4 PREFACE 



coming surgical or bacteriologic assistants, and such are 

 referred to the more pretentious works for physicians. 



Physicians returning from abroad almost universally 

 remark upon the superiority of the nursing in most 

 American hospitals. If this be true, and, as is generally 

 believed, it be due to the greater amount of time and 

 attention devoted to the training-schools for nurses by 

 American physicians, it is the earnest hope of the author 

 that this little book may aid in some small measure in 

 maintaining this enviable position of the American 

 trained nurse. 



In conclusion, I wish to thank the students of the 

 Oskaloosa Training School for Nurses for the encourage- 

 ment which their appreciation of the lectures upon which 

 this book is based has given me, and, finally, to express 

 my deep obligation to my wife, who has aided and en- 

 couraged me in many, many ways in the preparation 

 of this work, especially in revising and transcribing the 

 manuscripts and in correcting the proof sheets. 



J. G. R. 



OSKALOOSA, IOWA, 



