Salt Spring Island Archives

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Audio

Nursing

Goldrick, Dorothy Pearce D’Arcy

Accession Number Interviewer Jo Russel
Date July 17, 1987 Location

Vancouver, BC

Media 2 tape cassettes Audio CD mp3 √
ID

226_Goldrick_DArcy_Nursing.mp3

otter.ai

30.03.2023

no

Unknown Speaker 0:00
The first thing I had to do was to clean bed pad things. And then there were two very long cart doors. And when the bell rang in the central hall, you had to go all the way down the corridor, or else the debit card. And one of the doctors put her pedometer to see how much she had, which was really and elevated. That was one good can you pull up to the rope? Yet, mind you, it was patented last AFS in the gym. And they had very lucky they were they had a lot of doctors in. Remember, it was beginning in the first in the first what

Unknown Speaker 0:57
year did you start to train in

Unknown Speaker 0:59
1980? No. I was nearly 1819 20. And they had quite a lot that came from the gym. Because they were in the army. She was up the hill.

Unknown Speaker 1:21
Anyway, so they they did very good work and good training. And then because that's top of the hospital was turned over to them. And they had a lot of gas cases in the chest patients in there. And so what happened? They were so busy that that they had they didn't take in any more units and it could. And so we had a lot of cost several graduates and it simply mounting with all due deference to you myself that we just ran out the graduate because so I decided this wasn't worth getting any more lectures or anything. So I just departed and friends of mine wind clone at picking fruit. So I went and picked fruit to the end of the season. And then I looked after some children for a friend who went on a golf holiday to Victoria. And by that time it was December ish to send that. And so then I saw this advertisement to say and the graduate nurse wanted for Lady Minto golf focus hospital. Well, I had no idea where the golf Highlands tall and as to how to get there. I didn't but I knew I had to get to Vancouver. So I came up to Vancouver and then stayed overnight there and then got a Terry was the name that wasn't no no. was earlier than that. I think. Anyway, it was most uncomfortable journey. And I was very tired. And there was nowhere to sit except straight up. Yes, that's right. But this old thing called chama cha cha

Unknown Speaker 4:03
cha RM or Cha LM

Unknown Speaker 4:06
no Cha on me. Oh, I've been very tired. Yeah, okay. And it had all it had those windows like church windows all the way along the side stained has been in the air but anyways, we got to the

Unknown Speaker 4:38
city go into long harbor. They're going up ng

Unknown Speaker 4:40
Ganges, Ganges habits. And they met me. And I went up the hill there. And that mate was a very pleasant person. Put me on night duty My duty when she knew I'd been trapped I was so tired. I didn't know what to do. And, but those and everything, and then the dark to the woman, woman. Yeah, that's it. She thought he was quite had been quite good because she was graduate where was it? Somewhere when the payments and I was chosen chair when she came in with a patient who the head of the scout. So of course my was a very big, bad opening. And however I explained to her I was so sorry, I was dozing a bit because I had traveled that day. So I think she knew because she was unpleasant. Anyways, so we had no we had lamps, and I had to hold the lamp while she did various things. And of course, it was not good, because coal oil lamp with ether she gave the woman was just smell and everything turns into what is it? Some sort of

Unknown Speaker 6:44
explosive. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 6:47
But that's how they operate. Anyway, so it went on, and I found my father's. I didn't know about him. I found my father's uncle. They're very well off everything. And he was very big anglich

Unknown Speaker 7:11
remember his name? Yes.

Unknown Speaker 7:21
And so he was so relative, but she made wasn't because he belonged to the circle of people who play tennis. And there was a dance every Saturday night, the club. And he wanted the snowman. He wanted me to go see, she did put me online. So I couldn't I don't know what they have to embrace this. But they're at that time, there were about three stratas of society that were the people who did this tennis, hence, so much some of them that numbers that sort of ordinary people and very nice people and everything. And then the world's the Indians, no. Yes Indians and those also some colored people. They still are. Yes. Yeah. They come up they let him be slaves and escaped. You see. So anyway, I stayed there. Or at least there was earthquake that was 1920. Yes. No. And it was close to hospital was made of wood. And I felt it. I was in bed or just like when this came up, and all the cupboards open and the whole thing was going back. I had enough to hold the lamp, which was a light till it stopped. And then by itself, maternity cases we had about for the men. There'll be terrified. So in the dark, of course. I crawled down the stairs, found that people hate him. Anyway, there was some very funny

Unknown Speaker 10:00
He told me I had a nickname for the matron.

