The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-15
GOOD SAMAR|TANS
IN EPIDEMIC DAYS
Instructive Visiting Nurses Story OF
Epidemic In Supcrintcndent's Re-
Poft-Thank Many Helpers

Instructive Visiting Nurses Story OF
Epidemic In Superintendent Re-
Pott-Ihank Many Helpers
The following report Of the super
fntendent of the Instructive Visiting
Nurses. association gives vivid pic
ture Of the situation met by the nur
ses during the Influenza epidemic in
the month OF October:
Report for October 1918
st is hard to realize that only one
short month has passed since our last
meeting for so much was crowded in
to those days that make them seem
like a nightmare, re. there was much
that WAS wonderful. For instance, the
cooperation which made every one
eager to do what he could to help,
be it little or much. and without
which the work that was accomplish
plished could never have been done.
You know the story Of the soup kit
chens and how they grew from the
very small group who were present
at the last meeting. but you cannot
know the gratitude and appreciation
that was in the hearts OF most of the
recipients, who had really suff cred for
nourishment before they began. A
North Carolina work men came few
thSS hSo W ste 3oilc Oh Ine II III SEES
to express his thanKe for what had
been done for him ana his family.
They had only been in Richmond
| three weeks and their impression had
been that Virginians were ''aristocrat-
ic," as he expressed it, and indiffer-
ent, and he did not like them, neither
had he ever liked the Catholics, but
his whole family became Ill and went
to the John Marshall High school !;
h. 81 Hu& ~
such tender care he can never forget.
When ha left some one sent the Wis
!. dting nurse TO hts home !. and soup
until they were Inle to eat other
things. land now" ne said, Il think
the Firginians and the Catholics are
| the finest people ever and ] thank
God l was in Richmond"
For many days our office was a
nightmare for from carly In the morn
ing until late at night we sat at the
telephone with the receiver rarely out
OF our hands listening to heart-rend
ing stories and appeals for aid to
which We could so inadeQuate1y res
pond. AZ you know with the scarcity
g. Of deetots our phone number was CIV
en- as the place to rall for advice and
everything One OF the requests that
came from the emergency hospital
was for mourning for family the
gentlemen making the request saying
/ the lady wore a thirty EIGHT waist
Z which he hoped we could furnish For
about two weeks we were receiving
between 1870 and ESQ new calls day
and the nurses were making between
a5o and 500 visits. The original plan
had been that the board of health
nurses and ours should combine, but
several OF their nurse were sick and
the need at the John Marshall was
80 great the vaailablc ones were de-
tailed there, and so it developed upon
our stan to do most of ii. The spirit
, OF the nurses was so fine you can not
be too proud OF them. Weary and
heart sick over the terrible conditions
they could do SO little to alleviate they
worked on with no regard to hours
or self, always ready to do what war
asked of them without word of com
plant until at last seven went down
at the same time. then came the help
j from outside, the dispensary released
Miss Black, Miss Roller gave her off
hours from the Juvenile court two
married nurses and two school nurses
one pupil nurse from Johnston Willis
hospital. two volunteers who were not
nurses. but could take mperatures
and two undergraduates. one % whom
became HI III a few days, however
and two Sisters from st. Josephs. The
school of social work and public
health had opened and six of their
nurses volunteered to help and die
splendid work for two weeks. work
ing every day and Sunday too. With
out this outside help ] do not know
what we should have done, for twelve
of our staff finally vent under. For.
( lunately mono We're very i'll, though
they were left very nrostrated but be.
fore they returned to duty people had
begun to send their cars. thus saving
the nurses strength and also enabling
them to reach more people. Miss
Moulton took charge OF that part, and
no small Job was 1t TO engineed those
automobiles morning and afternoon
We needed at least twelve of them
each time People were kindly how
ever, and many came again and again
Two business men practically lief,
their offices and camc every day, say
ing they felt II was just as much their
fight AZ the nurses. The work i'm the
must be recorded. especially the Me-
tropolitan which meant so much re-
venue TO the association For DAYS
between $50 and ESQ new histories
were written UP and along with all
the rest OF II the replies 10 the annu-
al letters were coming In and had Ia
be entered and acknowledged as far
as possible. Here Miss Stevens step
ped in and helped tremendously both
in the office and by taking cards home
to acknowledge the subscriptions II
WAS surely the psychological moment
for those letters, and the responses
were generous and hearty.
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