I was fortunate to be part of the disaster relief effort in Haiti, working with a well-established group. I landed just 9 days after the quake with supplies donated by my local hospital. We ran into a single person acting on his own who didn't know the language, had few supplies, and lacked direction, breaking all the rules of disaster help. We encouraged him to go home.

Thanks again for the editorial and the accompanying article.

-DANIEL CRITCHFIELD, RN

Bemidji, Minn.

Learning from past practices

After more than 30 years in nursing, I offer this suggestion to my colleagues: by all means, practice should be evidence-based, but remember we've also abandoned some practices that should be rescued from the trash bin of nursing history.

-LAURAINE A. THOMAS, BS, MS, RN, PHN

La Center, Wash.

"Back in the Day" was an entertaining trip down memory lane. I can add a few items to the list: treating pressure ulcers ("bedsores") with a paste of hydrogen peroxide and sugar; scrubbing bath basins, bedpans, urinals, and emesis basins with powdered laundry detergent before sending them to be steamed and subsequently used on the next patient; and using benzalkonium chloride (in gallon jugs) as the antiseptic of choice.

I must comment, however, on an error I noticed. A quote from Florence Nightingale was dated 1914; she died in 1910.

-SUSAN K. CALLEN, MSN, RN, CEN

Pittsburgh, Pa.