Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-27
ITS ANNUAL MEETING
INSTRUCTIVE VISITING NURSES
SOCIETY IN SESSION.
Addresses by Rev. DR.. McKim and
Gen. Sternberg-0bjects Of
the Organization.

The seventh annual meeting of the In
structive Visiting Nurse Society was held
yesterday afternoon at the Nurses Home,
2001 I street, with a large attendance of
the members and their friends.
DR.. Anne A. Wilson of the board Of man.
ayers of the society presided. and after
the adoption of the annual report of the
organization Rev. DR.. Randolph H. Nc
Kim, rector Of the Church of the Epiphany.
made a short address. during which he
spoke in glowing terms Of the work being
done by the organization. He directed
attention to the motto of the society, Il
was sick and We visited me-" which. he
! stated. characterized the Christ spirit.
Gen. George NJ Sternberg was the second
speaker He said he is especially interested
in the work of Miss Brown, the nurse
whom the society has engaged to call upon
the consumptives of the city who are in
need Of attention. Gen. Sternberg declared
that the work being done by Miss Brown in
great white plague" is little short Of
marvellous. In conclusion he told Of the
work Of the sanatOrium at Washington
Grove, and said that when consumption Is
by the results obtained at the sanatorium.
miss Lent, a nurse from Baltimore. made
short address upon the work. after which
the meeting was closed.
The object of the society, 1t was ex-
planned is to provide trained nurses to
visit and nurse the poor in their homes
and to instruct them in the care Of their
sick.
The work is intended to supplement. not
to duplicate or interfere with. the proper
function Of hospitals. Ordinarily only such
cases are attended as hospitals do not
receive or where the circumstances of par
M ante .tro how, fraa
Work Of the Society.
The society works in accord with the AS
ISOLATED Charities, but the nurses act pri-
marily under the direction of the visiting
physicians of the poor. who are appointed
by the health officer of the District of CO.
iumbia. Every morning they report at the
police precinct of their district and receive
orders from the doctors in charge. They
also take cases from other physicians, as
we'll as from the regular visitors of the
Associated Charities, churches, philan-
thropic societies and individuals. Books
for registering applications are kept at the
police station houses. at the headquarters
Of each nurse, and the Office Of the superin-
tendent.
The nurses serve only in the districts to
which they are assigned, and solely under
the management of the society. Even in
cases where a nurse is supported by an In
dividual or society, the strict enforce
ment of this rule is necessary to secure
proper unity of action, and she must work
under the rules governing the society, ad-
ministered by its officers.
No money may be distributed, and such
nourishment as is needed in special cases
can be obtained only by requisition on ex-
listing charitable sources. The nurses are
permitted to loan certain articles owned
by the society when they are required in
the treatment of particular cases and when
the families or friends of the patients are
unable to supply them.
Well Done and Extended.
The annual report showed an income of
81. % for the year and $362s2 on hand
at the first of the year. 1t was stated that
In making its report the board of managers
of the Instructive Visiting Nurse Society is
able to tell of a work we'll done and ex-
tended. The serious expenditure incurred
in the establishment of the Nurses Home
has been justified, and it is past the ex-
perimental stage.
1.-The regular District work is well under
stood and it's quality maintained. Where
Illness misfortune, poverty and ignorance
exist nurses Of such ability and character
as are employed by the board will always
have more than enough to do. Their visits
are not only to aid. but/to instruct and OBJ
serve, and, while keeping strictly to their
implied promise to hold sacred the conf
dences of the sick room, they constantly
prove their ability to ascertain facts relat-
ing to hygiene and sanitation which are
accurate and available. They are assisted
by. and assist the agencies of the Asso-
ciated Charities to their mutual benefit.
1.-The extension of the work is the assign
ment of a nurse to strictly tubercuar pa
tients. For some time the board has been
anxious to undertake such a work. and late
in the spring of 1906 was in consultation
with the committee for the prevention and
cure Of tuberculosis with such an aim.
| The committee having established a dis
pensary for the examination and treatment
of such cases. the need of a nurse to be
present at the clinics and to follow the
patients giving advice and supervision at
their homes, was obvious. On December 1,
1906 nurse from the staff, who was will
ing to undertake the work, was assigned
| to 1t. Her duty Is to be present at the dis
pensary each day at certain hour, there to
assist the physician in charge, to visit all
patients to ascertain If the doctors direc-
lions are carried out. and that the patient
returns at stated times for examination.
Able to Give Instructions.
During such visits the nurse is able to
give instructions to the family, both in the
care of the patient, and as to members of
precaution. looking to the prevention of
further infection. She also advises proper
diet, which, if the case comes within it's
province, the citizens relief supplies, the
best of milk and eggs in quantity being
often serious matter for families of mar
row means. The fact should be widely
known that more than $1,000 was expended
last year by the citizens relief for the as
sistance of incipient cases of consumption
Such cases as are past the durable stage
are given diet by the Washington diet
kitchen. Extra beds and bedding. wheel
chairs and other articles giving comfort to
advanced cases are loaned under its rules
by the Instructive Visiting Nurse Society.
ct Is not well to allow tuberculous per-
sons to sleep with two or three other peo-
pie. Sometimes another bed makes it pos
sible for the ill person to sleep In the par
lor," where proper ventilation can be had
away from the family. The greatest COM
fort is given to the patient and his friends
when. during fine weather. he can be wheel
ed out of doors into the fresh air, which is
such powerful aid to cure or alleviate.
Zone not closely connected with the work
can hardly understand how intensely inter-
esting and inspiring II becomes The nurses
must be conscious of this inspiration. or
they would be unable, day in and day out,