The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-21
Relieves
Pain
DISTRICT NURSING.
a Noble Work That Calls for Support
From Worcester People.

From Worcester People.
If the noble work carried on by dis
trict nursing is to be contin-
ued on the lines obtaining in the
past, there is urgent call for substan-
tial support on the part of those benev-
client people in Worcester, of whom, ir
the past the city, as community, has
had good reason to feel proud.
The work done by the district nurses
is outlined briefly in circulars that have
just been sent out, abstracts of which
are here printed:
Perhaps the nature and beneficenct
of our work may be better understood
if we should mention some typical cases
of the past year. One of our patients
is a woman of about 60 years of age
almost entirely helpless through rheu
matism. She can move her hands 6
very little, but that Is all. Her hus'
band before going to his work got hei
into her chair, and there she remained
until his return at night. The nurse
used to visit her every day, but now
there is a woman in the house to care
for her, and the nurse goes only once
a week to give her bath, etc.
Another patient was boy OF IL OF
Is, with tubercular assesses on legs
and feet, and face and arms. These
sores were washed and dressed every
other day, for a long time, until they
were healed and the patient discharg-
ed"
Another case was Of a woman "a
years of age weighing nearly 200
pounds and much afflicted with bed
sores. She was so heavy that aboth
nurses went to her together. The sores
We're nearly healed before she died
and her family, who took all the care
l. Il l. I,.rrr m.
ticularly appreciative and grateful.
girl of II who died in the summer
Of consumption, was visited by our
nurse during the last weeks of her life
The agent of the Associated Charities
expressed to us her gratitude for the
excellent work of our nurse in mitigat-
ing the poor girls sufferings by the
care and the comforts brought to her
Another case was that of a man OF
45, unable to lift his feet from the floor
He has been treated with massage for
year and seven months, at first daily
and afterwards at longer intervals. Al
last accounts he had walked down tc
the city hall and is looking for work.
Our nurses have as usual cared for
various patients discharged from hos
pital after operation. These are visited
until the wounds heal. And as usua
we have had to care for several chill.
dren with hip disease. These wear APP
paratus which needs adjusting from
time to time, And also as usual We
have had sundry maternity cases, un-
dertaken by our nurses after the birth
Of the child.
But the saddest cases Of all are those
of cancer, of which we never seem t.
have less than three at the same time
at present there are four.
The services Of our nurses may be
obtained by application at the Memo
rial hospital. We invite any reputable
physician, any authorized person act
ing for the various churches and be-
nevolent societies of the city to call
upon them.
Our expenses this year have been
greater than ever before and much eff
fort on the part Of the committee has
been necessary to prevent our work
from being curtailed. 1t seems clear
that we cannot continue on our pres
ent scale Of expenditure and usefulness
unless we can not only keep our old
friends but make new ones. And SO
we would urge all those who have been
so constant and generous to us in the
past to stand by us themselves in the
future, and also, as far as possible, to
spread the knowledge of what we
strive to do, and to recommend 1t to
others.
We work for the sick poor of Wor-
cester without regard TO creed or ma
tionality; need is the only test we
apply to any case brought to our no.
tice. And we respectfully submit that
such work deserves the support of all
equally without regard to creed or ma
tionality
Subscriptions may be sent to the
treasurer, Mrs. Homer Gage, 8 Chest
nut street, or to any member of the
committee.
Mary N. Perley, 1879 William street,
Harriet L. Clarke, 2 Chestnut street,
Ellen T. c. lockwood,
81 summer street,
Lucy A. P. Short. us Main street,
Mabel Knowles Gage, treasurer,
8 Chestnut street.
Alice Norcross Gross, 20 May street,
Mary d. Narrower, 56 Cedar street,
District Nurse Committee.