SHOULD NURSES TAKE ALCOHOL?

Evening Star, Issue 14786, 30 January 1912, Page 3

SHOULD NURSES TAKE ALCOHOL?

At the invitation of Mrs Lloyd George, about 100 members of the Nurses' National Total Abstinence League recently met to hear an address bv Sir Thomas' Barlow on the subject of alcoholic stimulants, especially in reference to their effect on the nursing profession and tho relations between nurses and patients. Mrs Lloyd George received the guests, ar.cl afterwards supported Lady Whittaker, who presided over the meeting. Ladv "Whittaker strongly urged nurses to abstain from alcohol, not only for the sake of their own health, but also because of the value of tho example thus set to their patients. Sir Thomas Barlow pointed out that although an immediate effect of tho taking of alcoholic stimulants was to give comfort and to counteract tho effects of dullness and depression, the effects were temporary only, and were invariably followed by undesirable symptoms. The inevitable reaction rendered the person increasingly "liable to deterioration of the nerve centres. Ho cordially agreed with Lady Whittaker as to the value of the example set by an abstaining nurse to her patients Example was of infinitely greater value than precept, and the, nurso who practised total abstinence exerted an influence for good u-on her patients which was bound to bo great, and in some cases was incalculable.