The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-05
The Listening Sick
By M. ADDINGToN BRUCE

It was an indignant mother of very i'll young woman who protestingly declared to me:
 Somebody ought to teach these nurses some psychology. The way they discuss my daughters condition in her presence is appall- ing.
 Its no excuse to say, as they do, that she is too ill to pay any attention to them
 How can they be sure of that? If she should happen to be paying attention, their pessimistic talk won't do her any good. l really think that the importance of exer- cising prudence in sickroom conversation ought to be emphasized in the training of every nurse"
 As a matter of fact it is being more and more emphasized in the training of nurses. But there still are many nurses-and doc tors also-who take too much for granted in regard to the attention ability of the sick.
 Especially when one is gravely concerned over the outlook for ones patient the only safe rule is to give no expression to ones doubts within the patients hearing. And this is, for that matter, the best rule under all circumstances. 8sG
 The Sick afe, naturally enongh, eager slfs- teners to everything bearing on themselves. Even when seemingly asleep or in a state of profound inconsistencies they may still be able to understand what is said about them.
 This was never more convincingly im- pressed on me than in the case. few years ago, of a woman stricken with cerebral hemorrhage. With her niece I was present when neurologist made an examination of her.
 Frankly he gave it as his opinion that her condition was hopeless He was about to go into details when the niece, in dismay, checked him.
 Wait until we go into another room," she exclaimed. My poor aunt may hear you"
 Il am sorry to say" was the response, in sympathetic tone, "that your. aunt is be- yond hearing anything. The hemorrhage has been exceptionally severe
 Kneeling by her aunt, the niece, in a clear if low voice, said:
 Aunt, if you can hear what am saying, squeeze my hand"
 There came a faint but unmistakable an- swering pressure, and the neurological hastily changed his mind regarding the clouding of the aunt's consciousness.
 From time to time, moreover, there comes evidence that even patients under ether may on occasion, thought quite insensitive to pain, be aware of what is said and done in the operating room. There is reason to suppose that this is an infrequent occurrence, but the fact of it's occurring would seem to be be- yond question.
 Hence it Is always just as well for sur geons and their attending nurses to be as guarded in their remarks as they would be did they know the patient could hear them. If they are not prudent it is conceivable that some words dropped by one of them may be decisiyely detrimental factor in the ulti- mate outcome of the operation.
 For the sick, it cannot be too earnestly stressed, are not simply eager listeners. They are uncommonly suggestible listeners. Hence they react. for good or ill, more intensely than would we'll personp to chance remarks overheard by them.
 All of which means, of course, that sick room conversation, by doctors, by nurses, by relatives and friends, should always be as optimistic as possible. It is indeed terrible thing to SOW unwittingly a seed of fear that may produce a fatal lessening of the vital T1ON