Unknown Speaker 10:03
Yes, she was they called up because she had buckled some things well dressed. But I can tell you at night because I'm correct. Yeah. But anyway, she didn't care. I certainly didn't care. Because well, she was very kind to me anyway. But various things happen. Oh, there was an old lady at the store. That was where you got yes,

Unknown Speaker 10:52
that stores still there.

Unknown Speaker 10:56
She allowed me to come and play her piano. Because I always go gravitate. And so we got on it well, but she had a relative. Not very nice, I think. And so, anyway, he was the kind that you went to sit down chair where, you know, a man came up to us to play cards. I'm going to throw something at me Believe me when I was furious. Anyway, I didn't. I loved it up there. Because I'd been used to the English smell of Fern in Epping pious to see in England. And because we've been in that golden place, dried. I've never had that. And I used to go up there my time off, sit up and smell this beautiful smell. And I was sitting there and a when a little dough came with her. Thought Yes. And I said some steel and sheets to them. And she showed me. Men quietly went off. It wasn't. I thought there was so beautiful.

Unknown Speaker 12:41
Where did you live when you went to the hospital?

Unknown Speaker 12:46
In the building at the top,

Unknown Speaker 12:48
and how many nurses would have been living there?

Unknown Speaker 12:51
Only just two of us and make

Unknown Speaker 12:55
and how many of you would be on duty at one time one? Yeah. And you took turns? How did you get a day off?

Unknown Speaker 13:02
Well, not put. Because yes, one day you took my duty every other every two weeks. Which was weird. Because shouldn't ingestion everything happened got used to. That's how it happened. And then I decided it was time to go. I wanted to do some undergraduate nursing if I could get it in Victoria. And it was a very nice man who was in charge to the board, and he wants me to stay and he would have given me more money. However, I made up my mind. I made it up ruinously because there was a sort of flu epidemic in the toilet at time. And I got one which was way out. In May it was way out that toy or somewhere. I remember. And it was no dot who was very eccentric, very good. And I landed in this house and I found the mother and the husband and the child, small child and the woman was pregnant. They had no fire or anything. They'd been lying there. And nobody had it last somebody said so I went there and sort of looked into And then someone came out. And he said to me, this woman met him this carrot. Do you know what I said? And he said, Oh, well, he said, like, Mr. Dooley do you do use your common sense and should not happen? See? So I've said to my tone, I've said, you just pick the bed. Chair. And I said, they've got a few groceries here. But somebody may be a friend who was a man from next door. Bench. And so we went to bed at night temperature and so that husband and the baby, the child, no baby child. And it was a very interesting we got through two, I was there for about two or three weeks. That whole job I had with a friend of mine adores the sister of a friend a very nice man. I met she toy. She said, You know, I'm going to ask sister if she would take it trainee and I went to see sister she was awfully nice to me. quite strict. Polite, nice.

Unknown Speaker 17:07
This was in Victoria. Yes.

Unknown Speaker 17:11
And she actually gave me a year. So I had two years to put in there to like graduated.

Unknown Speaker 17:23
So you're in Saltspring for less than a year tween you and another nurse and the matron and tweeny took care of the whole house yet? How many patients could you fit

Unknown Speaker 17:36
in the sink now the four men and three maternity beds we're only about four I suppose 10 beds? Not occupied.

Unknown Speaker 17:58
But and the one doctor for the whole island. What was her

Unknown Speaker 18:09
supplement

Unknown Speaker 18:10
that's just doctors.

Unknown Speaker 18:12
And would she be older?

