Various

“ Nursing, like housekeeping or cooking, is one of the duties of the gentler sex, and is not a profession at all.
Every woman is by right of her sex a nurse, but every woman is by no means a good nurse. To be a really good nurse requires a great many qualities and a certain amount of knowledge which many have not got. Nursing—even nursing one’s dearest relative—is a difficult and onerous duty, and the first and most important virtue which must be possessed by nurses is patience.
We call a sufferer a “patient,” but the term would be better applied to the nurse. ”

“ She is, according to my belief, a very deliberate and skilful deceiver; but far be it from me to say that her hypocrisies may not reveal what was once her ideal—ay, and that, in some vague way, she may still mean to live up to it—only foredoomed to failure because she begins with false pretences. My dear, we talk about criminals and weak and fallen people of all sorts as ‘having our common human nature’; but, talk as we may, we rarely realise it. ”

“ Nurses—I mean certified nurses—have a little knowledge of medicine; and if they lack obedience, their knowledge becomes a very dangerous thing indeed.
If you are patient, gentle and kind, obedient and ready to do your duty, however irksome it may be, and if also you are clean, you will make a good nurse. As regards the knowledge of nursing—well, it really is of very secondary importance! If you are nursing and you are a little doubtful about any point, you have only got to ask the physician, and he will make all clear. ”

“ The nurse must always be absolutely obedient to the physician, and she must carry out his directions to the letter, and neither add to nor deduct from his treatment. It is not only the good nurse who is obedient. A woman who departs from the mandates of the physician is an encumbrance—nay, more than an encumbrance—she is distinctly detrimental to the health of the patient. ”

“ And we are of opinion that in most cases of sickness the best nurse for an invalid is his nearest female relative.
People think that physicians always advise a certified nurse and object to a patient’s wife or sister turning amateur nurse for the time being. We can assure you that this is not the case. Of course, it is an advantage to the physician if he can have a nurse whom he knows to look after his case; but, as a general rule, he is indifferent in the matter, except in some diseases, when the aid of a person skilled in nursing those suffering from that disease is indispensable. ”

“ Miss Adene came in with a pale face, saying to North who eagerly met her—
“They are getting the children out as fast as they can. I trust there will be no lives lost; but it is a terrible sight, with all the draperies in a blaze, and flakes of fire falling down from the burning festoons. The firemen are here. I have seen brass helmets; I think they will stop the choking of the exits, but I would rather be here with May. Is the child very much frightened? Let me go to her.”
May and Sheila both ran forward at sight of Miss Adene. ”

“ But you have no idea what a difference it makes to yourself and your patient if the physician is not inconvenienced in any way. We are all human, and if we see that the nurse is doing her best to make her patient comfortable, it stimulates us to do all that we possibly can. And if the nurse is an amateur, and we see that she is giving her whole attention to her work, we are more likely to relieve and instruct her as far as lies in our power. ”

“ Instantly the poor dog was in a blaze, and, terrified out of all knowledge, rushed wildly hither and thither to the terror of all, whilst his master, catching up a great heavy cloak which a lady, with great presence of mind, flung across to him, pursued the poor creature, and at last succeeded in throwing this over him, and rolling him over till the flames were extinguished. ”

“ Talk of the good in evil, and the evil in good—as if there was some compensation in that weird mingling—why, it is this very mingling which tries our fortitude and faith more than anything else, and God sees more of this mingling than any human eye can see. And God can bear it because He is God and is all goodness, and knows the end. We can but lean our staggering strength against His everlasting arm, assured that it can gather up what mortal powers must drop.
Miss Latimer came into the parlour presently and found Lucy sitting in the gathering darkness. ”

“ You have a very great advantage over trained nurses in that, as you are related to the invalid, you can cheer him, you can read to him, and generally comfort him.
We have nothing to say against trained nurses. In some diseases the help of a woman skilled in nursing is essential. What we want to do is to impress upon every woman the fact that it may become her duty to nurse her relative or friend, and that, if she will put her whole mind into the work, she will be as competent to nurse invalids through most diseases as are her specially skilled sisters. ”

