The Nursing Illustrated

Elizabeth Sheppard 27/10/2004

In her youth my mother Olive Alison Simpson (16/8/1914 19/9/2008) w s nurse t !rem ntle "ospit l# $estern Austr li # in 19%8 she w s one o& the se'on( int )e o& tr inees* She +r (u te( s ,e+istere( -urse in 1941# tr velle( to .i'tori # n( /u li&ie( s 0i(wi&e t the 1ueen .i'tori "ospit l in Sw nston Street# 0el2ourne* 0um w s s)ille( nurse with +i&t &or he lin+# e +er to 'ommuni' te her love &or the pro&ession* As 'hil( I w s & s'in te( 2y my mother3s 'olle'tion o& nursin+ 2oo)s# s n rr te( in this poem*

When I was just a wee young thing, beset with olds and !"lu, #y dear old #u$ would tell $e o" the days o" long ago% With o$"ort sweet she&d wash $y "eet and bathe $y a hing head, 'nd rub $y hest with lini$ent, and li"t $e into bed% While oa(ing $e to eat $y soup her so"t )oi e would relate *ow she nursed at old +re$antle, how she reset $angled li$bs 't the -eonora *ospital, in an old shed $ade o" tin% #u$ lo)ed her apti)e audien e, she sat $e up in bed, .lied $e with jellies, jun/et, drin/s, and stea$ed the poulti es% 'nd a"ter tea, i" I was good, and ate up all $y "ood, ' spe ial treat appeared 0 the -ursin+ Illustr tere(% 1hese $agazines that #u$ had read while training in her youth, 2ontained a "und o" /nowledge about si /ness, health, and worse% 1he issues, bound together in two large and bul/y to$es, She propped up on the o)erlet, as hea)y as a stone% 1hey were "ull o" illustrations o" the strangest rare diseases, Su h as yaws, and $u$ps, and $easles, and the use o" )arious tweezers% -earned do tors ga)e dis ussions o" ea h ase and $alady, 'nd told how best to treat and ease the woes o" leprosy% .uzzled #atrons sent in letters as/ing what on earth to do When a plague stru / down the sta"" as well as patients, in 2ebu% 3ursing heroines were lauded, their e(ploits san ti"ied, 'nd their portraits see$ed 4uite saintly, with )eils so white and wide% I was truly "as inated by the surgeon&s $at hless s/ill, 'nd the neatness o" his stit hing, done with needles ur)ed, and drills, While the nurses were ad$onished that in"e tion $ust be shunned With disin"e tant, and that wonder 0 the 4eni'illium% 3ow the -ursin+ Illustr tere(s ha)e gone the way o" 1i$e, 1hough no doubt there are still opies in so$e boo/shop or ar hi)e, 5ut I still "ind inspiration in #arie 2urie&s radiu$ days, 3ightingale, or old 6a$es Si$pson, and the anaesthesia tale, 'nd I ha)e the oddest bits o" nursing /nowledge tu /ed away In $y ragbag o" a $e$ory 0 sa)ed up "or a rainy day% 'nd $aybe, when I&$ stru / with yaws, or gout, or leprosy, 1han/s to -ursin+ Illustr te(, I&ll /now what&s in store "or $e7