Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-11-20

charge of the Child Welfare Com
mittee are a direct result of the agi-
tation for creating model sanitary
conditions in Harrisburg originally
tostered by Col. Edward Martin,
head of the State Health Commis-
sion, and later taken up by the Har-
risburg Chamber of Commerce.
b The Child Welfare Committee is
composed of representatives of var
ious women's welfare organizations,
and Mrs. Lyman d. Gilbert is chair
man. The centers are a result of the
survey conducted by this committee
to determine the need for free
medical advice and assistance in the
centers where conditions are con-
gested and in some cases unsanitary.
A visit to the health centers dis
closed the large amount of work
being. conducted in behalf of the
children of Harrisburg. The efforts
of those i'm charge are directed not
only in behalf of sickly and unwell
children, but toward the safeguard
ing of the health and lives of normal
children also.
Mothers are taught the need for
proper nutrition, and the nurses in
charge of the centers make personal
visits to the homes where physicians
have prescribed milk formulaes for
proper nourishment and instruct the
mothers in the preparation of such
formulaes. The nurses are at the
service of mothers and children in
any part of the city, and physicians
coming in contact with cases where
the nurses can be of assistance in the
nutrition and care of infants and
children have been urged to avail
themselves of the free service offered
10 HnnlOV
child welfare centers.
Two hundred and SeVenty-hVe
persons during the month of October
requisitioned the service of the at
tendants at the health centers. When
Babies are brought to the centers,
the competent nurses weigh them
and carefully determine their phys
ical condition. Where they are
found to be under-nourished, the
mothers are instructed in the proper
care of their children. If necessary,
the committee aids in providing milk
for children whose parents are un-
able to provide the necessary articles
of sustenance.
The centers are open between 10
and II o'clock two mornings of each
week. Between those times, the
nurses make personal calls, dispens-
ing free advice and assistance to
those in need. The centers are at
OIL South Ninth street, 1913 Cameron
street, and the Penn School building.
Miss Olive NJ. Simons is in charge
of the Ninth street center, which is
open Monday and Thursday morn
ing, from 10 until IL o'clock. Miss
Margaret o. Williamson is in charge
of the Cameron street center, with
hours from 10 until -, on Tuesday
and Friday mornings. Miss William
son, also is in charge of the Penn
building center, which is open on
Saturday mornings, from 10 until l.
o'clock DR.. MacMullen is the
physician in charge of the medical
activities at the centers.
To stimulate interest among the
! parents and children in the centers
in which the health bureaus are To-
Gated, a series of prizes haya been
offered for distribution the first of
! the new year. Prizes will be dis
tributed to the children at each
health center who have the best
record for the number of times they
report at the health center. and
for those showing the most improve
ment as a result of the help dis
seminated there. Another series of
| prizes is for the mothers whose
| homes show the greatest improve
ment as a result of the advice re-
| ceiVed at the centers.