St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-09-06
Edward A. Moree gives Interesting
Addre,s on Work of the Red
Cross In Other Sections of
Country
FOR A PUBLIC NURSE
Estimates Cost Would Be Between
$1,000 and $500 a Year-Speaks of
Wonderful Country Here But
Sees Too Many Faces With
Signs of Degeneracy.

Edward A. Moree spoke on the
I work of the Red Cross society at the
September meeting of the St. Johns
bury Woman's club at Pythian hall,
! Monday afternoon. The attendance
was good considering the rainy
weather. The president Mrs. Helen
l.. Stone, was in the chair and Miss
| Margaret Robie acted as secretary
pro tenn. The secretary's reports of
! the July and August meetings were
read and approved.
The names of two new members
were presented, Mrs. Beatrice Davis
and Mrs. c. H. Downing. Appropria-
| tions of $25 to the history and liter
ature committee, SIS to the hospital
committee for supplies, SIS to the Ii
brary committee and $40 to the ed
ucatio ncommittee were voted by the
| executive board. The music for the
afternoon consisted of two vocal solos
by Mrs. Ida P. Brooks, with Mrs
Brough as accompanist
The program for the afternoon was
| arranged by the home economics
committee, Mrs. Carrie Kicker, chair
man, and consisted of the talk on the
work of the Red Cross society by Mr.
Moree, director of the Atlantic divis-
ion of the society He said the work
of the society is in two departments,
for military relief and for civilian re-
lief. The American Red Cross was
the first to take up the work for civ
ilian relief by preparing the public to
meet the emerg ency of disaster in the
home. This work is done by giving
instruction in the elementary princi-
pies of the care of disease. Public
health nursing has become a very i'm
portant part of the Red Cross work
This nursing is of two kinds, by the
trained nurse and by the mother or
some other member of the family
Glasses are organized and taught by
the nurse using the text books issued |
by the society. Certificates of pro-
ficiency are given to those complet-
ing the course and only those who |
have completed such a course may
become nurses aids. Anyone who |
has completed such a course ought to |
know how to act with knowledge in
any emergency in the home and do
the simple things necessary to prevent
spread of disease. These classes are
held in the large cities but can be
held anywhere at a reasonable cost
The public health nurse differs
from the visiting nurse in that she
does not care for the sick so much as
tell others what to do, and instruct /
the family in some of the details OF
nursing. In some New York cities
an actual decrease in the death rate
has come with the employment of
public health nurse. This work is
being carried on successfully in the
ruraP districts of IT states. The So
ciety hopes to have 10 times as many
nurses as are now working in the re-
mote districts.
Mr.. Moree spoke of the beautiful
ride he had taken Monday morning
to the White Mountains and referred
to this as ''the most beautiful part of
America" but said he saw too many
faces with marks of degeneracy and
low mentality. too many wells dan
gerously near the pig pen, and other
evidences of faulty or criminal san
itary arrangements. The public
health nurse can do much to helpi
such conditions as these. At the close
Of his talk Mr.. Moree answered ques-
tions regarding the formation of a
branch of the Red Cross in st. Johns
bury and the steps necessary to hav-
ing classes for training of nurses aids
here. The expense of supporting q
public health rurse would be from
$1,000 to $500 a year.
The report Of the treasurer, Mrs .
Charlotte K. Moore, showed a total
Of $222.04 in the general fund in the
treasury. Reports of the meeting of
the State Federation at White River
Junction last June were given by Mrs.
Emma s. p. Cheney, Mrs Sarah r. .
Hovey and Miss Florence May. Miss
Alice Wilcox told of the playground ,
work carried on under the direction
h. 11,x1
Summer street and SummerviIIe
schools. She praised the devotion of '
he workers and the loyalty Of the ,
title folks. At Summer street an
electric light in the center of the
ground is much needed and the work ]
showed the need of physical culture ]