PAGE IN NURSING LIFE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1861, 22 September 1913, Page 3

PAGE IN NURSING LIFE.

POINT CHEVALIER,

SOME EPIDEMIC MEMORIES. The lot of a nurse sometimes takes her into the firing lino of many a desperate battle against death and disea&o, and that faced by some nurses who were in charge of the Isolation Camp at Point Chevalier during the smallpox outbreak, put up not the least of their fights against the destroyer. In a talk which a representative of The Dominion had-with a volunteer nurse who was in the Isolation Camp for about four or five weeks, an interesting picture of lifo and its conditions at the time was given. Point Chevalier is, as the name indicates, situated at the end of a peninsula not so very far from Avondale (Auckland), and the camp itself was pitched upon the summits of two small hills set in the midst of five acres of grounds, much of which was beautifully laid out with trees and gardens. The tents of tho patients were ranged somewhat in the form of an oblong, and each one had a Wooden floor. At the first, Maori and white patients intermingled,. but that was altered, and the Maoris had one of the two liills to themselves. From ten to twenty cases occupied each tent, generally speaking, and tho three nurses had small tents to themselves. ■ For those of the patients who were well enough to appreciate its beauty, and who had eyes to see (this is quite literal), the view which iay outspread before them of wide ocean, rounded hills, and far-stretching points was altogether suporb, especially in sunny weather. It was well that the nurses had something beautiful to look at, living as they were, in tho midst of such a disease. Dur'ing ten weeks fully 110 patients passed through the hospital, and of those not all were Maoris, six women and 30 men being white people. During that time there was but one death, but very many of them on recovery were heavily pitted. Several of the Maoris were suffering from all kinds of pulmonary troubles as well. Their : Horror of .the Smallpox. It was rather remarkable that during the outbreak the Natives placed themselves unreservedly in tho hands of those .in charge, and whatever the nurses said or did, or ordered them to do, was right beyond all question. As far as possible they were kept in ignorance as to what tho disease was from which they were suffering, and, in reply to questions, they were told that it waß chickonpox. Had they known it was tho other, they might have given up all effort to get well, so great was their fear of it.' No'creator proof of their docility could havo been given than that furnished by the Natives at Mangero Bridge, 1 who wore forbidden to go beyond the boundary set them by the police inspector at a time when the disease seemed to have been fast gaining ground. Through some misunderstanding, the Maoris ri\u altogether out of provisions, and sooner than disobey their instructions, they lived on berries and whatever birds or fish they could catch, for several days. Tlicy had almost reached famine point bv the ; time that their plight was discovered. On the other hand, in different localities, there had been serious trouble caused by the elusiveness of the Maoris who would persist in hoodwinking tho authorities and so wander abroad. In camp there seemed to have been no attempt; made or no desire to drag in their own methods of treatment, as- in, other sicknesses to which they have fallen victims. Tho only tilling in which trouble w'as experienced was in regard to tho fact that tliey had a rooted horror of anything being burnt which . had been in contact with them. That, to them, was unbearable.

More grateful or more tractablo patients it would have been hard to find, and sonn of them were very loth to leavo the liospital. -Whether it was for tho sake of affection or because it meant that they would havo to work when they got away, it would have been hard to say, the nurse thought. During tho day, the convalescents would sit around and play cards, or else wander down to the beach and hunt for pipis, part of the grounds including the ,sea beach. All of-tlie.n—men, women and. boys and girls over fifteen years of age—smoked. A Tate of a Fall. From their number they chose a native to'be their "minister" while in camp, and every evening they held service, every one who was able joining in. Of course it was in Maori, and they all appeared to have been Anglicans. The " minister " they obeyed, implicitly in all things, and, for one man in particular, they had unbounded respect and affection. Sad to say, however, he had a weakness for " waipire," and one day managed somehow or another to smuggle a bottlo in to camp. As a consequence he was found one day intoxicated, and the ocean itself would- not havo been deep enough to have drowned his disgrace in the eyes of the other Maoris. His reign over tihem was ended, and another "Minister" was .immediately chosen.

Every arrival-'of' fhe ' ambulance (which for some reason they called the " Titanic") was greotcd with hilarity by Maori convalescents, and they crowded down to welcome fellow victims with cheers. These, naturally enough, were not reciprocated. Every departing patient was farowelled with an impromptu tangi, and, his clothes having been taken from him on his last night in camp for purposes of fumigating, he or she would lhave to make their appearance in borrowed clothes, w'hich ill moso cases were merely blankets, ■ and join in the dance.

Arduous Time. As may bo imagined, it meant a hard time- for the nurses .while tho patients wore helpless, as they Jhad everything to do, even to tlio washing of the clothes and the scrubbing out and cleaning, as well as waiting on tile pa- : tients and attending to them. The oiily: other sound porson in camp besides' their own three selves was tlie porter,-; turned for tho occasion into the cook.' Ho also lived in camp. As tlie patients convalesced, they were able to help, and were invaluablo in waiting upon each other at meal time. Altogether it was an interesting experience, but at the samo time, it was not one that many people would hanker after.