The Washington times., 1914-05-25


In the year 1900 there were three
public spirited women in Washing
ton. who felt the great need Of sup
plying trained visiting nurses to care
for the sick poor in their homes
These women, DR.. Anne Wilson
Mrs Thomas F. Bayard and Miss
Tuckerman, applied for a certificate
Of Incorporation, and in April Of the
same year. The Instructive Visiting
Nurse Society began its philantro-
phic work with but one nurse to
cover the city.
Today we find the society. whose
affairs are managed by a board con-
sisting Of fifteen of the representa-
tive women of Washington, carry
ing out the wishes of its founders,
in visiting and instructing the sick
of limited means. but with a STAN
OF twenty workers instead Of one-
To facilitate this work the city Is
divided into seven regular districts
each having a special visiting nurse
and a sub-office.
Start Daily At $500 O'Clock.
The nurses start every morning at
$50 from their headquarters. 25os
K street northwest, each carrying
her bag well filled with supplies for
tho probable needs of the day. The
new calls are made first when urg-
ent, yesterdays patients waiting un-
til later in the day. It may be
there is a new baby to be cared for;
a paralyzed patient to be bathed and
made comfortable; or some one with
a wound to be dressed The nurse
always has several patients on her
list needing surgical dressings. often
very painful and requiring much
time and patience. Not the least Of
her duties is to make arrangements
for the hospital cases; patients with
typhoid fever, pneumonia and other
acute illnesses requiring more care
than the home AFFORDS.
At Loon when the nurse reports
at Ter office, she calls up Main
5000 and asks the Board Of Charities
that such patients be admitted to
the proper hospital. These requests
invariably receive immediate atten-
ton. In the afternoon the nurse
revisits such of her former cases as
need attention: goes to a possible
late call and visits those Of her
chronic cases who are assigned to
that day.
The District nurses do not take
care of patients suffering with tu-
berculosis. For this work the city
is again divided, the sections being
three In number, each having
special nurse The bags carried oy
napkins, paper bags, sputum cups.
alcohol for bathing. boracic powder
and alkaline tablets for mouth wash
Task Is Hard.
The task before these nurses In
hard and often discouragtng. They
must constantly preach the gospel OF
fresh air, cleanliness and sanitary
surroundings. They must Try and
persuade the patients who cannot
carry out their Instructions to 60 TO
the hospital, in order to protect the
other members of the household from
the dread disease
household from the dread disease.
Little by little the nurses are
Gaining the confidence Of their pa
tients who are finding. out that
consumption is a curable, as well as
nrsyentable disease, II taken in
time and rightly treated During
tn elast year 652 patients were cared
for and 1914 home visits ror care
and instruction were made:
A distinctive feature of this work
ia the tuberculosis Clinic held daily
at a2a n street by the Society Tor
the Prevention Of tuberculosis,
which supports one OF the nurses
Here the doctor, the nurse ana pa
tients meet for consuiIaioH'
ana Hnotber feature is the Red Cross
daV camp for children suffering with
incipient tuberculosis. Thls pasI
wear the camp was open from Aprh
( until Christmas, and Is now on q
firmer basis than ever before, IN
spite of the damage by the cyclone
last June. which caused much ad-
ditional expense. During the season
stsnv-one children and nineteen
adults were admitted. who MADE an
average gain in weight Oh Wo
pounds. These favorable resuits
were due largely to the unorinS m
terest OF DR.. 8. Boyce Poie' VINO was
in constant attendance.
Hospital Gave Help.
The Tuberculosis Hospital near
which the camp is situated, heiped
in every possible way to make tho
summer a successful one. The camp
gave many sood times to Its IN
mates. A party was given the
Fourth Of July, a wading party at
midsummer: an entertainment at
THANKSGIVING; a Christmas tree ana
a small celebration at the opening OF
the schools. The children also learn
ed to do many useful things, the boys
gardening and the girls sewing, eacn
making a dress and an apron lot
herself.
The stan of baby nurses employed
by the society has grown steadliy'
and there are now six, nurses devot-
ing themselves exclusively to TINS
care of midwives, which are report
ed by the Health Department are
visited regularly for the prevention
OF infant blindness, for minor treat
ments. and above all for the tnstruc-
ton to the mothers in feeding and
general care. During the last year
the total number of babies visited
was 2,47S. and as but 1l2 OF these
were lost by death. we consider this
n creditable showing. Needless to
say, we have no cases of blindness to
report.
Also the work done by Georgetown
Hospital and George Washington
Hospital out patient department has
materially increased the efficiency
Of our maternity work, and enables
us to do more effective prenatal rurs-
ing. We are hoping that the death
rate among infants will steadily de-
crease until the minimum OF pre-
yentable deaths is reached.
The work OF the Washington Diet
Kitchen, with seven infant welfare