Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-08

uary to December l, 1916 They NAV hs
summarized as follows:
From Patron and Life Member
ship dues ............. $9l,7Sllo
From Sustaining and Annual
Membership dues .............. l74S,S
Total .......................... s2ssS54.Ss
Dues collected by Chapters but not Yer
received by the National Treasurer:
Patron and Life Membership. sl142SV
Sustaining and Annual Member
ship ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. l5SS,.5s
Total Observation-Disclosures. s9s,7s2@
GRAND TOTAL
From Patron and Life Member
ships ........................ slO31sslt
From Sustaining and Annual
Memberships ................. l&.go7s
Grand total from all classes of
membership in the II months
ending December l, 1916. s293 1855
1t is needless to say that this very
gratifying result of the years effort in
building up the membership is due in
chief measure to the splendid cooperation
of the Red Cross Chapters and of the
efficient leadership of able and public.
spirited men and women. whose arduous
: services were freely given. The financial
resources of the Red Cross would have
been totally inadequate to have purchased
this generous assistance. which has been
given without thought OF compensation.
This service of the Red Cross lacks the
dramatic appeal which is a marked fea-
ture of the emergency relief of the Red
Cross. The contrast may he well illus
trated by quoting the words Of Mr.
John c. Andrews. who said: 1T is more
difficult to dramatic the gradual lower.
ing of vitality Of one-half million men
than the accidental snuffing out of the
lives of half hundred"
The work of our Town and Country
Nursing has, however. shown steady,
though not spectacular. growth during the
past year. 1t is to be remembered that
this service consists of two well-detined
parts First, the educational effort which
is necessary to convince community
that visiting nurse is worth while and
Of sufficient importance to justify the as
sumption of a considerable burden OF Ia
Dor and expense, and second. to provide
a nurse when the community is ready FOR
one, and to properly supervise her WORK
thereafter.
From the beginning of this service great
difficulty has been experienced in supply
ing nurses to meet the demand. difticul-
ty which we have not been fully able to
overcome. 1t is a fact. which may not be
generally understood that while tho
United States has a very large BODY OF
highly-traned and efficient nurses, the
number who have the educational equip
ment and experience to enable them TO
give efficient service in small town or
rural community, where they must De-
come instructors and advisors In SANTA
ton in disease prevention, and in many
lines of social work not a part OF the
usual education of nurse. is very smaN
indeed The difficulties of maintaining
and expanding the Town and Country
Nursing Service of the Fed cross are,
therefore. twofold, the first having 10 40
with the education of communities, me
second with the securing of properly
equipped nurses. These obstacles. ana
especially the latter. explain the SLOW dc.
HI IVAN 10 NJ n
Red Cross activity. Our nurses must not
only be familiar with the care OF those
suffering from Illness. but must UNDER
stand the relation of disease to the econ
omic and social status of the family must
have in mind the prevention OF epidenics'
the reduction of the death rate of baples'
and the relation which exists between
health and such commonplace matters as
cleaner homes better heated ana Neh,,
lated schoolhouses, clean streets ana az
leys, proper drainage, pure water, Whoe'
some foods, etc
In the past year. Miss Clement, Superln-
tendent of the Town and Country Nursing
Service has been in correspondence Win
163 communities, an increase of 81 over
the preceding year. TWenty-three y.
these communities have reached the point
at which they definitely request to nave
Red Cross nurses sent to them. In three
instances it has been impossible to pro-
vide nurses when wanted, for the reason
above given. Eight communities nav
given up their nurses for varying reasons,
On December /, 1915, &C Red Cross nurses
were at work, in q states, an increase VI
% during the past year.
The work of these nurses is carried on
in accordance with regulations estaphspea
by the Red Cross. Regular reports arc
required from all nurses, and supervisory
visits are made to them as often as hee'
essary. .,
In order to obtain such nurses as TINS
service requires. it has been necessary u
establish special courses of instructor
covering such matters of educauonal
preparation as are not included IN the
ordinary curricula of training schools lot
nurses. Special courses of four and eigh'
months have been established IN nun,
Der Of educational institutions in SEVERN
parts of the country, and the Red cross
maintains a small loan fund. by means VI
which it is possible for us to assist se
lected nurses in obtaining the addlloha.
instruction necessary to equip them VI
our service. Seventeen nurses dutlns
the past year have entered upon, thesr
special courses with a view to preparing
themselves to take up the Town anu
Country Nursing work. ..,.
AS a means Of arousing interest In lhis
work on the part of the public. an actNe
propaganda has been carried on wlthou'
cessation. In addition to many lectures,
talks, and the dissemination OF prlh'ept
matter, portable exhibit, consisting VI
cabinets portraying the activities OF
public health nurse by charts and mode,s'
trunk containing thirteen frames w.
pcting the visiting nurse on her rounu 10 VI
duties. a set of lantern slides, ana W.
motion picture films of two reels escn'
have been in almost continuous use our
ing the year.
During the year the Red Cross Nisitlns
Nurses have recorded 1926 cases rece'v,
ing nursing care, and total number .!
112. 1886 visits. A complete report OF tl.e
years work, prepared by Miss Clement
appears elsewhere in this publication. Il,
377. Relief Of Disastsrs-In view Q.
the heavy demands of war Keller upV...
this department during the past year, an .
has been most fortunate that our OWL
country has been free from disasters u
the first magnitude In fact. the yea yea
has been marked by very few disaster
sistance. ,e
37s. Haiti-Early in the year 1917
great restitution. accompanied by III
stances of actual starvation. was Re-
ported among the people of Haiti o.
the officers of the United States Navy
on duty in that country. These coma.
lions arose largely from the interrup,
ton Of normal Nfe by political unrest.
and the overturning OF the government
by revolutionary activities. Coopera.a
ing with the Navy Department. the KEY
Cross provided funds for the feeding o.
the most needy of the population ana
for the hospital care Of many who were
suffering from disease. This work was
terminated in April, and it was hope.
that any additional relief needed mignn..
be provided through local sources. ~
Is now reported, however, that the neeo