Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-14
VISITING NURSE
HOLDS MEETING
Charitable Organization Does
Much Good Among the
City's Sick

The annual meeting of the Visiting
Nurses Association of Harrisburg,
was held yesterday at the Home, 1901
Front street, prime object of the
gathering being to acquaint the gen.
eral public with the nature of this
benevolent work and to solicit it's
continued aid. To this end Mrs. Har-
vey Smith, secretary of the board of
directors, submitted a report giving
certain precise details concerning the
associations activities.
"It is our business to nurse the
sick" Mrs. Smith emphasized. I'VE
are not charitable organization, a
dispenser of bounty. We know the
relative value of prevention and cure
and we are beginning to investigate
causes with such great results that
we gladly cooperate with the Civic
Club in waging war on flies and in
improving housing conditions; with
the Pure Milk Society in furnishing
milk and ice to babies in summer;
with the Associated Aids; with the
Sunshine Society, the Board of
Health and any and all agencies that
are working for the annihilation of
the ills of humanity" Mrs. Smith
gave high praise to Mrs. A. P. l..
Dull, founder of the association, to
Mrs. Lyman d. Gilbert, Mrs. J. v.
Rynders and to Miss Mary Miller, the
superintendent.
Miss Miller herself then gave a
definite statement of just what the
nc IN nj IfcI, -, Los CT
year. She related:
During the year there were LAY
new patients, S,617 nursing visits, 935
visits for investigation, 1,144 social
service visits, 17S instructive visits,
593 child welfare visits, 249 visits to
hospital and 5 visits to county house
were made, making a total of IL, ,731
visits.
"If we could but briefly describe
the work of the society from its rec
ords for the past year, we would note
the many sided work of the visiting
nurse in carrying out the objects of
the society in nursing the sick and
giving instruction in simple methods
of nursing and hygiene.
Just a glimpse of some of the
kinds of visits
"(a) Hungarian family. Mother
and baby sick. Baby five weeks old
fretful, emaciated, bowels in bad
condition, vomiting frequently. Nurse
gave saline treatment, modified milk.
Gave instructions for care. Baby
gained rapidly. Is now normal.
Nursed the mother to health. Family
responsive and eager to learn proper
living conditions in this country.
"(b) Tubercular home with bad
housing conditions. Mother q uremic
epileptic, placed in hospital during
confinement. Baby weighed four
pounds. On return, from the hospital,
Visiting Nurse Association supplied
clothing, Mellin's food, castor oil.
Pure Milk Society supplied one pint
of milk daily. Baby still under our
care. A marked improvement in
weight.
"One boy aged seven years was
taken from the home and placed on
farm for two months.
"(c) A mother suffering from ver-
nereal disease, had seven miscar-
riages during the fifth and sixth
months. Syphilitic cases are most diff
| ficult to manage. The new clinic for
vernereal diseases in the Harrisburg
Hospital will supply an urgent need
Here Wasserman tests will be made
The nurses will see that patients re-
port to the hospital regularly. This
will help greatly in preventing in
| fant blindness.
Another advance movement in
prenatal work is provided for by The
Metropolitan Insurance Company
The cases are reported by theiI
agents and are followed up by the
nurses, with friendly advice and in
struction in diet, personal care, prop
er exercise and hygiene"
LAS we come to the close of the
year we are brought face to face
with conditions more serious than
! have ever existed, in the worlds his
| tory. What is our part as the Visit
| ing Nurse Association in helping to
solve the problems created by the
war? The problems are not new
ones, but old problems increased and
multiplied which must De met with
better directed work than ever if
we would at least maintain, if not
raise, the standard or public health
now and after the war. The home,
the strength of the nation, is our
base for work. The visiting nurse
must be ready to do much preventive
work, through instructive visits.
1.-THE prevalence of tuberculosis in
the Army and the increase which II
will bring back to the homes should
be met with more Vigilant and more
|
stant instruction and emphasis in
the care and control of tuberculosis
must be given. We must not relax
| but increase our efforts.
| "Public attention must be aroused
to these needs"
After an explanation by Mrs. T.
| H. Gross of how the association is
supported, Miss Mamie ]. Gross
treasurer, read the following report:
Balance on hand November L
1916, $472.64; cash from contribu-
tors, $3,844.39; cash from pay pa
tients. $725.25; cash from Metro.
$1.629.50; board from nurses. ST.
O5S.40; registration of nurses, SO;
Puro Milk Society. 1919; total, S.
0C2.1S.
| Expenditures-Sal $4,158.61;
rent for Nurses home, $40; tele-
phones, $73.27; car tickets, S240;
printing and office supplies. $73.7S;
repairs and furniture, $107.8I; dry
| coods. nurses cloaks and hats
$23.15; household and general en-
penses, S2,072.43; Pure Milk Society
/ S2O4: total. s7,59S.11. Balance or
hand November /, 1917, $+59.07
LIN ergency fund and Interest. ST.
/ 0S1.1F.
( Mrs. John e. Fox. of the Pure
Milk Society, then gave an account
of the great work done by this chSr-
ity, telling the number of babies
supplied at the two milk stations and
concluding with plea that city and
county appropriate money to help in
| this most essential charity.
The Girls Aid Society. represented
b., Miss Julia Stamm, which Is com
posed of thirty-hve girls of prom
inent families. needs about $500 tc