In England Miss Fisher had held the appointments of lady superintendent of Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, the Radcliffe Infirmary Hospital, and the General Hospital, Birmingham. She was the daughter of an English clergyman of high position, and was well known for her literary as well as for her philanthropic work. She studied at the training school of old St. Thomas' Hospital, London. Soon after her election she furnished the board with a plan for the organization of a training school, and also with rules for the government of nurses in the hospital. She was further authorized to impart instructions to such applicants as were found competent, said instruction to be of no cost to the institution.

Miss Edith Horner came with Miss Fisher from England, and became her chief assistant in the hospital. She had acted as an assistant to Miss Fisher in two English hospitals, and had distinguished herself as a nurse in the Zulu war, receiving for this service the Victoria Cross. Miss Horner became engaged to Gen. Joseph R. Hawley, senator from Connecticut, having made his acquintance on a voyage to England, where she went on a visit to her family. Gen. Hawley was married to Miss Horner in St. Clement's church, Philadelphia, November 15, 1888, in the presence of a distinguished company.

Miss Fisher instituted many reforms. She possessed the qualities important in one at the head of a work requiring executive ability; she impressed her personality upon everything to which she put her hand. At regular intervals she gave practical lectures to the nurses. Invitations were sent to ladies, doctors, nurses and others throughout the city, and often large audiences were present at these lectures. Miss Horner rendered invaluable assistance in the work of the school.

At the meeting of the medical board January 5, 1885, the first lectures to the training school by members of the medical board were arranged for by Drs. Tyson, White and Keating. Since this time regular courses of lectures have been delivered by members of the different staffs.

During the fire at the insane department, Miss Fisher and her assistants did good work in taking care of the insane women and moving them from their endangered quarters. She signalized herself also by organizing a hospital service at Plymouth, Pennsylvania, during a disastrous typhoid epidemic in the spring of 1885.

Miss Fisher remained at the head of the training school for nurses until her death, which occurred June 3, 1888, less than four years after she came to this country. She had suffered for years with cardiac disease, and died after a short illness from an acute exacerbation, although she had been sick for many months with rheumatism. She was buried in the beautiful Woodlands cemetery which adjoins on the west the hospital for which she did such noble work. The board of charities and correction adopted a memorial appreciate of the esteem and veneration in which they held Miss Fisher, and the medical board also adopted resolutions of tribute to her memory. On May 28, 1889, commemorative services were held in the hospital, in the reception room of the nurses' department. An oil painting of Miss Fisher, by Miss Alice Barber, was presented by a number of her friends, to the training-school,

July 1, 1888, Miss Marion Emily Smith passed the examination, and was appointed chief nurse in place of Miss Fisher. Miss

Smith had served one year with Miss Fisher in the Birmingham General Hospital, England; was one of the first pupils and graduates of the Philadelphia Hospital school, where she served for eighteen months, and for two years after this was chief nurse at the Pennsylvania Hospital.

Before the advent of Miss Fisher and the new training-school, the nurses and attendants of the hospital had no special qualifications for their work—at least none at the time of their appoint-. ment. They were often appointed as the result of personal or political influence. Even a good training-school cannot manufacture to order good nurses, but such a school can do much toward making those who have the natural qualifications better fitted for their vocation, and can even do much with the unfit by systematic education. The training-school of the Philadelphia Hospital has wrought a wholesome revolution in nursing at Blockley. Its establishment met with some opposition, but this was not persistent. Public-spirited citizens, not connected medically or otherwise with the hospital, have interested themselves in the school. Notably among these was Mr. George W. Childs, who offered a gold medal to the nurse graduating with the greatest distinction. This was first won by Miss Roberta M. West, who is now chief assistant to Miss Smith.

Miss Smith, in the Annual Report of Department of Charities and Correction for 1889, says:

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During the past year 45 nurses were graduated. There are at present on duty 95; of these 8 are permanent head nurses and 87 are pupils. The school can now claim 159 graduates.

"Of those who have charge of other hospitals, either as superintendents or chief nurses, the following is a list :

Since the publication of this list graduates of the school have been appointed to several other important positions.

In his last report to the mayor, president Laughlin, of the department of charities and correction, presents some striking facts and figures to show the beneficial effects of the system of trained nurses at Blockley. Under the former system the mortality from puerperal fever was .04523; under the present it is . .00536, or less than one-eighth.