Unknown Speaker 18:16
She was a woman about 50 asked and she had the husband to use two trailers to something he didn't put up with. And that's that's what amounted to. Pretty much though we did remember we did an operation the man that chopped his leg. And I again I gave me and the city No, I've done that. And I gave the anesthetic and somebody had lamp. Another smell was

Unknown Speaker 19:11
very dangerous. But we got through it. Alright. So man, did you amputate the leg? No. No did I have to? Yeah, he he chopped it anyway it was happy occasion. But anyway, that finished I went to Victoria

Unknown Speaker 19:41
Victoria to button you had

Unknown Speaker 19:49
very become becoming loved. But anyway, I stayed this boarding house with 2x nurses which cause war lead started this together and I managed to paid for being at my dinner every night. But one of them women came up to me when they wouldn't get home and they've done chocolate Yeah, and she said to me, you know the schooling debt and one word but you never come down to lunch breakfast. I said why me? And as Ted I am quite happy and it's to do so. Did I live like a trooper probably. But anyway, the fact that means that this then this other nurse whose brother You got me to see Mary and sister Mariama and then I got in there my father to get the uniforms cost about $40

Unknown Speaker 21:26
even more what were the uniforms consistent? What would you be wearing?

Unknown Speaker 21:31
had high color white and white and high boots? No, thank you. But had those boots and I could never wear hospitals. That were too heavy to me. However, then you had a cap across right who ate because I'd had trading and the funny part which was some the girl said to me, you know clubbing, Dale, you know, a whole lot more than we do. Second Well, the nuns were very good. For training, very good. But there was one woman who all she wanted to do is to she had the very expensive

Unknown Speaker 22:48
and this is back in no, this is big toy. And all she had her nurses but sort of a housekeeping really. To make these pillows right. Because she had expensive. So anyway

Unknown Speaker 23:21
they were this particular sister was rather crude nurses. She had any much education I think herself. And she took it out on girls. That head and I remember I was we had as soon as the patients have gone may go go out about 530 You had to wax the floor. Do everything. And you see I was very I was only about 10 and with the hours remember is awful thing. You polish with it. In fact, it took me away because I was so light to push this thing along. I couldn't control it. Anyway, you had to do this in your dinner time. Because by that time it was 736 Night duty. They had a different thing. The night dude came on. Set and then they changed a bit and you came on at 830 about I don't know what it was As Joe was present new ideas came and came next morning, which was easy. But

Unknown Speaker 25:21
how many days a week?

Unknown Speaker 25:25
Every day except Sunday, then you had one day off. You had one day off. That was well, that was or tell you, you days. I used to spend the library somebody that beautiful. But yes. And then if you had about it was time you had the data, then I went upgrading afterwards. And you were only supposed to be in the operating room for 3d, three maps. But I got in a very clever doctor, and another doctor. And we did iron in work. See? And because I suppose I remember how many of these off instruments he needed each time. They get me last night said, Sister, I think I must get off. Because I'm so afraid that I'm tired. I'm afraid I'm gonna make mistakes. So she was that system Mariamman. But when the system was in charge of the furious with me, she wouldn't speak to me for two or three days to let us know why. And she said You should have said to me that you want to be relieved, which I suppose I should have. But anyway, I didn't. And so it was alright absolutes. But, you know, I gone on too long. They had been there for six months. And but that time, I was I was afraid I was so tired. So then I went to the children's ward and charge which is good.

Unknown Speaker 27:39
When, when a nurse got married, was she allowed to stay on? All this often?

Unknown Speaker 27:45
I don't. Yeah, there were two very nice women whose husbands been killed. And they were out. And there was an older nurse Stewart named and you know that she was great ahead. And she must be in about 40 easily. But she got to choose and

Unknown Speaker 28:17
then once you've been widowed,

Unknown Speaker 28:19
no. Single never married before Well I've never seen anybody did and in about a week's time. The matron said it's about time she saw some help to leave somebody out something and so I saw this poor me shading creature died on TV. Anyway, but another shock hat was big amputate the man's leg. And like Indian somebody was supposed to dispose of it. And I went down to the beach to get something and I saw this leg sticking babies you know, I nearly fainted to

Unknown Speaker 29:18
there put it there as a joke. No, it's just on the way to being visible. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 29:22
the janitor should have done it. You see. And the meeting next week coming up was he said what happened? Because that must be supplied to the sheep. And I told her I said this thing in a baby's bath. She said, Oh, that janitor. He should we disposed. Now go and sit down for a minute. But

Unknown Speaker 29:57
was there a lot of fear or or how did you must have had the flu going on? There must have been TB and all sorts of diseases. How did the nurses keep from dying off with the rest of them?

