OF the college,
which contained last year 129 students. has been
dependent for its hospital experience. indlspen-
sable to modern medical instruction. upon the hos
pital supported by the knights Of the Johanniter
Order OF Germany. in which nine deaconeSses of
Kaiserswerth. assisted by native servants for
ing; however. to train native women scientifically
and this task has fallen to Miss Van zandt. The
need for a new hospital was increased by the fact
that the Johanniter institution refuses to accept
The medical school Of the college has met with
the authorities believe there is an equally wide
field for nurses school. or the 81 graduates Of
the medical school many have obtained places in
made by the British officers OF the medical stan
for more men. The familiarity OF the graduates
with the language, customs and character Of the
native troops naturally gives them great advan-
taee over the European physicians in the same
service and the Beirut College is, with the excep-
ton of one Jesuit institution. the only place in
Asia Minor or Egypt where useful medical in
struction is TO be had AS matter of fact. the
standard of the college is considered remarkably
high, the faculty of medical missionaries headed
by Dr. George E. Post. being all graduates of well
known schools. and several Of them having also
been students at the New-York POSTGRADUATE
Medical School. They provide all the instruction
there is to be had in that region for the old Arab
science has fallen into decay together with the
political fortunes of Mahometanism, and no longer
consists OF anything more than nominations and
some acquaintance with the virtues of Indigenous
herbs One native discovered to be in the
habit OF treating his patients doses of American
newspapers soaked IN OIL He insisted that his
treatment of the utmost value.
The men OF the Arabic speaking races. OF which
Beirut is the great centre have already shown their
appreciation of Western medicine, and 1t is believed
that many women of the better classes viii wei
come the opportunity to study under Miss Van
Zandt. complete change in the attitude Of the
Syrians toward education has taken place in the
last fifty years, and even the Mahometans are now
establishing schools for their and girls.
This liberal attitude Will do much 1t is said, to
insure the success Of the training school for
nurses.