LETTER XXXVI.
Benton Barracks Hospital,
March 16
Dear Kittie,—I thought you would like to hear
from me once in a while. I am busy among the sick,
both colored and white. The white are pretty sick,
but hardly so much so as the colored. We have had
many cases of the small-pox and erysipelas. I found
a case of small-pox and one of varioloid this morning
the first ward I entered. The poor man with smallpox
looked up so sadly at me as I covered him up.
The colored people are very grateful for all that is
done for them. I have a great many smiles as I go
round among them. We are trying to train colored
women as nurses among the blacks; it is a difficult
task, but one worth trying. We put them under white
nurses, two or more colored women to one white nurse.
In regard to the latter we hold to our old rule of
employing for nurses only women of character and
respectable position. They are more responsible than
others, and a person cannot know too much for a nurse.
It is a very serious position. We have one large
ward, or rather building, devoted to women and children.
The children are generally well, being taken in
as accompaniments to their mammas; there are nineteen
pickanninies in this ward. Ask mother if she would
like one. Some are very pretty; I can have as many
as I want. The men are trying hard to learn to read
and write, though the latter accomplishment is confined
to few. One woman came this morning bringing her
baby; it had a harelip and I have asked Dr. Russell
to operate upon it to-morrow morning. He says he
will. I suppose I shall assist. I wonder what I shall
do next. I asked the mother's permission, telling her
the baby would look as pretty as she did! She looked
pleased, and consented. She is quite good looking.
We are whitewashing, and expect that will check some
of the diseases; it also makes everything look nice and
clean.
