Mary Theodosia Mug

“ On one occasion a poor victim was so glad to see her that he offered to shake hands with her. She warmly grasped the scaley hand, declaring afterwards that she would rather have been stricken herself than refuse that little comfort to a dying soldier. ”

“ The cooking is all done by steam on a large range, and everything is prepared in a most careful manner. There are ten women employed in the hospital, some of them of several years' experience as cooks and attendants, besides the Sisters of Providence who superintend and direct all the domestic arrangements, and give comfort and cheer to the sick in a thousand kind attentions. ”

“ The change they soon effected in making it a clean, comfortable house for the sick soldiers, filled the people with admiration and inspired great confidence in them. This successful beginning was gratefully acknowledged to Our Lord, who permits us the happiness to serve Him in the person of the sick."
One month after the Sisters took command of the hospital, the Indianapolis Daily Journal, June 18, 1861, had this editorial:
"Providence sometimes turns even our most foolish acts into real blessings, as it often confounds our wisest into follies. Our City Hospital is a striking illustration. ”

“ There are now about sixty patients, the greater part down with the measles, and not all seriously sick. Two or three have pneumonia, supervening on measles, and are quite sick, and a few others have typhoid, but are improving. Not more than two are considered at all dangerous. There have not been less than fifty patients in the hospital at one time since it was organized, and sometimes there were nearly one hundrd. Altogether about three hundred have been treated since the hospital opened. All the work of the hospital is done in the building under the care of the Sisters. ”

“ Mother Theodore's example infused courage into the hearts of her Sisters, and a devotedness to the work of caring for the sick and afflicted that took deep root in the Community. The chief work of the order, however, was education. Various establishments were opened in the course of time, besides the boarding school (St. Mary's Academy) founded at the Mother House in 1841, an institution that took rank among the best in the country.
In 1850, Terre Haute already had its parochial grade and high schools; now the Sisters were invited to open a hospital there. ”

“ The Sisters who were in the Service at the Military Hospital in Indianapolis were: Sister Athanasius Fogarty, Sister Eugenia Gorman, Sister Mary Frances Guthneck, Sister Mary Rose O'Donaghue, and Sister Mathilda Swimley. Their devotedness, as we have seen from the reports, was greatly appreciated by the doctors and authorities; in fact, they won all hearts. The ladies of the city, hearing that the Sisters had poor accommodations for themselves, banded together and bought furniture and other things to make their rooms comfortable. ”

“ Floors leak and the ceiling and casings have become warped and shrunken.
"The laundry, in charge of the Sisters of Providence with several female assistants, is a place of work. A thousand pieces of clothing are washed and ironed every week, besides the washing of about five hundred sheets, etc.
"Many improvements have been made this summer in and about the Hospital, adding much to convenience and beauty. Store and baggage rooms have been fitted up, wardrobes placed in all the wards, and the bathrooms thoroughly renovated and supplied with apparatus for hot, cold, and shower baths. ”

“ The Soldiers' Home was a sort of military hotel in which all the accommodations were free. During the first months of the war, the State Sanitary Commission had agents at the Union Depot to supply passing troops and take care of the sick at hotels; but this was expensive and inconvenient, so a camp was established on vacant ground south of the depot, with hospital tents and other conveniences, and maintained until 1862, when the Governor resolved to establish a permanent home. ”

“ John M. Kitchen and P. H. Jameson, and the Committee takes pleasure in saying that under the management of these gentlemen, the accommodations for the sick and wounded soldiers are as near perfection as it is possible they could be made with the means at their disposal.
"There is at each of the camps near the City, a Receiving Hospital, under the immediate care of Dr. Jameson (except Camp Morton) where the sick of each regiment are reported every morning, and each severe case is at once sent to the General Hospital; but very many cases are entirely treated at these receiving hospitals. ”

“ A record is kept of the name, regiment, and company, disease, and number of ward and hammock of each patient admitted, and of all transfers, so that any patient in the hospital can be found, and all the facts in relation to his case learned, in a few minutes. ”

“ At that hour the nurses busy themselves in cleaning the spittoons, washing the faces and arms of the patients, sweeping the wards and making everything tidy. Meanwhile the dressers are at work, cleaning and bandaging the wounds, causing intense pain by the necessary probings, pressures, plasterings, etc., and a great deal of comfort by their generally cheerful reports to the patients of the improvement perceptible.
"If they do not always tell the truth they are pardonable, for it would be very cruel to reveal every bad symptom, so long as there is hope of ultimate recovery. ”

