should watch, the features sharpening, the eyes growing almost wild, of fever patients who are listening for the entrance from the corridor of the persons whose voices they are hearing there, these would never run the risk again of creating such expectation, or irritation of mind.—­Such unnecessary noise has undoubtedly induced or aggravated delirium in many cases.  I have known such—­in one case death ensued.  It is but fair to say that this death was attributed to fright.  It was the result of a long whispered conversation, within sight of the patient, about an impending operation; but any one who has known the more than stoicism, the cheerful coolness, with which the certainty of an operation will be accepted by any patient, capable of bearing an operation at all, if it is properly communicated to him, will hesitate to believe that it was mere fear which produced, as was averred, the fatal result in this instance.  It was rather the uncertainty, the strained expectation as to what was to be decided upon.

[Sidenote:  Or just outside the door.]

I need hardly say that the other common cause, namely, for a doctor or friend to leave the patient and communicate his opinion on the result of his visit to the friends just outside the patient’s door, or in the adjoining room, after the visit, but within hearing or knowledge of the patient is, if possible, worst of all.

[Sidenote:  Noise of female dress.]

It is, I think, alarming, peculiarly at this time, when the female ink-bottles are perpetually impressing upon us “woman’s” “particular worth and general missionariness,” to see that the dress of women is daily more and more unfitting them for any “mission,” or usefulness at all.  It is equally unfitted for all poetic and all domestic purposes.  A man is now a more handy and far less objectionable being in a sick-room than a woman.  Compelled by her dress, every woman now either shuffles or waddles—­only a man can cross the floor of a sick-room without shaking it!  What is become of woman’s light step?—­the firm, light, quick step we have been asking for?

Unnecessary noise, then, is the most cruel absence of care which can be inflicted either on sick or well.  For, in all these remarks, the sick are only mentioned as suffering in a greater proportion than the well from precisely the same causes.

Unnecessary (although slight) noise injures a sick person much more than necessary noise (of a much greater amount).

[Sidenote:  Patient’s repulsion to nurses who rustle.]

All doctrines about mysterious affinities and aversions will be found to resolve themselves very much, if not entirely, into presence or absence of care in these things.

A nurse who rustles (I am speaking of nurses professional and unprofessional) is the horror of a patient, though perhaps he does not know why.

The fidget of silk and of crinoline, the rattling of keys, the creaking of stays and of shoes, will do a patient more harm than all the medicines in the world will do him good.