Unknown Speaker 30:13
They did. It was no dark there. Who told some of us start smoking. And so that's when that first started, didn't last for many years. Because he said that health, which he did with numbers was one girl had to under severely, but the rest of them. The rest of us just go by with just

Unknown Speaker 30:46
because you were working long hours, fully exposed to all kinds.

Unknown Speaker 30:50
Fire me,

Unknown Speaker 30:51
what drugs did you have? Obviously you didn't have penicillin

Unknown Speaker 30:55
didn't even have sulfur too late. So we let you just put poultices on, on people that had pneumonia, bronchitis, and hope for the best. That was one. And we had a lot of time around that time.

Unknown Speaker 31:21
And I was sent upstairs to two isolated cases of title match where my hand got a bad

Unknown Speaker 31:40
year because I didn't know how much light put in. Oh, it did it. But these two have gotten better. But there was one old child we had afterwards in the ward. And you know, we used to get tepid sponges to go so badly. And so I just punched him and he was better. Still in bed. And one night and it was way up again. And I got the ball ready. And he saw me that I was going to despondent again. And he grabbed my hand and well, he was half. You know, he was delirious. Yeah. Anyway, I ended up of course afterwards. And one day when he was better, walking around, I suppose in town. I was walking in Burnham. And he came across the street. He said Mr. Come, come. And he took me into maybe come into the bay, pulling me in there and bought me a nice set of manicure selling things on any cause. And of course I had tickets because he was so apologetic because it men in the ward told him

Unknown Speaker 33:23
you see? Just got frantic. And then there's another old boy who no other boy who'd been chopping wood in the woods.

Unknown Speaker 33:38
And you've frozen his toes. And there was a girl there a nurse. She was not a graduate who had a silly gig. And she was doing his dressing. She did his dressing. When we came up, you see? And she said she said I never get that. Top of the voice. She giggled

Unknown Speaker 34:08
when you were in Victoria, and you were doing Ear, Nose and Throat, sir, yes. Okay. That's where we were I was talking about once you've finished then is that when you wrote your registration exams? Yeah, and nursing exams? Yes.

Unknown Speaker 34:25
And then they put me down to children's ward in charge.

Unknown Speaker 34:35
It'd be usual for a nurse who's just come out of the second part of training to then therefore be in charge.

Unknown Speaker 34:42
Oh, well, yes, I was. Because I had such good training for I mean, I was really more than the two years that the other girls had. Because

Unknown Speaker 34:58
I've done so many versified thing in a small hospital. So they put me on night to JSA most. And I was there until I finished and what low in May 1922.

Unknown Speaker 35:21
And that's when you that's when you, you graduated. And you said that was the first year that they had the exams? Yes. And was it one examination or three examining?

Unknown Speaker 35:32
Oh, no, it was everything. separately. Yes. And I remember that in children's diseases I got 90 Yeah. And when somebody said one nurse didn't give you 100 I don't like to

Unknown Speaker 35:55
be the doctor that set the the exam interesting. So wasn't nursing writing exams for nursing It was no the doctors administrating?

Unknown Speaker 36:07
The Doctor Who the doctors who had given us to set these

Unknown Speaker 36:14
and for the maternity portion, would you be trained as midwives? Or would you just be assisting the doctors?

