The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-12-12
HISTORY OF THE CLINICS
REPORT BY HEALTH
ASSOCIATION
Troubles and the Ills Discovered
In Those Who Were
Examined

Dr.. Christianson, child clinic: Or
the thirty one cases in which his.
tories were taken there was one
goitre, four enlarged gland cases,
three cases of diseased tonsils, two
of adenolds, one eczema, one tongue
sc. one muscular dystrophy, one re.
movable birthmark. The remaining
fourteen cases were negative or
SIMPLY malnutrite. Dr. Marcley's clinic
shows:
easpected cases of tuberculosis,
fourteen.
Bronchitis, two.
Diseased threats, three. .ar
Enlarged glands, one.
Infiamed bronchial glands, one.
Nose trouble, one.
Ear trouble, one.
Enlarged tonsils, one.
Frank tuberculosis four.
Thirty two cases showed serious
trouble, and the remaining seventeen
examined were negative.
~ Card dental clinic:
Forty-n nine examined, all had
de,e, ot teeth or injected mouthes.
These histories will be forwarded
to the headquarters OF the associa-
ton where they will be copied in
triplicate, one will be retained at that
office and two returned TO the counr
~ association, one of which will be
kept on file there and the other put
at the disposal Of the patient for the
use of his physician.
At the meeting of the executive
board of the Blue Earth County
Health association, very important
question was asked by one of the
men.bers-cne that really should be
answered for the whole county. 1t
was this when the. clinic is over
and the cases are all diagnosed, what
good is it going to do the patient,
especially in these cases where the
father is perhaps earning just enough
to live on, and is not able TO take
perhaps four or five children to the
dentist or one or two to the doctor?
To answer that question we viii di-
vide the patients attending the clinic
into three classes: Those who have
family physicians. those who have
not hut are able to have if they
wished, and those whose means VIII
not allow them TO have physician.
The first class profit in the advice
of a specialist, or better still the con-
sultation with their own physician,
if he accompany them to the. clinic.
The advice of notable specialist is
a privilege that people are willing to
pay $50 or $500 for when they are
able to afford it.
The second class will be stirred up
/ to a sense of their danger by the adj
vice received at the clinic, and Will
see the necessity of attending TO
their health and presenting them
selves to physician, besides they
will have the findings of the special
list to assist the physician in his stu
dy of their case. @s7.
The last class who have not the
means to procure a physician must
have the necessary attention. Ii is
not the intention of Blue Earth
County which likes to be described
as one of the richest and most fer
tile counties in the beautiful state of
Minnesota" that any of her people
should suffer for want OF means.
The Health association has no inten-
ton of trying to pauperize the lndl-
yidual, but it will bend its whole en-
ergy to the procuring of proper medl .
cal assistance to those who are no.
able TO get il for themselves. This Is
no empty boast on the part OF the
association, for we know well that
without money and without prices we
can call on hours and hours of the
time of the physicians of the county,
and even of the dentists whose time
* more basis of their income than
the physicians.
The only thing that the physicians
and dentists ask, is that there would
be some consideration about COMING
at the busiest hours of the day. anu
the dentists take little exception TO
being called on for gold filings free.
The amount of work that is being
done free by the doctors and den
ktists not only in this county but an
over the state. would astonish the
PEOPLE who think they have done Wen
when they have given few hours OF
their time or a few dollars for The
public health.
The question will undoubtedly be
raised as to how the children who
rassed through tlle clinic can be Kept
in touch with and persuaded to fol-
low the advice given. Blue Earth
county has at present one county
nurse who is doing school work
among the children, one city nurse
who is doing visiting and bedside
nursing in Mankato and one social
service worker who are employed
and whose services are paid for by
the Red Cross from funds left over
at the close of the war, these health
workers have full access to the his
tories of the clinical cases, WHICH
viii be of the greatest service ~
them in their work, and we hope 10
receive their fail operation ac-
cording TO the contract entered into
between the Red Cross and the state
Public Health association. Another
source of aid to the association Is
the clinic which has been establish.
cd in Mankato by some of our local
doctors who are giving special atten-
tion to children's diseases. ~
This clinic Is held regularly IN me
Red Cross rooms the second and
fourth Wednesday of the month"; ana
TO follow. up work gives a fine open
inc to the visiting nurse for her-work
in the family. Besides the Red
Cross there is Child Welfare board
which is doing good work in town
and county. and to them the records
of the public health association Is