“ Whatever you put before an invalid in the way of food must look appetising. We have seen great greasy chops, half cold, served up to an invalid—a meal which would disgust a labourer. You cannot be too careful about the appearance of food given to people whose appetites are not what they should be. Let the cloth be spotlessly white, let the glass be nicely cleaned with a glass cloth and no stray fluffs left upon it, let the plate be hot and the cover—never forget the cover from a dish given to an invalid—brightly polished, and let the dish smell nice and be tastefully arranged. ”

“ In the course of our professional duties we have become acquainted with many nurses, including some of the most famous of the time. And if you ask us what is the chief difference between these best nurses and the ordinary probationers, we answer without hesitation, “They are more kind and patient.” Of course they are more skilled, more experienced, and—take it to heart—more obedient; but kindness is their chief characteristic. ”

“ There is no certainty—none,” Lucille answered. “But, until I hear from my friend that all is hopeless, I will not give up hope. You will not say one word to the Colonel or to Mrs. Baron—least of all to Captain Ivor?”
“Trust me—I’m staunch!” declared Jack. “Never do to raise his hopes for nothing.” Jack himself had not the faintest expectation of any result from Lucille’s efforts. None the less, he was gratified to be treated as her confidant. He liked her immensely and increasingly. ”

“ If when we call we see the room is in disorder, with stale food about the place and signs of negligence on the part of the nurse, we are inclined to get away as soon as possible, knowing that whatever we order stands a very fair chance of remaining undone. ”

“ Then a sudden cheer arose from North and the youths about him, and in dashed Oscar, crying out—
“Here comes the fire-escape round the corner, with Lionel Benson to guide it! He has got out all right, and has brought it for us. Now we are as safe as anything! Good old Lionel! Now then, ladies, one at a time! We will have you all safe directly.”
Sheila suddenly went sick and white with the revulsion of feeling, and May, seizing Miss Adene’s hands, sobbed out—
“Oh, Cousin Mary, Cousin Mary, God has heard us, after all! ”

“ That he felt Cyril’s behaviour keenly was self-evident. May took the arm he offered her, and said in her gracious way—
“But I suppose sometimes even a brave man may lose his head. I’m sure, if I could have moved hand or foot, I should have made a most frantic rush.”
“You did not do it, at any rate,” said North, with a straight look into May’s charming face that made her colour up to her ears—“and Cyril did. I think I could forgive him better if he were not my brother. And there was no immediate danger where we were. ”

“ It is the duty of the nurse to see that the room is in good order, even through she does not clean it herself.
The bed should always have a hard mattress. A water bed may be required, but under no circumstances should an invalid have a feather bed. See that there are one or two good new blankets on the bed. Flimsy quilts may well be dispensed with. It is better to let the bed stand out in the room, and not be placed in an alcove or near a wall.
The bed of an invalid should be made every day—made properly, not merely the sheet pulled up and the upper blanket rearranged. ”

“ You should never give food to an invalid which has been kept overnight, and never serve up the same dish two days running. Invalids very rapidly tire of everything, and as varied a diet as possible must be provided for them.
The drinks of persons suffering from fevers often occasion considerable difficulty. Nowadays we let fever patients have as much to drink as they like, though in the old days the fluids were restricted.
Invalids should always have tables at their bedsides, and a drink of some sort should be placed beside them that they may quench their thirst whenever they please. ”

“ If the weather is gusty, or the situation is exposed, some other method of ventilation may be acquired. A fire is a very satisfactory, though not a theoretically perfect, method of ventilating a room. As a matter of fact, the ventilation of the room depends entirely upon the room itself and its arrangement. On his first visit you should ask the physician how the room should be ventilated, and this will relieve you from any responsibility in the matter. Remember that the commonest of all mistakes in the treatment of illness is insufficient ventilation. ”

