Miami Valley Hospital School of Nursing - Lamp Yearbook (Dayton, OH)

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CAMPUS LIFE

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The Early History of The Miami Valley Hospital N THE LATE 1880's and early l890's, the Rev. Carl Mueller was the pastor of the Third Street German Lutheran Church of Dayton. He had succeeded to this position from his fatheris pastorate. He was a fine, big, upstanding man, who spoke English fluently but with a decided German accent. His picture still hangs in the corridor in the old hospital. Rev. Mueller made many trips to Germany and became interested in the German Protestant Deaconess movement. He succeeded in interesting the German-American population in starting such a movement in Dayton. At that time the Germans in Dayton numbered some 40,000, quite a large percentage of the people. They were rather clannish and lived for the most part in the southeastern part of town, the sector bounded by East Third Street, South Brown and Wayne Avenue. In 1892, a brick building was rented on West Fourth Street between Jefferson and St. Clair Streets. Six Deacon- nesses were brought from Germany headed by a Baroness, whose name I have forgotten. None of these women could speak the language of the country to which they came. As I remember the capacity of the little hospital was not above 20 patients, but it was popular from the start. I say popular in a very limited sense, as hospitals were primarily for the indigent sick, and no one who could possibly be cared for at home would enter their walls unless the illness were S0 grave that the end seemed inevitable. Much Of the Surgery gf the time, even of the major type, was performed at home in an improvised operating room, with the dining room or kitchen table as the most essential furnishing. An impasse arose. The Homeopathic School at this time was at the zenith of its existence. Whatever its merits, a large number of the wealthy people of the town were adherents of the sect, so when it came to selecting a Staff for the new hospital, it was found that Oil and Water would not mix. To the Regulars, sometimes called Allopaths, who for the most part, would not even consult with a Homeopath, a Cgmmon or mixed Staff was unthinkable. After much controversy, the architect was instructed to design a. central administration building of three Hoors, the first floor for administrative purposes, the second for the Superintendent, and the third for the private patients of the wealthier class. I might mention in passing that the mggt expensive room in the hospital was 33.00 per day. On either side of this building was to be a two story Wing-an exact duplicate in every detail, even down to two operating suites. The East wing to belong to the Regular Staff exclusively, the West tg the Homeopaths. And so the building was erected and opened with much ceremony in October, 1894, A sober and realistic survey of the cost of maintaining two entirely separate hospitals under the same roof led to a readjustment of this part of the program-the patients Of both schools were put in the same wards and but one sct of operating rooms was ever used. In 1895, it was decided to establish an internship, and again a compromise was made, to the effect that since there could be but one, he was to serve the members of both Staffs Materia Medica, and Therapeutics being barred from the competitive examination. Fate or Fortune threw this appointment my way, and on the first of May, 1895, I entered upon rny duties, the only interne between Columbus and Cincinnati. At my entrance on the scene, there were 28 Deaconesses enrolled in various capacities. By this time half of the number had been brought from Germany and the remaining half recruited from the membership of German Luthern Churches scattered over a wide area of the country, The hospital routine was quite different from that of today. First a heavy breakfast at 6, then chapel with much vociferous singing and off to the wars, I mean wards. Down on their knees went the Nurse-Deaconesses, a pail of water beside them, a scrub brush in one hand, a big bar of soap in the other-every inch of the floors to be gone ovcr. Next the patients were scrubbed and this duty being over, then breakfast was served. A patient might die with his soul unclean but never his body. Five meals a day for the nursing corps plus an occasional Snack at bedtime, They were a noble, self-sacrihcing group of women, a true Sisterhood. Most of them were past their first youth and the costumes they wore added nothing to their appearance. A dice box cap of white, perched on the top of their head kept in place with wide starched strings tied in a big bow beneath the chin. An ankle length dress of blue denim or gingham, the front part covered by a white bib aprong in summer white cotton stockings and carpet slippers, in winter red woolen knit stockings completed their toilet. A red flannel petticoat with black stripes was in evidence during the floor scrubbing. In spite of the auspicious start, in a few years the Germans became homesick and departed. The home recruits dwindled away one by one, the life of sacrifice and abnegation did not appeal to the American girls of German parentage, so that by the latter part of the year 1899 there were but three Deaconesses and three private patients left in the hospital g how many were remaining in the wards, I do not remember, but they must have been very few owing to the fact that not enough personnel was left to care for them. Since the hospital was originally organized with a religious motif or background, the constitution of the Society prescribed that the majority of the Board of the Trustees must be clergymen, but at this crisis, a medical man-- Dr. George Goodhue, who has but recently passed to his well deserved rest, stepped to the front. He was a strong and able man. Under his leadership, sufficient funds were raised to reorganize the hospital. This was completed early in the year 1900. The name was changed to that of The Miami Valley Hospital and it was decided to organize a training school for nurses that would be among the best of the standards of that time. Miss Ella Phillips Crandall was engaged as the head of the Training School with Miss Lillian Clayton as her assistant. Both were graduates of Blockley Hospital of Philadelphia. We were most fortunate in our selection, as they were both young women of high ideals, boundless energy and great organizing ability. 'lghe three Deaconesses who remained constituted the first Sophomore class of the school and were the first gra uates. A new superintendent was secured, who, while he was a clergyman, did not reside in the building and the reorganized institution was on its way to the successful school it has now become. Cunrrss G1NN, M. D. + 60 ee'

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