Unknown Speaker 36:21
No, no. Because I was I was sort of the system case nurse for a while. I'd done and so sister knew that and so I used to I was on like 2d on. And so I had one or two cases that I could call

Unknown Speaker 36:47
on you and you you would be allowed to just cope with those ones on your own. Well,

Unknown Speaker 36:51
yeah, well, there was one deer out there who used to dress up going to garden party when he was called

Unknown Speaker 37:04
to need his name No, I believe and I remember called one delivered and he came in just about 20 minutes after that thing

Unknown Speaker 37:27
and I handed them a pair of scissors I said would you like to cut the cord and after that you always call me I couldn't sleep you get game you know all not a cut where it could practically you always did that. They always call them way ahead of time but sometimes when you did that you call them too early you see so Oh yes. And I had there also I had a text in there and when that was on the table toward homestead taxi driver rushed in said in my taxi she's going to have a baby any minute so I dashed out and he wasn't backseat and the cord was found baby snake and what caused what I did was delivered but pushed back to the to the core of what that was that and then of course we bought and then there was another that was last minute and we managed together on the floor on the stretcher in the outside so the civil things like oh yes

Unknown Speaker 39:15
so what what drugs did you have? Did you have were you giving medications at all

Unknown Speaker 39:28
Oh yes. Prescribed

Unknown Speaker 39:32
what would you be using for pain? Pain control Oh

Unknown Speaker 39:37
morphine and stuff. And then we there was no dot there. Or did must first as easy as I know I'm old fashioned. This head works which I did. And then we went to and flew jesting but you know of this, it was so different because they had no immediate cure for help for pneumonia. And you sat there stood there waiting for the crisis. And when it happened was so good

Unknown Speaker 40:23
to wait for the favorite country. And then what

Unknown Speaker 40:26
was or was what they called crisis. And as soon as that happened, even did they either succumb to it really well, so it got better. And it was a lovely thing. Because nursing is so important you know, attendance because we hadn't got those drugs and we didn't take blood pressure not allowed to take blood pressure and giving giving blood I can give cause height things I used to give a good but we're not allowed to do all those things that you do the holidays, which I did. So was very different.

Unknown Speaker 41:26
And why did you leave in 1822 That was when you finished

Unknown Speaker 41:30
yet and went to Port Alberni. There was a chance of going up to you if it was up and when you called that place.

Unknown Speaker 41:47
I get confused between Yellowknife

Unknown Speaker 41:51
and yes and timber that have chosen to take that four years what kind of situation were you there? Oh, I was there were just three of us. Made him and two other nurses and was meant on Monday night Tuesday

Unknown Speaker 42:17
when you work night duty where you expected to to be on call during the day?

Unknown Speaker 42:22
Oh no, no no. No little hut little cottage and we walk across what was the pay like $70 a month

Unknown Speaker 42:37
and what could that buy you was your housing included or did

Unknown Speaker 42:41
they get housing Oh and just I spent all my curls

Unknown Speaker 42:54
Yeah, it was free and clear above your living expenses yes that considered to be good money for a job for a woman in those days

Unknown Speaker 43:01
well yes wasn't bad I believe afterwards they put it up to seven but that was close it down to six the girl was getting much

Unknown Speaker 43:20
when you're unionized

Unknown Speaker 43:23
no just to graduate but anyway, it meant that I always was able to get off on nearly every Sunday

Unknown Speaker 43:44
every Sunday and had a lovely time but the rest of the time crashing you ever had a lot of accident cases come up the

Unknown Speaker 44:04
two Pino Well, let's place up there. came in and also logs following on metal crushing or ticks. And then a loss of not Hindus Indians came in come ever so far. But I can do with a baby that lasted about one day. They left to the toilet tanks.

Unknown Speaker 44:36
Heartbreaking.

Unknown Speaker 44:38
And I hated for me. The man was, you know, was so green. But anyway, I remember. No old Chief Dan, you're well one of his members. I've got a picture somewhere. This is your own baby. A child, but it was very sad. They would leave it too long. See, and then they had this long canoe ride. And by the time that they became too late anyway, I don't be saved any

Unknown Speaker 45:24
none of course you had some children. They were very clean. But occasionally you had somebody hit business. And so you had and you're always trees. If you let the Indians in when you went into the ward of something, you always I always used to get in the past and shake and always some fleas came off. But

Unknown Speaker 46:05
they need a bath and they came into the hospital you everybody got admission bath. Yes. Patient's kept in bed for a very long time when they were sick rather than getting up

Unknown Speaker 46:17
earlier. This idea of getting as far back as when I went to Sydney, see those a place called pennant hills. And while Kevin and I were going to be nine, eventually he waited to we were going to be transferred to panic Island. And so I nursed at a place called pennant hills. And there remember those American who had the gallbladder removed to Sydney? Australia something else

Unknown Speaker 46:57
really, okay. A new concept.

