The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-31
SOME. OF THE WORK DONE
FOR RICHMOND BY THE Nv. A.
MILLER & RHOADS.

ment. with whom there has always
been the closest cooperation.
In iaos a nurse was loaned 10 the
public schools. and kept there for
eight months until the city Sehoni
Board was ready TO take that work
over officially and establish regular
medical inspection with - corps nj
school nurses. 81
In 1sA@ when the need Ia snnsar.
Irohation officer Ia. tn Iuveniis
Court was being discussed, the girls
auxiliary Of this association paid tbs
salary for four month"; and the In
structive Visiting Nurses ASSOCIATIVE
loaned one Of its nurses, who i
shown special aptitude for IN wo Il,
to the court. with the re- that the
city took her over de lit y and has
kept her ever since.
The visiting nurse. by reason Of
her experience In the homes, seems
peculiarly fitted for all work of A. So
cial nature, and the calls along thess
lines are numerous. most OF them be-
ing turned over 10 the social worker Of
the Nurses Settlement. who WAS alsn
one Of the visiting nurses,
At the end OF the first year t1sa3l
3.l4S visits were paid 10 49, patients.
In 1916 al7s0 visits we're made TO
3,57s patients.
There are two nurses supported by
individuals as memorial
About four are supported he the
fees from the Metropolitan Life In
surance Company
One Is partially supported by ths
Council OF colored Women.
The appropriation OF tt.0ea from
the city pays for one, but for the
other Ave, with once expenses. ate.
the association lie dependent upon vof-
untary contributions.
The following L. story written
by one OF the nurses:
One dark rainy afternoon call
was sent in by one of the young city
physicians to 60 to very poor and
disreputahle part of the city to att
tend a child suffering with ophthsi-
mia,
The nurse received no answer 70
her repeated knocking, ans was
leaving. when a woman opened the
door and said child was sick In the
found one small room. in which q
family of father. mother and two
children slept, cooked and lived The
haby's eyes were swollei shut. and
TO make the poor baby more unhappy,
he had chicken-pox. The usual irri-
cation was done, hot congresses APP
piled until the baby was quiet and
tue tabSiiI HOW 10 give tbs
treatment. The father, the usual
drunkard had no work The mother did
washing, cleaning and anything she
could find 10 do to bring in a penny. I
The children were white and sickly.
kept in a damp basement room. with
as little air as one person should
have.
The mother was taught how to
protect her eyes and the other child's,
but with all the talking. the mothers
eye was infected. and another siege
of irrigating and applications was
gone into.
The time spent In the home WAS
used to give treatment and to make
friends and encourage the mother to
clean up and keep the children out
of doors.
There was no place to put the baby
and Older child, girl OF five years.
except a damp. dirty back yard. The
baby was wrapped up warm. q thick
cap put on its head and put in ~
child's high chair every day jIst OUT
side the door, where the mother could
see him while she did her work Al
platform was made OF old plank for,
the older child TO play on and help to-
amuse the baby. The mother and tfes
boy are both we'll, the air In, alloWe4
to get In, and the pink cheek OF the
baby is reward enough md the wilt
ingness OF the mother to try th1E
nurses plan.
Ths fsthsr ~ set rsftrmsd.