“ Never serve up food in large quantities except to convalescents, who never seem to be satisfied. You may think these details are trifling, but it is attention to these trifles which distinguishes a good from a bad nurse.
Then as to the food itself. Of course you must never give an invalid anything without first asking the physician whether he may have it. We shall never forget calling to see a patient who had typhoid fever. ”

“ It was her first close experience of the baffling contest with natures lacking all bottom of truth and principle—natures like bogs, greened over with sentiment and seeming, luring us to trust our foot upon them only to plunge us in depression and defilement. ”

“ They should never be left in the bed after they have got cold. Another point to remember is that you must see that the bottles do not leak. We have seen a nurse place an uncovered bottle of boiling water at the feet of a patient with paralysis. He did not feel the heat, but next morning the nurse found, to her horror, that the patient’s feet had been burned out of all recognition, and from these burns he died. We have seen and heard of many similar cases, but fortunately the result is not often so disastrous.
The ventilation of the sick chamber is very important. ”

“ Morison did not answer at once. Perhaps a good impulse and an evil habit contended within her. The habit conquered, as alas! a habit generally does.
“I don’t need to go into a Home,” she said, with a soft stubbornness. “I’ve just got to make up my mind to keep right. I don’t believe in Homes. I’ve been, in a way, my own mistress all my life, being so much trusted. If I take myself in hand, that’ll do.”
But what a big “if” that was! And what weakened will can ever raise itself effectually, save by its first effort placing it in the good grasp of a stronger will? Yet Lucy could urge no more. ”

“ How can one understand such people, who know so well what ought to be, and who have it in them to simulate it so perfectly when it suits them for a time, but who keep their other nature all the same, always ready to spring to the front? ”

“ Still, we consider that we have a right to advise those who wish to nurse our patients.
And so this will explain the apparent anomaly of a physician writing a paper on nursing.
The sick-room must be large and airy, but free from draughts. There should be at least two windows in the room, and, if possible, they should have a south or west aspect. Before the invalid takes to this room, the floor, the windows, all the paint, etc., should be thoroughly cleaned by ways of which you know more than we do. ”

“ The nurse replied—
“Oh, sir, I do not believe that patients with typhoid fever should be fed on milk. I think it is far better to give them solid food!”
We are afraid that we lost our temper at this criminal disobedience. What answer we gave we do not remember, but we secured the nurse’s discharge within an hour. Whether it was due to this unfortunate affair or not we cannot say, but certainly this was one of the worst cases of typhoid that we have seen.
Whatever you give to an invalid must be of the very best. Let your custards be made with new-laid eggs—oh, you may laugh! ”

“ Milk given to invalids should always be scalded. Barley-water must be made fresh at least once a day. Under no circumstances may it be kept overnight, for it rapidly decomposes, and sometimes becomes highly poisonous. Toast-and-water, our pet aversion when we had measles, is a thing of the past. We have never ordered it nor seen it ordered.
From diet we pass to medicine. You cannot carry out the instructions of the physician too carefully. Always measure out physic with a clean glass measure. ”

“ To explain what had occurred, and how that terrible cry had arisen, it is necessary to describe what had been passing in the large hall whilst the tableaux were going on upstairs.
The stalls of the bazaar were by that time pretty well empty, and made fine seats for the crowd of little people waiting eagerly to watch the antics of the performing dogs. Numbers of grown-up people, unable to get into the “theatre,” as it was dubbed for the nonce, remained to take care of the little ones, and the middle of the floor was left clear for the showman and his troupe. ”

“ Don’t think me cynical. As a governess, I have lived in many houses, and have come across some strange adventurers. How do we know that her name was ever Jessie Milne, or that she was really a Mrs. Morison?”
“There were her credentials from Edinburgh,” explained Lucy; and then she told Miss Latimer all about the lawyer’s letter and the minister’s testimonial.
Miss Latimer sat and pondered.
“I may be wrong,” she said, “I may be carrying my suspicions too far. We are all apt to do that when all firm ground of confidence is taken from our feet. ”