WOMEN AS SHIPS' NURSES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 954, 22 October 1910, Page 11

WOMEN AS SHIPS' NURSES.

;.:;;;«;?:^NEW'PROFESSION: /-'! i :' The;love of-'the ■ sea is inborn in. many. mehMand.i'aSfew wonien.', To.'the latter, it;isV'.frequently./almost .impossible ■ of : fulfilment,j.bii/t;there ;are ways in which a ; .wohikh/may .spend most of her life' at .'sea.', I/have just returned from a'visity to,.North-West. Spain,, one' of the ■beauty spots 'of Europe, ;• and oh the return'/voyage/ T }iad' some/talk with /the -lady, who. is attached •to the ,' 'Antony ".as'nurse (says a writer in an English paper). She is, of course, fully qualified in alLbranches of her profes-. 'sion. She makes five journeys in- the. year'"to North .Brazil' and,.back,, these; oraupymg/tett':'months.:, On some voyages'/she, do.. OnTtittoers /'she will\hav?j•'. oiie/or two .cabin-cases of "slight illness;'now .and then.'{there'.-'is.;,a": case for one /'of .'the; three:; tiny.-'but;,'f ully-equipDeti.'hospitals in .the.; best'■: part; of .the ship,// She has; no fespohsibility:;Hi;.,this : case, for a : doctor, is/on board;, and in the nature' of-the -case he .can never be called /away! for. hours.'!,./She/has to. look after all;; classes.;of. passengers,; ;and. adapt heiv' treatment to her'.-patient., /'Now-and then/ you've got vto , bully .a, steerage, case;! or he. won't ..do as,;he!s. told, buti as a ",rule:.they'll; do if /you're nice ,to/them/'' , /•/■? .;,:',>..,/ : :!.! .':/■ ..'"•-

•.'.The;..life',has : ."its;v!disadvahtages] no doubt,.-hut it also' /hasVmany advantages over .the;ordinary :life ;©f ■• a 'nurse' at.home."'.When not working,!the,nurse on'/ such/a.' ship /as;, a;.' Booth/, liner,; equipped,for'long'distances, and carrying.passengers of/ many '. nationalities, has'? the whole; delightful and: .varied social,life of the.boat to join; in. She makes many friends, not- all of them transient,: and her/ work ■. is /seldom heavy, frequently/light, and always interesting, while'.often- she'-, has nothing to do. A lady who wished to take up such work, as this would do well to have an . aptitude for languages, an affection for children, and no imperative home ties. She must, of course, be a good sailor, or make herself one, and be able to stand changes of climate. On large and luxurious boats a staff of ..stewardesses is,always carried, so only'cases of .real 'illness come under 'the! nurse's care;/.But/she, has many opportunities of-making herself popular, by... helping .to /look after ailing children,, or .taking care/ of them when their'mothers,are'ill,' and/so forth.

A man -who'was-about ..to be married at 'Begcnsburg, Germany, had entered tho .church and taken his place beside the bride, when he was suddenly seized with terror, and, rushing out, took a cab to the station and jumped into a moving train.