Unknown Speaker 47:03
And he went, he was in bed for nearly a month.

Unknown Speaker 47:06
Remember, will be very weak when he got up? Well, yes,

Unknown Speaker 47:10
he was big heavy man too. But so university

Unknown Speaker 47:16
in Australia.

Unknown Speaker 47:17
It's called a system. That white?

Unknown Speaker 47:23
Yes, Wimpole? Yeah. Yeah. Would your Canadian nursing be recognized? Oh, yeah. And Australia didn't have to do anything. Oh, no.

Unknown Speaker 47:33
Man, put me right away in charge in the upgrading.

Unknown Speaker 47:38
So then when was that?

Unknown Speaker 47:42
1926.

Unknown Speaker 47:45
And then you were married in one year. When your nursing career ended,

Unknown Speaker 47:52
yes. Till the Second War. And I heard that there's such a shortage of nurses going on. shortage of nurses that I had that thing needed nurses absent Vincent's Hospital. So I'd found up to sister and I've said, I hear you need nurses sister. Yes. When can you start? She said, and I said, Well, you know, I think she said, I wanted to start at 830 tomorrow morning. Which I did not say Dave's 13 years

Unknown Speaker 48:30
now. What year was that? The beginning of the war

Unknown Speaker 48:33
into the nine team? It was after Pearl Harbor. Which was 1942. Yeah. And it was about that year 42.

Unknown Speaker 48:54
So was there a big change? You'd been out of nursing almost 20 years,

Unknown Speaker 48:58
I went the general for a week, supposed to go and to brush up. And there was there was a very 14 little blonde and charged woman. And she said bass those two patients, two men. So I didn't always used to doing the quickly and thoroughly see and the best and the bids made. And then that went back to the desk. And I've said, I've finished. She said punished. I've said Oh, and she's tucked up and looked at their beds, not the crinkle or anything you know and everything. So and the men said He afterwards I said, Goodbye. Because I was going on Tuesday. And they said, Are you come back tomorrow? And I said, I don't think so. They said, We've never had out bids which has been very polite, but I've wished she'd heard it. You know?

Unknown Speaker 50:25
What? What have you found to change the most? In those 20 years? As far as what was expected of you as a nurse were there big changes or did you just slip right back into

Unknown Speaker 50:39
I slipped back into blood and blood pressures and everything. You have to be adapt. And so I decided from that episode at the demo that it's that's what they wanted for free fresher dashboard all I could make beds and everything like that make people comfortable. So I didn't didn't come back. But because I'd figured this

Unknown Speaker 51:20
out what kind of ward at St. Vincent's were you working?

Unknown Speaker 51:22
First of all, I was working, doing supplying when somebody was off, I'd come on at do each man, surgical women's surgical or maternity or anything. And I doing and so then after that, I went on the mend.

Unknown Speaker 51:49
Judy Menza surgical. And all together. I stayed on night Tuesday because my husband was ill. And I wanted to be there in the daytime, sleep. And then Mike was there at night. He would have been older. Oh, yes, he was 18. And so much to my horror, I realized that being on night Tuesday for eight years made me very tired. I finished

Unknown Speaker 52:39
away still 12 hours

Unknown Speaker 52:47
no 11 Wedeman.

Unknown Speaker 52:57
Went on that level

Unknown Speaker 52:59
of love until seven. So yeah, switch to the you know, a

Unknown Speaker 53:03
little bit because I used to. I was doing theater. So my husband and I arranged when he went up to the cabinet we had on the holiday. He was skiing on the weekend. And I did rehearsals on the week, you see? But anyway,

Unknown Speaker 53:30
so you nurse patients from both wars. When you started out yes to be nursing, the man would come back and the first one had had medicine change. You must be penicillin. The second time we're not quite you must have had sulfa.

Unknown Speaker 53:47
Well, no. But then, when I finished in the ward at Vince, I got into the pharmacy, they're giving up patients things and come down requisitions and I was in charge. I had a good woman helping me. But then I had to order these new drugs, which is very interesting.

