Year: 1878

In recent lecture upon ''The Needs
of Nurses" DIR. Vanderbeck, said
''nearly every home has at least one
who is willing to be nurse, and al
though this is meritable, yet it will not
do when the time comes to work in the
sick-room. | do not believe in natural
born nurses and doctors; it takes prac-
tice as well as natural intuition to be-
come an efficient nurse, and vast labors
of preparation are also necessary. The
best nurse is one having natural ability,
plus thought, study and experience. Ii
is not excusable in our time TO be igno-
rant of the duties of nurse, as many
papers are devoting columns TO the sub
ject, and various institutions are dis
cussing the question to its fullest eX-
tent. The speaker gave numerous il
lustrations where ignorance in the
sick-room had proven fatal. He con-
tinued: We will first consider the room,
and the question will arise, is any room
good enough! No; any room is not
good enough, a large room is the best
and plenty of ventilation is necessary.
There should not be any carpets on the
floor, and if it is to be a siege of sick
ness, you should go to the trouble of
removing them, and taking out all the
furniture not in immediate use. 1t
should not be too high up, and for the
very aged it should be as near the
ground floor as possible. In case of
contagious disease il should be isolated
as much as possible from the rest ofthe
house. If it is in the country it can be
very convenient to have a pleasant out
look, but in the city it is sometimes
more difficult, and in the latter place ii
should be in the front of the house
when convalescent, and the rear when
the patient is an invalid. As regarding
ventilation, it is absolutely necessary
TO see that there is a sufficiency of fresh
air; for if it is necessary for a well
person TO sleep in a pure atmosphere,
how much more necessary that the dis
eased person should breathe the pure
element. Then see that there l. no
noise in the room; see that the doors
do not creak, that the nurse does not
talk too much, that there is not too
much water used in cleaning the room.
Should there be any flowers or plants
in the room? Yes, most certainly: and
here, IeXpect, there are many who will
differ from me, but | say flowers are
very beneficial TO a patient. There
should be light, but it is not necessary
to break out the windows and substi-
tute blue glass, that is entirely useless.
In regard TO the bed, there should be
two of them. and if there is no oppor-
tunity for this, you should have one
large bed. so that one side can be made
up while the otheris being used. The
best attendants are those who are near
and dear TO the sick, although there are
in these days many professional nurses
who are very good, but the very best
is one who has some affection for the
invalid. We should steer clear of per
sons who are always over-nursing,
others who are long-faced and always
looking on the dark side, and then there
are others who are the very opposite,
and are telling you continually that
You are not sick; then there are the
melancholy, the superstitious, the slo-
venly, and above all the meddlesome
nurse. All Of these should be avoided,
and never listen TO the latter class, be-
cause they are the very worst. In cases
of dying do not be constantly feeling
the pulse and the limbs of the patient,
and keep crying ''they are growing
COLDER" and using some similar ex-
pressions; this is a horrible thing, for
i'm many cases the senses of the dying
are very acute. Never whisper in the
sick-room, except TO the patient; to
the other persons never speak in any
thing but an ordinary tone of voice.
Again, never deceive dying person,


and yet, never be abrupt about break
ing bad news to them. The nurse who
is sitting up with the patient should al
WAYS have a lunch about midnight, so
that you have something TO break your
fast from supper TO breakfast. In cases
of contagious diseases, the nurse should
sit between the patient and the open
window, and thus prevent any daner-
Gus results. The lecturer spoke at some
length of disinfectants and the various
diets suitable to patients. In closing
he said that nurse should be healthy,
refined, educated, and not a gossip, and
he should be able to furnish food for
the mind, for nature has brought the
mind and body in contact, and all the
physician has to do is to watch the
course of nature and prescribe accord
ingly.