New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-03-29
Secretary Tells of Practical
Benefits from Department.
WORK FOR CONVALESCENTS
Nearly 5000 Patients Helped IN
Practical Way After Leaving
Hands of Doctors.

"by those who thought we fixed our eyes
too closely on the individual and neglected
the work Of striking at fundamental causes.
My answer to that criticism Is that the
hospital social service workers business is
with the Individual. We pass on the data
We get TO those societies whose function IT
is to study primary causes, but our own
function is to get John Jones cured and
see that he stays cured. In this respect We
are Ike the doctor who cannot refuse to
treat case Of cancer on the plea that his
whole duty is TO study the prevention of
cancer. We need to deal with the concrete
problems they come 10 us.
Wouldn't 1t be a sorry world n We al
ways overlooked the individual IN our ef-
forts to get al tho primary causes ana heip
humanity in the mass
Miss Wadley Is not nearly so formidable
as the length Of her official title would indi-
cate, and the enthusiasm which she puts
into her task of getting John Jones well
and keeping him so is not at all dsmpened
by the cold technicality of this designation.
During the last year she has worked more
or less successfully with nearly eight thou
sand John Joneses. Of varying ages.
There were" she said between 5000
and 1000 admissions to the hospital during
the year but we could not handle moro
than $3.50 because there is so much to nc
done for each individual. our aim is thor
ough work and genuine results, rather thah
to make a show statstically.
Suppose We sent a patient Just recoV-
cred from typhoid to a convalescent home
for two weeks and then when he comes
out do nothing more for MIN. what hap
pens? II il moro than probable that he
hadn't a cent when he entered the hos
pital, and he certainly hasn't had chance
10 get any more since then. About two
nights of sleeping in the park and going
hungry will put him back in tho hospital
as patient, and tho trouble We took to
get him into the home and the money the
home spent in keeping him for two weeks
are all wasted.
our work isn't finished when he gets
out Of the home. If we want him to stay
we'll we must take Up the case again
when he comes out, help got him JOB,
rerhaps pay the employment agency fee
and advance enough money TO last until
his first payday.
"One of our hardest problems is finding
suitable work for the discharged patients.
So many of them are not skilled laoorers.
The employment bureau for the handi-
capped helps some, but their problem is a
tremendously difficult one. We try when
ever we can to get our people work In the
country
Just here Miss Wadley was interrupted
TO pass judgment upon farmers appll-
cation FOR "A boy helper Her verdict was
i'm the negative. No" she said to the as
sstant submitting the letter. Il wouldn't
expect anybody to milk eight COWS and
take care of the horses for board only"
This incident threw some light upon the
difficulties encountered in placing the con-
valescents in the country
vanderbilt Clinic" continued Miss Wad-
ley. has recently had signs displayed in
the postoffices advertising the fact that
IT'S social service department is looking
for country Jobs for Convalescents There
are now twenty-five hospitals in New York
with a social service department, and they
have Iust formed a conference OF all their
workers actively Interested in it. The sec
ond meeting is to he in April.
But you must not think all our work is
looking out for the discharged patients. We
help the doctor make his diagnosis and de-
termine the treatment by investigation OF
the patients home life The social history
is az important ~ the medical history in "A
good many cases Here is an example
that shows just what | mean:
I'VE had fifteen yoarold girl attending
the clinic regularly for a long time with
out much Improvement. Her trouble was
St Vituss dance. social worker WAS as
nd lar
Eliminating. The girl had been working
nine hours day In y box factory. She
lived with her grandmother. brother and
sister I'm a four-room fiat and slept with
her sister who was restless. The grand
mother was nervous and cross the girl
and her sister duarrcled because OF the
sisters habit OF slecpwalldng, and the
brother leased the patient continually
about her nervousness until she WAS Sensl-
tive about going around among people.
"A separate cot was provided for the
patient. her nervous sister was induced n
come 10 the clinic for treatment also. and
the family was brought IN realize the i'm
rortanco Of ignoring the nervous symptoms
instead Of commenting upon them and ridi-
culing them. That girl is almost normal
now. hut what the use Of merely Civ
Ing medicine I'm a case like that?
"One Of our hard problems has been fnd-
ing work for volunteers who wanted to
help us They came irregUarly and were
not usually trained for the work But this
last winter We have succeeded very well.
One thing they can do excellently is 10
raise funds.
Since Bellevue is public institution we
can't give outdoor relief. The city is gen
erous and pays the salary OF most of the
workers in this department, but the money
needed for travelling expenses aud tempo
rary relief has to come from private con-
tIibutiOns.
I'VE have one case OF widow with six
children who is able to earn only S2J a
month, ana ii will be year yet before the
is a good mother, and rather than see this
home broken up or have the woman become
the beneficiary of the big organized chart
ties the volunteer who looked into her case
has undertaken to raise privately pension
for her."
The visitor came away shorn Of the Idea
that Bellevue was simply a huge laboratory
for building up broken bones and curing
the many other Ills that flesh Is heir to, for
In Miss Wadley's department the personal
work where science leaves OF and per-
manently clinChes the cure.
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