“ Since May 1, 1861, about five thousand five hundred Union soldiers have been under treatment here, and of this number only about two hundred and thirteen died. When we consider that it is only the severe cases that are sent to the hospital, it will be seen that the ratio of mortality is by no means large.
"Indiana will never want for brave sons to go forth and fight her battles and face danger to preserve her fair name, so long as they can be assured that if they are unfortunate they will not be neglected and forgotten. ”

“ It was not long before the battle's toll called for the aid of nurses. The Sisters, one and all, stood in readiness for the call, should it come, though of course only a comparatively small number could be chosen. The schools must be kept open, if at all possible. Most of the Sisters were in the schools. After the call did come, the Mother Superior wrote in the Community Records: "This is an eventful occasion for the Community. May Our Divine Lord help us to perform well the duties we are now undertaking." ”

“ The dining rooms for the attendants and convalescent patients are as well arranged and conveniently furnished as in any well regulated boarding house, and the preparation and time of meals are attended to with scrupulous promptness and care. The meals for the sick are furnished by the attendants who go to the kitchen with trays in regular divisions, at the ringing of a bell, where from an abundant and various store each takes what is required for the patients in his charge. ”

“ At first the washing was done abroad, but it was determined to do it in the building, and the first week's bill showed a saving that paid for the stove that was used. There is no waste, no dirt, no useless hands about the establishment. Everything is substantial, clean, orderly and complete. We doubt if the splendid hospitals of eastern cities can show a more perfect arrangement for the sick than the little hastily organized hospital here."
Further details are subjoined, taken from "Greater Indianapolis" by Jacob Piatt Dunn. ”

“ Felix Buchanan
of the Sisters were in danger from delirious fever patients, as well as from the epidemic. Defenseless and isolated, the Sisters still remained at their post even washing the linen at night and cutting the wood for the fires. The Doctors succeeded after awhile in getting an old man to care for the fires and carry water. He could do little else. After the first terror somewhat subsided, the people of Vincennes ventured a little and gradually came to the relief of the Sister heroines. ”

“ During the month of July an account was kept of provisions, including such luxuries as ice, milk, oranges, lemons, berries, and other things of the kind, and the average daily expense for each inmate was found to be within a fraction of eleven cents, while about seven cents a day was the average cost per patient for cooking, nursing, washing, cleaning, etc. ”

“ Occupying positions between the converging points of the intersecting streets, are bronze statues of representative men—George Rogers Clark for the Revolutionary period; William Henry Harrison, the Indian War of 1811; Governor Whitcomb, the Mexican War; and Governor Morton, the Civil War. The Indianapolis Memorial is conceded to be the greatest monument in the world, erected to commemorate the services of its citizen soldiery of the State. The legislature gave $300,000 ”

“ By seven o'clock everything is ready for breakfast, which is of three classes — regular, which is for the mass of the patients well enough to eat heartily; special, which is for those whose wounds or health may require more delicate food; and extra, for those (generally officers) who pay their dollar a day for subsistence. Each class of food is substantial and excellent, well cooked and neatly served. ”

“ All of them, without some accident, will get well. Many of them are now able to sit up and go out of doors. There are but few serious cases of wounds or sickness among them. Their names and description of their wounds or diseases will be found in another paragraph.
"The Hospital is in fine condition. Every part is as clean as a well-kept parlor. We went through all the wards and nowhere did we observe the indication of the least neglect. The floors are washed every morning, the bedding and clothing at least once a week. ”

“ The patients, of whom there are about two hundred and fifty, are assigned to different wards, according to a distinct classification of conditions and diseases, such as the wards for fevers, measles, erysipelas, wounds, convalescents, etc., and these again graduated in accordance with the condition of the disease. Each ward has a suitable number of attendants, and all are under the immediate supervision of skillful surgeons. ”

“ Kitchen and Jameson have been untiring in their efforts in this department, and many a soldier will attest their vigilance and their care.
"The thanks of all are due them for their efforts, and the gratitude of those to whom they have ministered will give the best assurance of the fidelity with which they have discharged their duties. ”