Friday, May 1, 1959
[ Mary Nichols Diary ] Dr. Percy Toombs, an obstetrician, suggested hospital records for patients be kept. We threw them in furnace prior to this time. It was agreed, that it was good, Dr. Toombs had gotten training in John Hopkins and the records were kept there of all patients so from then on, all records were filed away for keeps.
I also saw Dr. Max Goltman, Sr. and Dr. Vaughan have a fight one night. Mrs. Koelton, house mother, and I were coming in to eat supper at the hospital dinning room where we ate, and we saw them fighting. Mrs. K and I ran in and the Supt. and interns ran out. One of the doctors had left a hemostat (an instrument that you catch a blood vessel with it) was left in abdomen and closed up in there. Later
Saturday, May 2, 1959
one of the doctors operated and found the hemostat. He told it to patient and that was why the fight between these surgeons on the front walk in front of the old City Hospital, now John Gaston.
[Dr. William E. Vaughn b. 1872 d. 12 Feb 1939; Dr. Maximillian Goltman b. 24 May 1867 d. 17 Jun 1933; Dr. Percy Walthall Toombs b. 5 Aug 1880 d. 3 Jan 1933]
Those were days of youth, dreams of the future, the learning of many things, completely different of course to any thing I had ever known before. There were nurses who were moral and good in every way, then there were some who were cheap and common. The same could be said of the interns and some who had wealth were spoiled and selfish, some who had earned their way fine and good yet, there were those who had opportunities given them by parents and were fine men. So, all individuals are free to choose the right or wrong things in life. god gives us that privilege, but the catch is, when we are awarded what we have sown.
O’my, What a fine Birthday, it is my 66 birthday, all seems calm, have received slip from Frances during week, now its Sunday, May 3.
Well, I just must go to church and Sunday School. Going to church gives me a real lift, and I feel all let down if I don’t. So early, Richard, Laura, Helen and Johnny called on phone to sing “Happy Birthday”. I felt happy but lonely – Your dad, had his chickens, calves and other outside affairs to look after so, as you know, he doesn’t converse with others very much. He had said on Saturday, he would take me to dinner in Memphis and gave me some money to get what I wanted to. So I got house in order, put in some fresh red roses (the roses bloomed red early this year) those roses were in remembrance of my mamma, she gave me
Monday, May 4, 1959
red roses, on my birthday just before she became ill and was laid away on May 30. Then I dressed for Sunday School and Church, saw Richard and family again. They were the only ones of he six children there. Walter and Dorothy with their family moved membership to Munford Baptist Mission. You and Margaret and some times Frances would be there so, honestly and truly, I just plan miss you and the ones gone.
