The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-09
PROPER CARE OF The SICK
Coed Work of the Instructive Wis
iting Nurse Society.
HcI. and Attention Provided che
Destitute when III-The orGantz"-
ton Humpered for Lack OF Mems.
An Important Meeting on Monday.


During the -, thirteen months there
has come into existence in this city an
ORGANIZATION that in its small way has
nro,-ed itself one Of the most practical
charities in the District-a society that
from its very inception has been com
PEELED 10 deal with appeals for its as
sistaucc far beyond its ability to sup
ply
The Instructive Visiting Nurse Society
was organized and began its work in
February. 1867, and is AFFILIATED with, and
occupies offices In the building of the As
sociated Charities. SII C Street northwest,
where the work is in charge of the Sup
erintendent Miss Hac1ett- Such a So
ciety has existed in Boston for fourteen
years and similar ones have been in Op-
Grafton in Chicago, Philadelphia. and
baltimore for shorter periods. These
societies have invariably more than just
fled the attention that they have re-
ceived and without exception they meet
with the hearty commentator Of the
city officials and others who have the
opportunity to become familiar with their
workings
The primary object Of the organization
is to provide a corps Of nurses that can
visit the INDECENT sick. care for them. and
The local society now has in its employ
four nurses and a superintendent The
nurses serve primarily under the direc-
ton Of the visiting physicians to the
poor. who are appointed BY and serve IN.
der instructions from Health Officer
Woodward, but cases are also taken from
other physicians As well a. from the reg
ular visitors Of the Associated Charities.
churches. philauthrOpic societies, and in
dividuals.
Books for registering applications for
nurses are kept at the police stations in
the sections of the city in which the So
ciety has its nurses. at the headquarters
Of each nurse in the local branches of the
Associated Charities, and at the rooms OF
the Superintendent. There being only
four nurses employed at the present time,
the amount of work which they can
handle is necessarily limited and their ef-
forts are confined To the northeast. south
west, and Georgetown districts.
The demand for the assistance Of the
society is 50 great that an effort is be
ing made TO increase its field Of useful
ness and an appeal has been made to the
friends of the organization to extend such
support as will enable the society TO Sc
cure six additional nurses. This number
of nurses, it is thought viii be sufficient
witL The four already in the service, to
enabia he scope of the work to be extend
ed 50 as to cover the entire District with
reasOnabI, thoroughress.
The society is founded with the purpose
of providing proper attention for the poor
who are unable TO obtain the medical as
sistance they need and 10 instruct them
in the elementary principles Of sanitation.
cleanliness and care OF the sick This
la hTs7 ff he Ter
ed quite as necessary as the relief of in
diyidUaI cases. as the results OF ignO-
rance and careless Indifference may prove
disastrous in the extreme 70 the entire
community. The society is IN no way
distributing orga liZatiou- No money can
be given away by the nurses and such
nourishmenI as is administered IN special
cases can only be obtained for patients
too poor to pay for it. and only then by
requisition on existing sources, such as
the diet kitchen relief solicitor OF church
eS and elsewhere.
The nurses are allowed to loan certain
articles OF clothing and appliances that