The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1920-11-18

speaker O1 CHe evening "oo i. CuSCAS
Farrell, former superintendent of New
York Post Graduate Medical school
and hospital. Musical numbers con-
sisted Of vocal solo by Mrs. Jessie
Finley Riley; and the Olympia Apollo
quartette. An orchestra played three
numbers. Misses May Shaft, Saith
Olson and Grace West rendered an
enjoyable trio, "Chirping Sparrow.
Stella Twidt gave reading, "The
Proper Motive, and Elfreda Marchil-
don spoke on Serving the Master.
Hazel Holcomb gave the valedictory.
The following received their diplomas:
Sister Mary Beata, Rita E. Chapman,
Patricia Ann Hastings, Hazel r. Hol-
comb, Alma l.. Larson and Elfreda b.
Marchiidon.
Major A. j. MCDANIEL, prominent
Minot physician and surgeon, gave the
following interesting address to the
nurses:
Members of the Glass Of 1920:
l congratulate you upon the COM
pletiOn of your course of training and
your entry into the ranks of graduate
nurses.
You are entering an honorable pro-
fession, one that did it's part in war
as it has always done its part in al
leviating suffering in peace. When
the history of the great war just past
has been written it may seem that
the nurse had small part in it, so
quietly and unostentatiously does she
work, and yet in the heart Of many q
man will be enshrined the picture OF
the little sister who brought to him
Just touch of home and mothers
care and made his sufferings in the
hospital more easily borne. And just
as in our memory of the Crimean
War, the one name that stands out
is that of Florence Nightingale, so in
coming years the name Edith Cavell
may stand out as the symbol of the
patriotism, the self-sacrifice, and the
devotion to duty of so large number
of the members of your profession.
And I want to add word of apprecia-
ton for the nurses who took up the
work at home and carried the double
burden made by the scarcity of nurses
and the epidemic that always goes
with war. ggtss-:. So {. es. .E,9.4
Yes, you have chosen an honorable
profession and you have also chosen
a responsible profession. You are to
be entrusted with the lives Of your
patients as we'll as their comfort. but
it is responsible also because you come
so intimately into the home LIE Wnere
YOU work. A nurse who will either
wilfully or thoughtlessly let her
tongue run along about the aftalrs
of her patients and their families can
do great deal of harm. Unfortu-
nately there are skeletons in many
closets, and it will be impossible at
all times to keep these hidden away
from one so intimately connected with
the family life as you will be, so that
to be successful nurse you must be
one who is as careful Of the personal
affairs of your patient as of his health.
In carrying out your responsibility
to your patient you will often have
to stand between him and his friends,
so-called. Unfortunately, many OF
these friends, without realizing how
unkind it is, prolong their visits until
the patient is tired out and made
worse than before | have been read
ing recently work by Florence
Nightingale, entitled sNotes on Nurs-
inp." written some fifty years ago,
but containing many things as true
now as then. This is what she says
on the subject of visiting and cheer
ing the sick:
Zone hint would give to all who
attend and visit the sick; to all who
have to pronounce an opinion upon
sickness or it's progress: Come back
and look at your patient AF'FEk ne
has had an hours animated conversa.
tion with YOU. It is the best test OF
his real state we know. But never
pronounce upon him from merely see
ing what he. does, or how he looks
during such conversation. Learn
also carefully and exactly If you can
how he passed the night after it. Peo-
ME rarely ever faint while making an
exertion. It is after it is over. In
deed, almost every effect Of over-ex-
ertion appears after, not during, such
exertion. It is the highest folly to
Judge Of the sick, as is so often done,
when you see them merely during the
period of excitement. People have
very often died Of that which it has
been proclaimed at the time "has done
them no HARM.
And on the subject Of advising the
sick; speaking as an invalid, she says:
'Somewhow or other it seems pro-
vision Of the universal destinies, that
every man, woman or child should
consider him, her, or itself privileged
especially to advise me. Why? That
is precisely what want to know.
And this is what have to say to
them I have been advised to 60 to
every place extant in and out of Eng
land take every kind Of exercise
by every kind of cart, carriage yes,
and even swing and umb-bell in ex-
istence; to imbibe every different kind
Of stimulus that has ever been invent.
ed. And this when those best fitted
to know, viz, medical men, after long
and close attendance, had declared any
Journey out Of the question, had pro-
hibited any kind Of motion what ever,
had closely laid down the diet and the
drink. What would my advisers say,
were they the medical attendants, and
/ the patient left their advice and took
the casual advisers? But the singu-
larity IN the visitors mind is this: