Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-17
Many Influenza Deaths
Were Due to Neglect
BY Frederic J. Haskin

now coming To An end, were due to neg
lect, and therefore proventsble. Especially
in the cities congesied by war tim ac-
tivity was this the case. In Washingtoht
whole families were found dead, al OF
them having the disease and none there-
fore able to take care OF the others
Not onlv were all the hospitals filled
IN oyorfow;nc. but those who had tho
money 10 employ nurses, were often un~
able Ia obtain them Many a case grew
steadily worse. passed into pneumonia
and resulted in death, while distracted
relatives vainly tried to obtain the skill
led nursing that might have prevented
the tragedy.
Then too. thousands of working folk
were unable to pay for both nurses and
doctors. With regular trained nurses at
$50 week and visiting nurses at dollar
and half an hour, only those of relatively
large earning capacity, and those who had
saved money are able TO employ nurses.
So the ''flu' took lives that might have
been spared and activities vital TO the
nation were paralyzed
GOOD WORK IN CAMPS.
But N the army and training camps,
not many deaths resulted from neglect If
anv The Surgeon Generals office had
gotten perfectly organized since its earlier
hospital bed and trained nursing ready for
every flu patient in the army.
Now the question has been raised,
Why should the government carefully pro-
vide for its soldiers TO prevent death by
neglect and to check the spread of the
disease, while leaving the civilian popula-
ton To struggle along the best It could
with the nursing and medical facilities
provided by private enterprise? For these
\ L 4. Il
pensive.
The government showed that IT did not
rev upon those unorgani5ed medical
and nursing facilities by placing the Eek
ira cantonmen ZoneS''-that Is the COM
munites about the training camps-in
charge of the Public Health Service. IL
then became the duty of the Public
Health Service TO maintain the health of
these communities at the very highest
level. so that they would not menace the
health of the soldiers.
One of the first moves of the Public
Health Service In the discharge Of this
duty was the provision OF public health
nurses for these zones. The duties OF
these nurses were not only To care for the
sick. but also 10 teach the rules Of health
and sanitation.
In Europe the public health nurse, has
come to play much larger part than IN
this country. Many persons believe that
this rise of the public health nurse is sure
TO continue-that care of health will be-
come more and more a function OF gov
ernment. This viewpoint Is typIcally
represented by the Nstiona Organization
for Public Health Nursing.
LESSONS FROM THE FAST.
In the war now being finished Saws
Miss Ella Phillips Crandall, executive
secretary OF the National Organisation
for Public Health Nursing, all the
agencies of health developed by former
wars have been utilized and improved. In
addition. the public health nurse has
come into play. In former wars methods
were devised for caring for thos G wh
took direct part In them. In this war it
has been recognized that a nations
fighters are its entire people. and that the
success OF armies IN the field is measured
bv the health and strength of the work
ers behind them. The Importance Of the
public health nurse healer and teacher Of
civilians, has been emphasized in the war
ring countries and in the rehabilitation
work so far undertaken"
Public health nursing WAS almost un-
known Id France and Italy and the other
countries of southern Europe before the
war, according to Miss Mary Gardner,
tion for Public Health Nursing, and now
head of the public health nursing division
Of the Red Cross tuberculosis Commission
To Italy Now, In the public health pro-
gram developed by the sir OF America
IN these countries, the public health nurse
plays vital part.
4 nursing service IN connection with
child welfare work, visitational and edu-
catlonal work among the tuberculous
travelling dispensaries and medical centers
IN the var zone, and 3 comprehensive
health center IN one of the departments,
are some OF the activities IN which the
public health nurse IN France has been
engaged during the war So important
has She been found in The building up of
The health Of France, that q school for
district nursing for French graduate
nurses. and another school for the train
ing OF French women In hospital and dis
trlct nursing have been recently opened In
Paris
ITALIAN NURSES BUsY-
h Italy. according TO q survey made IN
July, public health nurses are engaged in
helping 10 carry on - nurseries caring for
1900 children. 10 health centers caring
for S.046 children, and u adult health
centers, caring for an average OF 500 per
sons weekly.
In America, although the public health
nurse was at work before the war. war
conditions have greatly increased the de-
mand for her. the scarcity Of private
nurses has called attention 70 economy In
public health nursing from the point from
the number of persons cared for by one
nurse. The greater justice OF the more
general distribution OF nursing care, made
possible by public health nursing has be-
come q very obvious fact, during time
when only the very rich were able to Sc
cure nurse5 az all. Either as general Wis
iting or district nurse, as q school, in
dustrial, infant welfare, or tuberculosis
nurse, she visits sick people IN their homes,
ard gives them adequate care.
But more than this, she aims TO keep
them well. Health is her interest aud the
object OF her WORK. She becomes the
friend and advisor as well as the nurse
OF the people of her district They come to
her for advice about how 10 keep well
and she educates them in health methods,
doing all she can 10 build up d strong aud
vigorous community.
During the reconstruction period, ao-
cording to public health nursing authori-
ties, the public health nurse will be as
valuable as she has been during the war
Reconstruction problems, as well as
those of war, can be met successfully only
BY healthy people Our losses In war
- r,.aI1 - ~ ~. 81 o,.r AZ itIrox