Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-18

of Washington had its foundation stone
laid In February, 1907 says DR.. Wilson In
time some OF our present board Of managers
had their attention drawn to the fact that
there was in Washington no provision for
supplying trained nurses to the sick poor
IN their own homes, and yet most Of the
cases OF illness are not Of the sort to be
sent to the hospital These are the chronic
cases, the eonsumpttves, the paralytics,
cancer cases and others for which there
Is scant provision in our hospitals. There
Is also another class which It is desirable
not to move from their homes.
L refer to the wives and mothers. In
many Instances the family life totters and
hopeiessdy falls If they be removed for
weeks from the home circle. So, even In
acute illnesses, II is often desirable to care
TOT them IN their own homes
The Stbaey deaconesses have done what
they could in the way Of nursing the sick
poor. but these pupil deaconesses are here
during their training only. have little time
Tor work beyond their own school and hos
pitai, and of necessity their outside work is
very limited. One or two churches have
deaconesses whose duties are manifold and
connned to their own Congregations Out
side this small field there were no trained
nurses whose duty 1t was to nurse the sick
poor In their own homes. and in Washing
ton we have very much larger poor pop
uiatton than most people realize.
Sought Information.
The ladies referred to opened up a cor
respondenceg with the Boston Instructive
visiting Nursing Association and visited
personally the superintendents Of the PhiIa-
delphia and Baltimore societies. that they
might acquaint themselves with the means
and methods Of some Of the nursing soci-
cites already at work. After a few weeks
devoted to- the study Of the work In the
three cities named, 1T WAS decided to place
nurse IN one OF the poorer districts-the
southwest section OF Washington - feel
Ing that we had better demonstrate to
our own satisfaction that such an agent for
alternating the sufferings of the sick poor
was the real need in Washington, that we
believed it to- be- and considering that II
such proved to be the case, 1t would be
easier to appeal TO tha public to carry on
q charity already started than to inaugu-
rate somethAn& new. =
by the 1st Of April our one nurse was SO
busY IN her distriets was so welcomed in
the homes tef the poor, and the physicians
to the peorl UNDER whom she worked had
expressed such gratitude for her valuable
services. that without further delay it was
decided to cali a meeting for considering
the wisdom Of charging the scope of the
work. This meeting was held the first
week In April at the residence of Mrs
Tuckerman. 1.5,t- .,s-s ~ 10 w..
Remarks were made by Mr. Wilson, Sec
rotary of the Associated Charities, q doctor
from the health Office, one of the Associ-
the Philadelphia society and others. All
told from personal experience Of the great
need for visiting nurses to the poor.
I'VE set to work to procure funds to
start, II possible, a second nurse before
the hot weather. Printed leaflets were sent
out and several clergymen made warm ap-
peals from their pulpits. By May / we had
funds pledged to support a second nurse
and she began work May 10 In the south
east district. The Unitarian Church then
came nobly forward and agreed to give us
funds to support a third nurse. She began
work June Is IN Northeast Washington,
dispersed for the summer we had funds
in hand for a fourth nurse, who began
work in Georgetown July 1. Since January
1 of this year we have had the much-need-
ed services of superintendent. For this
important post we secured the services of
Miss Hacket, who had been for some years
in charge Of hospital in Waltham Mass
In this hospital district nursing had been
an important feature Of the work, and
Miss Hacket came to us with the highest
Endorsements and ripe with experience
She has her headquarters at 81 G street
northwest and may be found there daily
Gus to know more of the details of our
work. or who would like to extend a help
Ing hand are urged to visit Miss Hacket
at the hour named.
Cost of the Service
1.-The cost Of each nurse is about $500
year. This provides for salary, $25, board,
lodgings, uniforms. laundry, car fares and
certain necessary medical and surgical
supplies.
From the first we have had the hearty
cooperation Of the health office and the
Associated Charities. The latter organiza-
ton has granted us space in its branch Of
fees, where our nurses make their head
quarters during the day, and where they
70 o fSDl1nH Z m
when not out on their rounds.
Here each nurse Is equipped with a loan
and supply cupboard. We have found that
the lending Of clean bed linen and under
earments Is an Enthusiastically faetor I IN the
work While it makes it possible to prop
erly care for the SICK we hope much also
from the valuable object lesson in cieanli-
ness y
'"The close daily contact with the Asso-
ciated Charities agents has been most help
full to our nurses. And these agents say
our society has afforded them a strong arm
of support Which9they sadly felt the need
for before. Other districts are calling out
for us to send them nurses. We hope In
time to have ten nurses at work in Wash
inGton- Each morning our nurses report
at the police precincts In their districts,
where the calls for the doctors to the poor
are recorded. Here they meet the doctors
and receive instructions relative to the pa
TENTS they are to visit. One of these doc
tors lately said he could not think how
they had ever managed without the trained
nurses. OF coursA it does mean that a
very different kind of work Is done Pre-
vfously the doctors to the poor visited and
prescribed and left, knowing that in most
cases. either through inability or Ignorance.
the people would not carry out his orders.
While the majority Of our cases quite
naturally are those treated by the doctors
to the poor, any doctor having a suff-
ciently needy case is asked to avail HIM
self OF the services OF our nurses. but of
course this work must be confined to cases
In the districts where they are stationed,
otherwise not; only would much valuable
time be lost. but there is work enough in
each district for the nurse. OF this all
would be convinced could they inspect the
monthly reports Of work done. We feel
that the time II not far OF when two
nurses rather than one will be required for
each OF the districts where we are work
Ing. Not less than three nurses win be-
required for the very extensive northwest
section. with it's scattered and outlying
poor quarters. to say nothing OF the thick
~ settled very poor section between North
Capitol and 7th streets and Pennsylvania
avenue and the boundary
"A call book II kept at each nurses head