I should avoid putting the Orderlies in a too much out of the way part of the Hospital; they should know themselves liable to inspecting visits any time. I am not sure that Ward or Assistant Ward-Masters would not be much better guardians of the Orderlies’ wards than any special functionary. Drink is the vice of these men, noble fellows as, as a body, they are, and I should avoid quartering any man too comfortably and solely in one particular post. Cases have been where the duenna of the Nurses’ dormitory was herself a determined, disguised drunkard, and reported others accordingly as she was bribed or not with drink for herself. The whole question of Orderlies sleeping near or away from their wards should be well considered by the proper authority, two or three experienced Army-Surgeons. Upon the whole, I think it would be well to try the quartering them separately: there is much to be said on both sides as usual. [Sidenote: Comparative Merits of Different Systems of Night Nursing.] 28. In several foreign Hospitals a certain number of Night Watchers, both Sisters, and Men-Nurses, are told off for night-duty for four weeks, during which they are exempted from all labour by day, and receive better food than the usual diet. They also receive good night-refreshment. In one Hospital the following is the arrangement. The wards usually contain from 10 to 13 beds, and there are many small wards for three, two, or one, bad cases or operation cases. All the wards open upon a corridor. The Sisters do not watch in the men’s wards. A Sister watches in the female medical wards } ″ surgical ″ } 5 ″ children’s wards and girls’ ward } A Man-Nurse ″ male medical wards } Watchers ″ surgical wards and boys’ ward} An operation-case, or an extra bad or anxious case, or a case requiring special attendance and put in a single ward, has an Extra-Watcher. Often there are no Extra-Watchers: sometimes there are several at once. The Extra-Watcher is either a Sister or a Man-Nurse, taken from among the other Sisters or Men-Nurses, who, after his or her day’s duty, does the extra watch. As regards all English hospitals, civil or military, the advantages of this system are these:-- 1. It severs certain persons for night-duty, who have full time for sleep and refreshment in the air during day, and who are allowed to do no other work. 2. It secures these persons good food and refreshment at night. 3. These persons know their sick, and, being told on coming on duty, of any change, &c., are as much at home in their posts by night as others are by day. 4. When it is found that a Sister cannot sleep by day, and, therefore, that her health breaks, she is not allowed to finish the four weeks and become ill, but is put to another duty and another Sister appointed to the watch. (Many a strong Nurse cannot sleep at day.)