SHOCKING STORY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 758, 27 October 1876, Page 4

SHOCKING STORY.

Take this story, for instance, as conveying a warning, and illustrating the need not only for loving hands around the sick bed, but also for trained heads; —A little girl, the only child of a lady, became very seriously ill. The doctor called in to attend her said that “ she must have an experienced nurse from London at once,” and telegraphed to an institution with which he was acquainted to send 'them one. The nurse arrived, was put in charge of the patient, and day by day a marked improvement was perceptible,until one evening thedoctor cheerfully announced “be could now say that there were fair grounds for hoping the child might recover ” Before leaving he ordered leeches to be applied, directing the nurse how much blood was to be taken from the patient, and the great care required, and that at a certain stage the bleeding should be stopped. The nurse promised to obey his directions, applied the leeches, and on their removal applied the warm linseed poultice ordered. This done, the mother, who had never left (he room, insisted that the nurse should leave her patient and go to bed. The nurse refused to do : so until the poultice was removed and | the bleeding stopped ; upon which the | mother indignantly asked “ whether she supposed that she wasn’t capable of doing such a thing as that for her child” adding that she “insisted upon the nurse leaving the room,” which accordingly tho nurse did. On the follwing morning the doctor entered the child’s i-oom expecting to find a marked improvement toward recovery. He found the child dying ! The nurse was not in the room, and when he asked for her, the mother replied, “ Nurse can’t tell you anything about the child, for I sent her to bed, and have nursed F.lsie myself.” Upon hearing this the doctor turned down the bed-clothes, and finding everything saturated wiih blood, exclaimed, “ Didn’t you know, then, how to remove a poultice, and stop leech bites from bleeding 1” “Of course I did,” she replied, “ but the child fell into such a sweet sleep after nurse left the room that I was afraid to disturb her ; you know how much you have wished she would have a good night’s rest,” she then added. The doctor could not tell her she had killed her child. He sent for the nurse, and gave her a severe reprimand for neglect of duty, adding “ that her work there and the life of her patient were alike at an end.” We take this story from the report of the National Association for providing Trained Nurses for the Sick Poor.