Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-11-27
= COUNTY, 1HvHsElIHNT.
Hrs. Florence Zee Closes Her work %
County Visiting Nurse. rev
Outlines Of Her work,

County Visiting Nurss. 4 rev
Outlines Of Her work.
Chapter 116, Section 2 Of the Laws Of
Minnesota for 1911 reads, ''The County
Boards of the several Counties. Of this
State may appropriate money out Of the
general revenue fund of the county for
the purpose of paying for the services
of visiting nurses or other necessary
medical attention or advice in preventing
the spread of tuberculosis III such coun-
ty or for the purpose of disinfecting any
building, room, residence, hotel or other
place in such county infected with tu-
berculosis"
Section I preceding authorizes local
associations interested in anti-tubercu-
losis work to report to the County
Boards their belief that monies should
be appropriated as above stated.
The County Board of Kandiyohi coun-
ty authorized the expenditure of $500 for
| the salary and expenses of visiting
nurse to make what might not improp-
| erly be called a Survey of the tuber-
| culosis situation in their county.
| The nurse chosen to do this work,
Mrs. Florence Lee, had done pioneer
work in st. Louis county. for over three
years. Since August 9Th, 1912, when
Mrs. Lee reported for duty in Kandi-
yohi county, she has visited in over 80
homes, and has a record Of over 100
names of persons either positively tu-
would classify them as suspects" Over
one hundred personal letters have been
| written to possible patients, urging the
necessity of better environment than
was possible in the home. Wherever it
has been possible to secure cooperation
from the county physicians, the nurse
has been guided by their advice. In
many instances patients have been d.
rected to ask for medical opinion, for
the very simple reason that the limita-
lions Of nurses. training does not
qualify her to make diagnosis. How
much permanent good, If any, will &C
crue to the citizens Of the county from
this three months hurried canvass, the
years will demonstrate. To be effective
the work should not end with this three
months spasmodic effort, but SHOULD
become permanent part Of the county
work. Until the "civic conscience" is
stirred to a realization Of the need OF
continuous work along this line the
county board can scarcely be expected
to take the initiative.
Visits in the city schools and also il
the rural schools have brought to ligh
many defective children. A number OF
children mentally "below par" attend The
rural schools. These children require
independent instruction. and their pres
ence interferes markedly with the pro
gress of the entire classroom. Notices
have been sent to parents whose child
rem seemed to require medical attention
Il Perhaps the one phase OF this three
months work that will be worth while
is the fact that five patients have beer
placed in the state sanatOrium for con
sumptives at Cass Co., Mimi.
This preventorium is very real cen
ter of education for the consumptive ir
the hopeful stages of the disease. Hab.
it's of proper living, with special refer
ence to a tuberculosis condition, become
been a resident Of the sanatorium fo1
education is an essential part of the
fighting chance" Of a patient and car
only be acquired by stay in a properl!
equipped institution. Long ago, physi
clans and those who understood what {
long fight was required on the part OF
the patient, decided that the "home
care" of a consumptive was simply {
makeshift.
Out of the original appropriation Of
$500, expenses and salary amounting tc
$4OO has been paid. The remaining $1t'
will help to maintain patient who has
> no finances, in the state sanatorium. I
is due in no small measure to the kindli
ness of many citizens that the nurse
has been able to save this sum.
1t is estimated that every ignorant o.
: careless consumptive is responsible fo
the infection of at least four people dur
ing the time that he is a 'germ-carrier.
If education is the instrument by which
much of this worldwide disease may b.
prevented, then Kandiyohi county will
find some return for it's investment O.
$500.