The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-29
PEOPLES FORUM
NURSE STRONG FACTOR
 IN WHITE PLAGUE FIGHT

The assurance that the district nurse s to be employed in the work of stamping out tuberculosis by the Fair field County Anti-Tuberculosis Associ- ation, comes as good news to those who are interested in the cause and who are trying to help in the work Because. ip our opinion, the nurse is the most potent agency in teaching the people what they ought to do to sease, and showing them directly how 10 do it. And while her efforts are necessarily limited, because there are 50 few of her. they will be put where they are most needed. Object teach Ing is the most efficient method of fniparting .knowledge-necessarily so. People may go to hear the lecture or the talk, by way of amusement, to merely while away the time or to be in one another's company. They prob ably will remember little of what they hear. They are likely to have forgot ten it before they have walked a block upon the street on their way home.
 Much less then, can they put any part of it into practical use afterward. Or. they may not really receive any of it. It may, so to speak, go in at one ear and out of the other, the mind mean while occupied with other things, or perhaps, being all blank. People may read in book. paper or magazine whatever may be written. EuC It makes no 1H1pIeSSlOn upOA them; they do not retain it. They car not tell what it is. Few people can repeat correctly sentence which they have just read. But when a nurse goes into a room she attracts by her presence, she demands and se- cures attention by what she says, she teaches by what she does. You, can see and hear and comprehend and know, and do not forget.
 What idea would person get about making bed if she were to go by direction Of word alone and had not seen it done.s The work would be bunglingly accomplished nor would the bed be very Comfortable one to sleep in. But the trained nurse, go- irg into the home, will show to some who think they are adopts at it, points about the making of a bed which shall add pleasure through the eye and comfort through the sense of feeling. Few people comparatively know what cleanliness is, as the trained nurse knows 1t and she will demonstrate to their eyes cleanliness of person, of c.otbing. of table, Of floor, of house cleanliness which will not permit the presence of germ or of disease. And this is thing which can not be taught by any word, written or spoken;
 of office, her credentials. This will se- cure her at once and always attention and respect. Let us welcome then the district nurse and willingly contribute II lave her. Let us be glad that she is available and let us give her every word of encouragement possible Law renee Vei1ler, the Director of the tuberculosis Committee of the Charity OreaT1ization Society of New York, in a letter to the Paterson. CN. J.0 Com 1nittee concerning it's proposed spend ing of money in the anti-tuberculosfs crusade says, "I regard the nurse as the most important fact in the anti stuberculosis movement. You will find that more good will come through the employment of such nurse than probably through any other means.'
 Dr. Livingston Farrand, the Execu- tive Secretary of the Antf-Tuberculosis Assoctation says, tI do not hesitate to say that in my judgment at the present time, the best result from a sum of money such as that at your disposal, and in a city such as Paterson will be obtained by the employment of a. special visiting nurse"
 There is no better educational agency in existence for such purpose than the viSftinr nurse, and more would be done In the direct line of prevention by such an agency than in any other way. But she should be a special tuber- culosis nurse who devotes her work 50 this department alone. The Execu- dive Committee of the Association have done well in taking this advance step.
 The Press Committee.