The Washington times., 1914-08-21
The Instructive Visiting Nurses
Association, in Fourteen
Years, Has AIIeviated Hu.
man Misery Throughout the
District.

into scores of Washington home
daily in their ministrdtions to thu
sick.
These nurses hape become no
only ministers to the i'll; but apos
ties of the gospel Of fresh air, hy
giene, sanitation, and good heath
Their work takes them to many o1
the dark spots Of beautiful city
and but for the JOY Of service and
helpfulness, their daily routine
would be a story Of suffering and
human misery.
In fourteen years the work o.
this society has grown to q pide
scope and nom is so thoroughly or
ganized that it touches every sec
tion of the city. One great insur'
ance company and many philan'
thropic organizations cooperate
NTH it.
By J. R. HLDEBRAND.
The late o. Henry. who insisted
there was romance and tragedy to
~ L. In
Buffalo. N. Y, could have found
a wealth OF material almost any
day in company with nurse Of the
Instructive Visiting Nurse Society.
Here are the ungarnished facts Of a
single day. reported by one nurse:
"A note from an anxious mother
living In Navy place was received.
asking Please como right away to
see me and wash the baby l had
difficulty In finding my way up the
narrow stairway. and failed to see
the patient as the room was In
darkness. windows closed and shades
drawn. I at once opened the win
dows,, allowing fresh air and sun
shine to enter, explaining why this
was necessary to health. then
proceeded to bathe the baby. the
necessary clothing could be found.
. but baby has only. one shirt she
said. Gould you please, miss. get
him anotherT ! promised would.
After making q record Of the care
given and condition Of the patient,
! promised to call again next morn
ing.
MY next visit was to the home Of
a motherless boy. sixteen years old.
suffering from tubercular abscesses
Of the hip. He got around In wheel
chair the society had loaned him.
avoid infection. To this case. which
was so pathetic, carried fruit.
furnished by the Fruit and Flower
Guild.
Cheerfulness and Patience.
tied was extremely pathetic. Near
ly eighty years Of age, at one time
she had everything her heart could
desire, but had reached a stage
where she had but ono room to call
her own. Her young grandson lived
with her. The diagnosis was ne
phritis and varicose ulcers. These
caused severe pain in the parts af-
fected Her cheerfulness and pa
tience attracted me greatly to this
loving old lady who always calls
out. as l leave the home, 'Good-by.
and God bless you
MY next case was that Of infect
ed hands. where instructions had
been given and where the hands are
dressed daily. 1t was l o'clock. 30
l ended my morning cases. returned
to the office. had luncheon and
awaited calls. The door bell rang
and a tot entered with a note for
the nurse. reading. Dear Nurse,
will you please give my little girl
some boradic acid. powder (boracic
acid powder) for me to wash baby's
eyes with. l have used all you gave
me the last time you called
THE first Of the afternoon pa
tIents lived near the Navy Yard.
ternal complaint for two years.
None of her several children were
able to help her. Her one unmarried
son who had help her was out Of
employment. This case I reported to
the Associated Charities.
Fight For a Life.
Another call was at a homo where
I found the patient critically Ill OF
typhoid fever. Upon entering the
sick room ! found it we'll filled with
neighbors. who were having a prayer
meeting for the recovery of Alice,
the pride OF the so-called home.
The room was poorly ventilated and
dark. and the girl was sobbing.
which was sufficient to cause a rise
Of temperature. ! requested the well
wishcrs to depart. gave her bath.
an alcohol rub. and made her as
comfortable as possible. This was
fight for life. The patients bed had
not been changed for week. her
mouth never cleansed, all doors and
windows kept closed. The father
said his. small earnings should go
to save his daughters lie. So /
obtained a nurse. who. Tor nom-
inal sum, stayed dav and night.
THE last call of the day was upon
a case of partial paralysis in small
alley Of the city"
There are plenty of facts and fig
ures and statistics about the lnstruc-
tive Visiting Nurse Society. But one
days record Of any one OF its six
teen nurses seems TO furnlsh the best
insight into the scope OF the organi-
zation's work.
Formed in 1900, with but one nurse
at first. the efforts Of the society
have broadened 10 Its present field.
THE city is divided into seven dis
tricts, and one nurse attends to
cases in each of these districts ex-
cept those involving tuberculosis
work. and their equipment Is diner
ent from that of the nurses who go
out on general work. Five nurses
devote their entire time TO baby
cases. and one attends to the cases