39o 
THE. RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
May 28 
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♦ Woman and ♦ 
♦ The Home. ♦ 
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FROM DAY TO DAY. 
Nkw York has, among' its Spring ex¬ 
hibitions. an International Health Ex¬ 
position, which presents some novel 
features. A similar display has heen 
given in London, where “the Ilealther- 
ies,” as it was commonly known, proved 
very popular, but this is the first expo¬ 
sition of the kind held in New York. 
The displays include all sorts of appli¬ 
ances for health and sanitation, from 
drains to dishpans, cooking vessels, 
stoves, sinks, bathtubs, disinfectants, 
ventilators, etc. There are model kitch¬ 
ens, model foods, and even a model dairy, 
where a number of model Holstein cows 
chew their cuds and whisk their silky 
tails, to the edification of visitors. 
* 
Tim most interesting feature of the 
entire show, according to the popular 
verdict, is the hospital nurses’ exhibit, 
which occupies an entire fioor. At this 
time, we feel even a greater interest than 
usual in the care of sick and wounded, 
and everything relating to the trained 
nurse is closely studied. Most of the 
hospital training schools in New York, 
and a number of outside institutions, 
have contributed to this exhibition, some 
with miniature models of hospital wards, 
others with complete private rooms, 
operating rooms, diet kitchens,and steril¬ 
izing rooms where instruments, band¬ 
ages and appliances may be baked or 
boiled, according to their several neces¬ 
sities, before being used in an operation. 
The most complete contrast imaginable 
was afforded by two rooms, one a pri¬ 
vate room in a modern hospital, the 
other an old-fashioned sick room. The 
former was spotlessly clean, with white 
iron bed and light, dainty furniture. 
The latter was a dark, stuffy room, fur¬ 
nished in the style of 00 years ago, hav¬ 
ing an old fourposter bedstead, hung 
with dingy red check curtains, on which 
a patient lay uneasily in the midst of 
dubious and disheveled bedclothes. Seat¬ 
ed in an armchair, propped up by the 
neglected patient’s pillows, was a wax 
figure representing our old friend, Sairey 
Gamp, sleeping peacefully, with her old 
watchman’s coat hung up by the fire¬ 
place, and her gin bottle on the dresser, 
where she could “ put her lips to it when 
so dispoged.” Contrast this snuffy old 
harridan with the modern trained nurse, 
active, alert, refined, in trim uniform 
and snowy cap ! 
* 
The miniature models prepared by the 
nurses were very interesting, looking 
like highly scientific dollhouses, in 
which the dolls simulated patients and 
nurses. There were tiny white beds, 
some surrounded by screens, others in 
the open ward. One doll with shaven 
head was deftly bandaged for a frac¬ 
tured skull ; another was taking a 
typhoid bath. There were appliances for 
the constant irrigation of injuries, with 
an arrangement for draining the water 
away while the patient lay in bed. The 
knowledge and manual dexterity put 
into these tiny models was surprising. 
Another exhibit, worthy of more than 
passing notice, was a pyramidal table of 
dolls, dressed in the uniforms of the 
different training schools. The uni¬ 
forms consisted, in all cases, of a seer¬ 
sucker gown, with large white apron 
and cap, the prevailing color being bluish 
gray, but in some, the color was solid, 
while in others it was striped or checked 
with white. The one variation from this 
tint was a Detroit, Mich., training school, 
wdiose uniform is a solid pink seersucker. 
There was some variation in the shape of 
the large white aprons, and of the cuffs 
or collars, the latter being replaced by 
folded muslin fichus in some cases. A 
doll representing a head nurse prepared 
for the operating room, was dressed in 
white linen, w'hile a hospital surgeon, 
ready for work, wore a suit of white 
linen blouse and overalls. These doll 
nurses were so very attractive that they 
suggest a taking idea for fairs or doll 
sales. 
* 
A VERY interesting exhibit was made 
by the Red Cross Society, and another 
specially attractive feature was a United 
States Army field hospital. In the cen¬ 
ter of the tent, by the row of bare cots, 
was a life-size figure of an army surgeon. 
Two figures in worn and stained uniforms 
carried a ghastly form upon a stretcher. 
Guns were stacked about, and torn regi¬ 
mental flags, relics of past service, 
decorated the wall. Exhibitions of am¬ 
bulance drill were given, and the exhibi¬ 
tion of army and Red Cross appliances 
was very interesting. Not less inter¬ 
esting were the model rooms for the 
treatment of the insane. In one bare 
cell w-ere strait-jacket, heavy leather 
manacles, straps for the body, and a 
heavy wooden cot with slatted cover, 
into which the patient was fastened. 
Another room showed the modern apart¬ 
ment for the violently insane, daintily 
furnished with all the refinements of a 
modern home. An exhibit of old-fash¬ 
ioned remedies, made by one of the New 
York hospitals, gave us some idea of what 
we have escaped in medication, as well 
as in surgery. The skin of a large tabby 
cat was displayed as an old-fashioned 
cure for pneumonia. The body of the 
animal was flayed while still warm, and 
the skin stretched over the chest. We 
can’t help thinking turpentine or mus¬ 
tard more efficient, and far less ghastly 
poultices than poor Grimalkin’s coat. 
Of course, there were herbs of all sorts— 
some of them now out of date, while 
others continue to hold their place in 
the dispensary. The old idea that the 
locality of any prevailing disease is 
usually supplied with some natural 
remedy for it, is not entirely without 
foundation. The display, however, did 
not include Earthworms ! Within 20 
years, we have heard of these unpleasant 
creatures being ordered by a local “ wise 
woman ”, as a cure for ague, and this 
not 50 miles away from New York ! 
* 
Ax oft-repeated story tells about a 
little girl who was asked if her mother’s 
hair was gray ; “ I don’t know,” was the 
innocent reply. “ I can’t see the top of 
her head, and she don’t never sit down.” 
Too many of our housewives are just 
such toiling Marthas, and their class is 
not confined to the country districts. 
We know a busy city woman, forever 
cooking, cleaning, and mending, who 
was once surprised by her small son in 
the act of sitting down with idle hands. 
The small boy rushed for his grand¬ 
mother and asked her to get the doctor 
quickly. “ Mamma must be awful sick.” 
said the child ; “ she’s sitting down and 
not working at anything.” Wouldn’t it 
be better to rest a bit now ? We shall 
not pass this way again. 
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WORKING 
DRESS. 
Surely the last word as to kitchen 
gowns has not yet been said. Following 
Sergia Weirne’s excellent ideas as to 
natty blouses with a flannel underwaist 
worn beneath when greater warmth is 
needed, why not affect still further the 
customs of the day, and use skirts of 
heavier, darker material ? These days 
of bicycling and outing suits see the 
stores offering cotton fabrics in medium 
and dark colors, and of considerable body, 
which wear longer and preserve their 
shape better than do the percales and 
seersuckers one chooses for everyday 
shirt waists. Denim in dark gray, olive, 
navy or red, cut in well-fitted, gored 
style, with a three-inch space of gathers 
at the back and neatly finished at the 
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