The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-13
Visiting Nurse work Praised:

Boy,
VISITING Nurse Work Praised.
The board of directors Of the Vlslt"
ing Nurse association, the Baby wei
fare league and the visiting nurses
were guests of Mrs. Eugene S. Baker
at parlor meeting yesterday AFTER
| noon at four o'clock at which DE-.
Grace Meigs of the childrens bureau
| at Washington, D. c., made an al
dress. Thirty were present at the
meeting. Following DR.. Meigs' talk.
afternoon tea was served by Mrs.
Baker, assisted by her daughter Mrs.
E. Ross Baker and Mrs. Myrtle F
Baker. Mrs. G. NJ. Rich, president
! Of the Visiting Nurse association.
presided and introduced Dr. Meigs
The theme of the afternoons talk
was that any service which con-
serves human life at home is dis
tinct patriotic service and is so con-
! sidered not only by our own govern
ment, but is so considered by all the
nations engaged in the war. Now
as never before, our government al
cur people appreciate the value of
the life of a baby. Statistics show
that one-f1fth of all the deaths il
this country are of babies under one
fyear. The two great causes of infant
mortality are poverty and ignorance
To solve the problem of poverty is
a very great undertaking and has
seemed almost hopeless of solution.
The problem of ignorance is one that
can be overcome in a community.
Work undertaken to educate mothers
in the care Of their babies and others to
; conserve human life brings almost
one hundred percent returns, because
mothers are always anxious to do
what is best for their babies. The
most efficient means of saving the
lives of babies and of educating
mothers in their care Is the visiting
nurse. Their value in a community
is inestimable. The next agency in
Importance in cities is the infant
welfare station. This agency is not
. practicable in smaller towns and
rural communities and other means
Of education must be taken such as
the work of the Little Mothers
league. In these leagues classes of
girls in the grammar and high school
grades are taught by practical dem
onstration how to take care of babies.
Classes for instruction of the moth
ers themselves are held in some
places. The care Of baby is a
science and it is no longer held that a
mother knows by instinct that is best
for her baby. In this infant welfare
work the English government has
districted the country and placed a
visiting nurse in every district in the
interest Of saving the lives of babies.
In Germany since the beginning of
the war the milk supply has been
guarded for the feeding Of the little
children. Germany has always been
notably careful of child life in its
own empire. Here in America the
lives of babies are jeopardized just
now because Of the very high price
of milk. The supply Is sufficient,
but the price is exhorbitant From
all these facts you are to draw the
lesson that no work is more impor-
tant now than public health work.
Dr. Meigs asked Miss Brown, one
. of the visiting nurses, to tell of the
infant welfare work here. There are
on the records of the V. N. A. here
three hundred children who are kept
under the supervision Of the nurses.
> Those under two years of age are
visited every month by the nurses to
note their health condition. Last
year 1000 such visits were made.
: Last year not a single baby 6i.sd as
a result of illness, two babies, how.
ever, died from accident, one was
| drowned and the other died from
burns. This year two have died, one
from pneum onia and one from bowel
trouble. There have been three years
in the association in which there
, were no deaths among the babies.
: All this speaks volumes for the work
, done in Keokuk by the visiting
nurses
Berean Class Meeting.
The Berean Bible class of the
' First Westminster Presbyterian
8 church will be entertained on Satur.
; day afternoon by Mrs. Charles H
) Dodge, 514 Concert street. Mrs. Lula
D Laws will assist as hostess.
Entertained at Dinner.
Mr.. and Mrs G. M. Rich entertain
ed at beautifully appointed dinner
G last night in honor Of Lieutenant anC
s Mrs. Frazier Arnold Covers were