The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-04-24
SPLENDID ADDRESSES
TO THE NURSES
Continued From Page One,

tuberculosis is emphatically a disease
of lowered vitality. Whether this IS
produced by overwork, long hours,
lack of sleep, impure air, Improper or
insufficient food, badly Ventilated
rooms, drink, dust, dirt, debaucherv,
or a too close attention to the details
or business it makes very little diff
ference as far as contracting the dis
ease is concerned.
The facts are:
ease. us
2. The germ is one that requires
favorable conditions for it's growth
and development.
D. These conditions are fostered bv
any OF those facilitating circumstanc-
es that conduces to lowered vitality.
t. Inc disease comes on i%nsiduous-
~ and may get quite a foothold be-
lore being recognized.
D. Ihe prevention Of the disease
consists In keeping the system in a
condition unfavorable to the growth
ana development of the germ. The
u r OF the disease consists in restor-
ing the BODY TO it's normal or super
moi ima powers OF resistance. In 9TH
er words the prevention consists in
closing up the avenues Of entrance. or
IN Wardlng off offensive attacks The
cure consists in routing the enemy nv
starvation, by making the conditions
OF the soil unfit for his growth or de-
veiopment. '"e
II people generally would appreciate
Inese CONDITIONS, tuberculosis as a dis
ease or the masses would very soon
De raAked among the rarer diseases
ana mere is where the question affects
the nurse. "ie0'S
Two things are necessary for an IN
cCioh-t seed and the soil The
seeu OF tuberculosis may be said TO he
everywhere. We cannot get away from
~. our greatest safety lies in so
SudTulhg our bodies by Increasing
their resisting powers and TINS derw|
ing Lhe germs q foothold. We NAV
Ilot De able to escape the germs hIt
we should be able to preven +har1
rom finding suitable soil for their
roWth l would therefore saw to Won
as nurses that in my opinion your first
Huiy Is 10 see that YOU own physio1e
Is Kept up to par, and that at the frs+
signs of approaching danger vn,, saatc
wise counsel ~" S0eh
IN properly attending to YOUR own
PhyslcaI welfare you will be doing tba
greatest good possible to others ny
anlpte is always a better teacher than
pIecept. Health is catching. A life
spent IN Keeping well radiates- q bene-
ilclent erect on everyone cominp With
IN h sphere of it's influence r. 70
ms Is added words of wisdom az m
now GOOD health can be secured and
maintained, your possibilities for good
can hardly be overestimated
a question l am frequently asked is.
Wnat danger is there in nursing a
tuberculosis patient?" This is a matter
or much Importance as il aga in affects
the personal equation. The racords 81
the great sanitariums of the country
snow that the danger of infection is
very sLght, II proper precautions are
taken. AS a matter of fact the danger
IS ieSs IMAM nursing typhoid and In
nnltely less than in nursing scarlet
or the other acute conta geo11s
With patients properly train
ed ana disciplined in the disposal Of
Ihelr sputum and with a due regard
LOT the principles of right living. the
danger or spreading the infection is
feQuced to a minimum. The careful
tuberculosis patient, who has been
properly instructed n who observes
the Well established principles of pre-
Ventlon, is not a dangerous member of
the but on the other hand,
Ine careless tuberculosis patient. who
either does not know how to take care
or himself, Oh who has no conception
or MS duty to his fellows. is a source
OF the greatest menace to those with
Whom he comes in contact and, here is
where the sanitariums are doing their
great work. 1t is not alone the num-
Der or patients that's they save from
premature graves-althOugh this is adj
mittedly argument enough for their
establishment-that gives them their
chief field of usefulness. but il is in
the people h a they send home, with
disease cured, checked, or hopeless, as
the case may be, each thoroughly in
structed in the principles of right liv-
ing.
Every inmate who leaves these in
situations becomes a missionary for
good health in the community of
which he may be a member and he
not only saves himself from being a
source OF danger but his example is
an ever present reminder for the pub
lie to go and do likewise.
When you consider that one out of
every ten deaths of all ages is from
tuberculosis, and that one out of every
three or four in people between 20
and 40 die of tie same disease, it is
plain that the nurses work in this
class of patients must be very consid-
cradle indeed. How important there
fore that she receive thorough in
struction in this very important part
of her training. The ordinary hospital
and training school does not offer many
opportunities for study Of this disease,
because such patients are practically
excluded. The average nurse therefore
at graduation is very poorly equipped
for this class Of work and there is as
a consequence a great scarcity of well
equipped graduates for this special
line of duty. And the demand is in
creasing and will continue to do so
because public sentiment is develop
ing very rapidly along preventive lines.
Our last legislature passed a law, Fl.
B. No. 155, permitting counties to ex-
pend money in preventing the spread
of tuberculosis in this state, and en-
towering them to employ visiting
nurses for carrying out the provisions
of the act. This opens up for your
profession a new line of work and
one that calls for special training: I
feel confident that it would be difficult
indeed to supply properly qualified APP
plicants for these highly honorable and
desirable positions at the present time.
To be well qualified for such posi-
tions of trust and responsibility would
require some post graduate work to
supercede the regular training which
nurses usually receive. This could be
received at the many public and pri-
waite institutions that you can now find
in nearly every state in the union. 1t
is my opinion that in view of the OPP
portunities for service which this
would give that the time so spent
would be a good investment. There is
a strong feeling among nurses that
sanitarium services and sanitarium
life is conducive to infection. Moth
ing could be further from the facts.
Sanitarium life is fundamentally cs-
tablished on the principles of right
living nj these in every we'll ordered
institution are carried out, practically
as well as theoretically, so that the
working in them is in point of