Unknown Speaker 54:20
What method did you have to learn about the new drugs? Was there someone did the doctors teach you or

Unknown Speaker 54:25
Well, you saw similarly but there were all kinds of new ones, which you would know and I had to order them from the men. And

Unknown Speaker 54:44
no pharmacist,

Unknown Speaker 54:45
not them. But the was late. They had pharmacist and they should

Unknown Speaker 54:57
actually, they said I was trying to eat isn't only cost them over that year. I think it was costing $200. Would not because I was there, but that's what they paid for drugs

Unknown Speaker 55:19
$200 a year for drugs?

Unknown Speaker 55:21
Well, over what I charged before? Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 55:28
I wonder if the drugs had saved some money by allowing people to get well, faster? Probably saving. So what was the high point of your career? In your opinion? What do you think was

Unknown Speaker 55:45
the most working with these pneumonia cases new getting better? These typhoid cases, we had a regular epidemic of typhoid. And we had five Japs came in Japanese came in. And they're good patients. They're so neat. And everyone came in, took his clothes off and got his shirt as much and produce choose. Everyone and always knew the Japanese never rolled around the beds much to hardly had to make. But we got them better. And it was milk was contaminated. Or something that time and all sorts of people had time.

Unknown Speaker 56:52
So that was real nursing.

Unknown Speaker 56:53
Oh, yes. really wants to add just fantasies to men that I went up to. Looked After all day, they I just punched, twice. Watch temperature. But there was one time that first few people came in. And I was goat. They sent me upstairs to look after praying as I went thinking, well, this may be the end bit because people would die like flies. The place you know, but went up then was all right. Had it just not very much. I do have the flu. Yeah, just

Unknown Speaker 57:59
because you must have

Unknown Speaker 58:00
been exposed. Yeah. And it was so sad in that hospital. There was a young strong man there, touch these herbs very much. Got it very badly. Healthier they were the more they seem to get it and one of them every week which should have gone on until he was about 50 or 60 in his 20s which was very sad. Because I know somebody who had been taken off the train going to the east to take a course in physiotherapy and he'd been taken us to train live two days.

Unknown Speaker 58:58
Just wondering if there's anything you want to say in summary, I think we've covered from your training through to all the

Unknown Speaker 59:07
inversions. And beginning of the second floor, taught

Unknown Speaker 59:23
this is the beginning of the second tape with Dorothy Darcy Goldrick July the seventh 1719 87 Go on

Unknown Speaker 59:32
was gonna tell him some years ago, there was a notice in the paper that noticed and mate was wanted for possibly hospital. This is about must be in about 30 And I want to go because I can do it. Can I be met? And I thought probably wanted me back that they might go for. But my husband because he didn't he could have been out and looking after boats, and he loved that. But it could have been over the years

Unknown Speaker 1:00:35
was the idea. I've liked works. That was ridiculous very

Unknown Speaker 1:00:41
prevalent at the time there wasn't that. Yeah. Even if you'd been allowed to work when you were married, probably a lot of the husbands would know. I also think that was the workload. You had a feud for too many years after would have been exhausting.

Unknown Speaker 1:00:56
Yeah. I forgot to tell you that. Well, we won't go into planning. But it was an emergency operation planning. And because I called on me, there wasn't. And so I hung all the sheets in teams out, not hot. So I made all the dressings. Well, last thing because what we can do is to tear a piece of gauze.

Unknown Speaker 1:01:38
And so we did this very hot night and Easter type stuff. And I had gloves, I generally took a vase. I had gloves that were about eight. And I took a six and a half.

Unknown Speaker 1:02:05
And so we men and two of the men with no retractor, that rusted. So two of the men, one male, one time to bear, and there was a chap didn't know anything about giving anesthetics was giving it and I stood there and the doctor said, see if he's still breathing. Look, this man. Put my hand on his chest. Yes. And it was just a riot. The whole you know, not the least, I can still take your appendix out today.

Unknown Speaker 1:02:51
Did you have to do that?

