New-York tribune., 1901-09-21
NURSES AND THEIR WORK.
TENEMENT HOUSE AND SCHOOL.
INSPECTION
GBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuxE.I

Buffalo. Sept. 2o-There better attendance
at to-days meeting of the International Congress
OF Nurses than at any of the meetings held thus
far The hall in the Woman's Union building was
crowded at both the morning and afternoon ses-
sions with the delegates and their friends and the
closest attention paid to the many papers that
We're read. Many participated In the informal dis
cussions on some of the papers. District nursing
was the topic In the morning. and army and navy
nursing was considered In the afternoon and the
speakers included nurses who have served in India
South Africa, Cuba and the Philippines
MISS Amy Hughes, delegate from the Trained
Nurses Club OF England read the first paper In the
morning the subject. Historical Outline OF
Origin. Growth and Present Status OF District Nurs-
Ing in England She succeeded by Mrs.
Johannah Wagner. sanitary inspector OF Yon-
kers. whose subject Tenement House Inspec-
tion and who said IN part:
Tenement houses in Yonkers compare favorably
with the worst conditions elsewhere have all
the evils of the New-York slums. only a smaller
scale; The average tenment house deprives the
people Of light, air and privacy. In them people
have malaria. rheumatism and tuberculosis, chill
dren have bronchitis and do thrive. The greedy
with The teachings Of crst are foTso5tes We
not HoW NOW Not ss but s
tlce. Model tenement houses be erected on a
wherever they have been built, and aside from the
tact that they returned between and per cent
great blessing. the greater need is to put existing
houses IN sanitary condition. and prevent badly
where woman Inspector does the most good. Be
S g having e2 e2 do
In Yonkers some good citizens remodeiled old
they have proved a financial success. While far
from being good conditions greatly improved in
winter. Decreased death rate especially among
children and increased cleanliness are among the
results of the work far The field for usefulness
is large May the nurses prepare for this work
true mission of the Board of Health to take up the
work ana see that the poorer class of working peo-
pie at least have healthy homes
Miss Wad. head worker in the Nurses Settle
ment of New-York. made brief address on
Nurses Settlements She spoke without notes
and did not prepare paper for transcription into
the official minutes. Her address. while Informal.
was interesting, and contained much that new
to the nurses from all parts of the world regard
ing the systematic efforts being made 10 care for
the needy sick OF New-York Miss Wald outlined
the methods of work in the metropolis and cited
many instances where much good had been accom-
plished. She said the field large. and there
was much room for all who desired to enter this
work. Miss Honnor Merten. a member the
Trained Nurses Club, of London. read a brief pa
per London Schooboard Nurses" She said In
part:
There is no daily medical inspection in primary
schools in England. although the spread of both
major m 3, and minor INFECTION among school children
deciding what they shall do with regard to arrest
ing this spread of disease. private individuals nave
been sending nurses to some of the schools In Lon
don Liverpool and elsewhere and doing the work
quletIy as a cnarlty; Inc stan or nurses has al
ways been small. and the nurses have been able to
visit only the very poorest schools and touch the
mere finger of the evil The work done by the
voluntary nurses consists in weekly, or. II neces-
sary, daily visitation of the schools seeing the
children sent to them by the teachers. dressing
small sores. cleaning dirty heads and bathing sore
eyes Where necessary the teacher Is advised to
exclude child. bad is followed to its
home or the mother sent for to be the
school. After six months or regular visiting head
and eye chronics become cured and higher stand
ard or cleanliness reigns in the school and the
nurses visits are less frequent and often brief.
The ideal would be FOR six school nurses in dis
trict to visit daily under doctor. reporting to him
where major infections. such diphthera, were
found and medical help wanted. while they at
tended TO the enormous number OF OF minor
infections Toward such ideal slowly
and surely tending, and then the school nurses
society will gladly dissolve and hand
liable voluntary work into the hands OF the school
authorities.