The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-07
SICKNESS IN TENEM ENTS.
now TnE TRIINED NURSES IRE DOING
IHEIR NOBLE WORK
Mothers Taught How 10 Cook Food, Admin
lister Medicine. and Make Clothing for their
babe. scenes that Make the Heart Ache.

The Sick Chldrcn's Mission has its head
quarters at 1916 Rivington street. near the East
river where the streets are throngod with
children in such numbers tina, ono wonders II
there can possibly be any moro, and uitcs them
II they are in any worse condition than their
dirty squallid brothers and sisters that are play
ing the cutters. II was in the rlcasaut parlor
OF the Mission last evening that reporter
met Mrs. Smith one OF the trained nurses de-
tailed to serve in connection with the Mission.
and from her lips heard something 81 the work
that these nurses have to do. Mrs Smith t. no
novice in the work For fvc years she was the
city missionary connected with the Church Of
the Covenant nj Thirty-nth street and Park
avenue She decided to fit herself for nursing,
and entered the training school. The course
being completed. she was detailed TO the work
IN which she is now engaged
1T Is not what | expected TO do" sho said.
81 do comparatively little nursing but teach
the mothers how to cook food, how to admins
ter medicine. how to make clothing. what not to
feed thoir children. how to ventilate their rooms,
and n thousand other necessary things; and
after all it's almost discouraging. We have
only three trained nurses in the whole
city Think " it, mean IN this
work. In my own district which in
cludes Baxter. Bayard. James. and other
streets there are. according TO the lat census.
1862 600 persons. What can one nurse do Well.
do what | can. ! have today been visiting
Gotham Court You know the place. II is tho
double alley leading of Of Cherry street Just
below Roosevelt street. Mr. Van Meeker tells
mo that there are 1000 persons living within
hat court. | don't doubt IT, The alley Is very
1ocp. and the buildings on eithor side are very
nigh, and in these they are packed. rag pickers
and the like. the poorest 81 the New YORK poor"
" The greatest obstacle Inject, the nurse con-
lnued. l. NTH. You have ~ idea 9i anything
DOT report i. lgo To- homes whore lltll1 ones
are ill., Many II them have. absolutely no
clothing and that that others have IL too dirty
10 use. can ilnd no change III the FAMILY
not a single dry or clean garment. FQrlu-
nately. through the charity of hr stian lady
I am able t. loan these persons garments
every one II which has marked upon IL.
In gigantic letters, Sick, children Mission
draw upon him for uudercloihcs and ilannols
Tor sick little ones. and ! hay" been able To- get
soilcd clothes washed without bringing the heat
into sick room. and 70 from week 10 wrrk
keep them supplied with clean clothes. That
Is only one item II seems To be- impossible tu
leach inc moihrrs cleanliness. lh'f VIII not
keep their rooms in any order. And then the
yernin don't think that mu n good wi be-
done IN our city missions until {" -Hch a
place ~ this they can come and goi
limo and wlit"wash and paint. a.; until
they are taught how Ia hc clean. und made Ia
understand that the city Will not help iiithy
disorderly family. You may talk of iaitn ANA
repentance and the Ike To them a. niu ID as you
please These are abstract Ideas. They can't
grasp them But talk To- them Of coaulnrss.
Jet them sec Whit Its results are. Then you Will
be taking "a step ia advance.
You cant tell anything about the condition
Of these p"nplr. she continued. putting her
neat bonnet Ia place. for she had pushed Il
away IN hof rulnr-tir-~, unless Yea 40 among
them as a nurse Physicians. e. creymen. ana
reporters mnI 60 among them, up' ury can
our arms. and attend them. 1t requires some
hing Of snrrin'e TO do this. Aud there
10 su'h improvidence and often ingrai iud";
children su'h lack Of punctuHlity in admin
lstering remedies such .arelossupss in report
Ing when medicines need to he renewed. and
acknowledgement ia feeding sick children. All
these things are sources oi trial iclt 10y every
physician in the fed but they cannot he real
lied in all their forcr except by those who wit
ness them day by day. This derituton has
want have Witnessed
"Thern have been many cases Of special in
lerest. Mr-. Smith continued " one. that OF u
two younger sisters. was left motherl'-s in Jan
uary last The mother had been SICK three
years with consumption, and since her death
this little pale girl has been The MANAGER and
little thing. The father is a mouldcr and has
10 work over time. lie goes away from his
home AT 81, o'clock In the morning and does not
return until IL o'clock at night; and the chill
dren have been in the custom OF taking no
regular meals. usually eating what they
but no nourishing food 1t Is no won
der that they became sick. II Is i'm
possible Tor mo 10 give you "A picture ~ inns
home and the d"-olation that prevailed. The
child was taken SICK the last of June. ami iur
weeks there was little hopes Of her r"covrry.
One Sabbath ia the early part IF july VI ut Co.
see her AS usual. 10y the r"qu ~ % tur phA-l-
clans In Attendance, Tor she ne"d"d care ~uils.
Her disease WIS typhoid fever. Ia, day WAS
fearfully hot. and sh" lay in Little lose
Ahovo an nor father had taken advantage
on coal stove, which stood almost within r"a'h
Of the child. Noisy children raced back and
Ia at NT
OF her father. sat talking with great an nation
and gestirulatlng and laughing IN IA" same
room whore the sick girl lay. Altogether II Was
a seen" ! cannut Wrn h-s'I De- hau'rr III.
father and his friends quit the room. They
didn't want t.. and the neishbors told me- ,lat
MS soon Us ! went away thuy went back ana llu-
ishod their visit. But the it'll" one 'id not die.
j secured good woman TO Took after tue tam
T. met III lie Iuls siri. lusi able 10
tot"r out and br athe the fresh ar.
tbs is only ono case ont Of many | could
give you ahy number. The hcaril@S~u"-s of
parents IL II. 'r,dlhr. ! ought mot To call it
h"nrtiessnrs-. II 10 ignoransr. They don re-
fecl the nerd II doing any differently IRON their
custom. But don piiy the parents 20 much.
ierl | see them 80 bitten that they hardly iooe
human. Poor little things, But they get used
to II after while, suppose, II they don die.
said. " and that il the lalnentahle want u ludg
ment among mothers. called upon family
rctorted 10 N" 10y Mr. Calder. ! was told 81 an
infant that WAS sick ia the top story ol the same
feeding IL cake. The babe WA only a month
old. Ii was Il genuine case of CHI lell inltnlum.
The child died neat day. Another bright
little babe Year old was on som q thp7e
very warm days IN July. covered with what
mothers call prlcky heat and was l""vsh
and irritable IN consequence. 80 to mother
put the child IN BATH OF cold water. The next
day her child died. There Is nO douh, that The
pothers indiscreiion was the, causr OF th"
Ohild's death. and yet she loved 1t dearly, ami
But must 60 She said You have heard