Unknown Speaker 1:02:53
No. I could have could have to today. But anyway, so the cable boys were very interested in sec. And there was a bench outside this open pacifically whole whole thing's new see bench outside and they placed themselves on the top. And we were busy around and I looked up to about six Phillips they nearly all fainted and couldn't stand it anymore. And Chuck Fraser who was head of departments there, nice chap wasn't tall, but he'd sort of support them when they couldn't stand it any longer. But the smell and see of this anesthetic with that lamps and things was prayed over. But we had I put a white tie on my head that was a white uniform that I had. And I put that and it was so primitive really that I had sterile scissors and the stable wanting pieces of gauze to mop up. I

Unknown Speaker 1:04:36
boil everything to sterilize it with that

Unknown Speaker 1:04:39
will best wants to relax, but I put things in the oven and ended

Unknown Speaker 1:04:52
after two days. You said earlier that you administered anesthetic. Now was that usual for a nurse was that an Part of a new desktop?

Unknown Speaker 1:05:00
Well, nobody else you did.

Unknown Speaker 1:05:04
And what did you do? How did you do it?

Unknown Speaker 1:05:06
He started with a mask open to start, and then dropped it on. Yeah. Watch how to how to none of this contract?

Unknown Speaker 1:05:24
Do you keep from breathing it in yourself?

Unknown Speaker 1:05:26
You couldn't breathe

Unknown Speaker 1:05:31
to get sleepy?

Unknown Speaker 1:05:32
No, I don't think so. You were to alert, wondering what's going on. But I get lots of maternity patients at the patients

Unknown Speaker 1:05:48
and throw them out and they must have been very sick after

Unknown Speaker 1:05:56
they generally came out saying things, no business to say. And there was one little nurse that the person she was and she had. She had to have picnics. And when she came out, she kept saying all that sort of thing. And she never said she loves to talk but never thought with numbers headed people. And we told it afterwards. horrified. I didn't she said but you know, they people all apt anesthetic in those days, nearly what was came out saying things.

Unknown Speaker 1:06:46
That's why people have that myth about it now because people worry about that must have been quite entertaining.

Unknown Speaker 1:06:57
One time a member important. Ernie is a Swedish chap came in being found in the cold, drunk. And and so the doctor brought me in, and the man came to. And the doctor went to give him a hike. And I was standing beside the bed. And he went full. Huge knock me right out over the next bed. Right then makes me. So after they told him afterwards, he was horrified to think he'd done that. You have some very funny things happen. Because one man he was pull. And he'd been beating his wife or something. But he broke his leg. And he came in a hospital there. And he wants to sort of look to everybody, you know, like this. And that we're not supposed to have them move. He moved his bed or had it next to another set up to go to bed, go to sleep. Their beds were moved. You see that to go back where they were. So I came in this night. And his bed was next to the adult. They'd be playing cards. I've got this name was but I just had a went to bed. He said I said to him, so he was supposed to have your eggs over here. You know, this will also throw this at you. And he had a big award. And he held it like this. And I thought well, if I let this go, it's just good to be upset.

Unknown Speaker 1:09:12
He was threatening him he would tone it. He would

Unknown Speaker 1:09:15
set and select just pull myself together and marched. Scared what was going to happen and moved his bed and he subsided. See the hate. But anyway, I told you that next day, and he went helps me to discharge him because that's

Unknown Speaker 1:09:46
somebody was standing. Was there a good relationship basically between the doctors and the nurses cooperating

Unknown Speaker 1:09:54
to a tutor who was much cleverer But the other one that needs to go down Doug's good friends and talk about all its operations and main naming names and everything else. He'd say hadn't missed swans to guard uterus. Oh you know? Yeah. He was terrible and he because he want the Australian in stay stated about those two really equals

Unknown Speaker 1:10:36
the other one had trained at some baton somewhere and he was very very good lead despised this man they had to work together because it's operation one had to give the anesthetic operator so there was a distinct feeling between two cars we knew what we knew. We knew who was better than him who was clever you found that Well, you wouldn't see it so much. Loads Dave's

Unknown Speaker 1:11:25
like a lot of things that have changed but a lot of things. Love the spirit of Yes. I want to thank you very much. Do you have anything special? Thank you very much.

Unknown Speaker 1:11:43
Very check it out.