New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-25
VISITING SICK BIBLES.
Duties of Board of Health Nurses
IN Their Rounds of Tenements.


Here comes the Board Of Health
The group Of touzIed children playing on the
sidewalk outside the shabby basement grocery
scatter precipitatey the trim figure OF the little
nurse with the big brass badge OF the Depart
neat OF Health shining on the bosom OF her white
shirrwaist. turns swiftly into Allen-st- To these
stun jewellers. fighting over their feast OF water
melon rinds on the filthy pavement, il is as II the
whole august Department of Health were made
manifest il the flesh
Or. Ernest J. LeGerIe the first Commits
soner Of Health 10 employ trained nurses 10 look
after the babies OF the tenements. With him
originated the system Of medical Inspection and
nursing in the public schools as il exists in New
York City to-day. There are thirty-six Of these
nurses While the public schools are ia session
their attention is directed largely toward the de-
lection and treatment Of infectious diseases. Dur
ing the summer months their aim is 10 protect
the babies Of year and under from that curse
Of the Jelements, cholera infantuu. Each nurse
has a district. Il then becomes her business 70
visit every family in il, ascertain If there is
small child. see the child learn il II shows any
symptoms OF cholera infantun- telephone the
Board Of Health II III. and any in
struct the mother 10 the OF herself and
her baby. In summer the nurses do q great deal
Of the work Of Board OF Health doctor. The life
IS not an easy one would say. a particularly
pleasant one.
CASE N THE CELLAR
Now. wen begin right here this morning cheer
fully says Miss Abbie Heferu, the little nurse.
ferring TO her notebook and al the same time
diving down the five six steps the basement
grocery. You never can tell from the outside
what may not be hidden away behind. Often
ind some Of my worst cases in the rear Of saloons
barber shops restauranIs-places where you'd
never dream Of looking for baby
From the din. Odorous perspective Of dangling
'bolognies" and hams. OF sugar barrels and kero-
sene tanks and Jars of picked behring's and mus
sells. and boxes OF potatoes and onions, the shape
OF a young disengages itself he wears only
q short sleeved. low necked Undershirt and pair
OF trousers Every visible portion OF his frame is
beaded with sweat
ANY small children asks the nurse and then.
ne her Dlankly 'Haben size kIeins
kindg"
lie mods. and she pushes through the shop into
the h0me-Eod save the mark,-behinG ill.,
First comes Z small, dark room lighted only
through dirty skylght let into the floor above.
and dlled from ground 10 ceiling with packing
cases, barrels and boxes-evidently a store and
lumber room. Like = pail . shuts out light and
air from the living room behind where on =
rarnshackle sofa. the Precipitation standing out On
us little chest and arms, naked baby lies sleeping
under the lurid light OF a faring gas Jet ct is 1
CLOCK on sunny July afternoon IN the world out
H4oe) There Is not a window Z ray Of natural
light IL the place The air is as dead and fetid
as m a receiving tomb. A kettle Of some loud
smelling mixture seethes on the gas range. Next
% the range is the sink. Next TO the sink is a bed
SOME SANITARY CONDITIONS
Now, call these sanitary conditions poor-dls-
unctly poor" comments the nurse whipping a
card and pencil from her bag and jotting down a
memorandum 7 suppose you would call them
frghtful, atrociOus; but, comparing them with the
conditions that prevail in this neighDorhood I call
tnen only very poor shall send in special re-
port on this place, and then some tenement house
Inspector will call and straighten things out"
FOR each case a separate card. called a history
caro-, has 10 De made out and forwarded at the
close OF the day TO the Board OF Health. On this
caro- besides The name address. age national,
4ty OF the case, the nurse must note the number
u aouIts and children ia the family the number
OF rooms, the air space the sanitary condition and
the ventilation Of the home she must also specify
airshast
The mother-a hollow eyed. consultative loot,-
ing Se"ess-has run from the darI, closet at
me back which she calls her bedroom and Is.
- ~ -sselIlng the visitor that 'the baby no
sam siegel. and is SIX NOM ~ ~ tipeaifa IS sam
t-e Aurse writes down on samrel SjegeI's bIl
50 she inserts the word C;oo5. hi jo1fi hI
sAace d1LeT Nutrition 4iN
baby 40 sick Oh inside2" asks the ,ursa fl
iis ress r1lE and pointing The stomach Of
No bell al right" replies the mother
LITTLE SANS DIET.
Inquiries as 10 how little Samuel Is led fail ~
an answer until the nurse places her hand on her
chest With the question "Brusty' The mother
says Yes. that is IT, and he IS not fed from, a.,
bottle or given solid food OF any kind. Ana -
nurse would believe her. II. on first entering sbs
Lisl 10. caught sight Of feeding bottle on sans
pl44oW-now discreetly put our of sight i >
Many OF these babies fed an 90, ..,.o.,
-Lllih MISS heiern says, and condensed mill
makes = very bad food for them IN tba f5rs1
lac = does not provide The proper nourlsb
hi-lll. and in the second place, the mother Tsra
Knows enough 10 give II In hvgfenic form, 80
stRs 10 cent IN AT the grocery. prepares some
thiih sets the opened Tin the window SIN or -, .
a shelf over tho kitchen stove and Leaves 4,
tltfc tlil u Is used up There Is one good tbf,@
@DolL These Jewish mothers however. IN Is -srss
mo one ~ilp does OF nurse her baby often
- - - ttlsiI on the bottle, too sending out for
''ee ttiltk To the corner When i ind thFs
~, - me cisf. take the name ami address -
- Etncet. md a doctor Is detailed b. the Road
,a., aaeaith 20 inspect the milk Hundreds OF
tb,s l are Iost every summer by being fed with
~ sns baby yscc&atedg' is the next question