The Advantages Of Professional Nursing

What you want in a_sick room is a oalm, steady discipline, existing, but unfelt - the patiënt, cool control which a stranger is far more npt to expreise than a relativo. In a word, jusl: as a doctor always feels it ■unwiso to attend alone his own dearones in grava illncss, for likfi but lesserreasons the best nurse is a stranger - one wlio is ■untnoved by the traditiois of love, and ■who, acting simply and purely froin eenso of duty takes th:tt care of her own health which is essential to her nursing perfect. Such an attendant ia willing to tako her share of sleep and fresh air, and so ramain oool and tranquil undor all circumstanees, and all ex igencies, ïnaking far more Kght the task of the doctor, and ablo from experience ofillness to note changes, and cali for fiid at needed times. Such help excludes from a sick room that host of little annoyances fnr doctor and patiënt which 1 may cali fuss, I have been astonishcd that in Misa Xightingale's book so little is said of this subject of amateur nursing and its ovils ; but Oortainly most doctors ■will agree with that, save in cases of infante, whero tho mother cannot and Bhould not be displaeed, the best nursing is paid nursing, and the worst very often that which coraes from the family. But if the sentiment of a too tender 6elf-dcvotion, when undertakiiig this task, be bad for the patiënt, it is still worse for the loving nurse ; so I fcel despite what I have said Just now, ï have failed to say forcibly onough how vast is such a task. Jjet aijy nïmy readers rocali anew the intensity of interest, tho anxious eagernejs, with which thcy may havo watohed a very sick iVinid, wife-, sister, or husband. "Let them öring back the hervons terrors which grew upon them through the long hours of dreary waiting for the turn in the tide, and recall the enormous phyaicat effort enacted, and tliey will perbaps come to understand mo better. Such a Bituation brings tojthe nnrse just that combination of anxiety witli overwork which I havo elsewnere discri'aod, apt in busiB6SS men to bring abcat diseased states of the brain ; nor doea it fail of like (.'eet in the nursing woman thus overtaken, The patiënt dies or recovers, but lèaves in many cases a sad legacy of broken health to the friend who watch and vrept by the bedside, I have been amazert soinetimca io see lw brief a peiiod of (ach work 8ntairs,.,cv6n in seemingly healthy peoplc, weeks of intonso prostration, orsome long and' iniscliiovous train of puzzling nervous symptoms. Indeed, some of tlie most alarming and permanent breakdowns in (apparently) and vigorous women I have seen folio piulonged efforts at nursing their friend'3, whiln it is at lenst far more rare to sec üke r-esults nmong jaid nursos.