The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1919-09-13
NURSES LAUNCH
CAMP AICN FOR
BETTER HEALTH
Address Chautaugua Gatherings,
Urging Communities to F ght
Disease and InSanitation.

The American Red Cross is now fair
ly launched on the first phase of n
of its biggest peace time activities,
that of raising health standards in this
country. Through twenty-seven cir
cults of the Chautauqua it is reaching
thousands of people daily, people from
the most remote villages as well as
from large cities.
When the war ended and attention
could be diverted to other issues, the
American Red Cross planned a great
national public health campaign, n
that would carry a vital message.
Measures to awaken the public to
greater cooperation in health mat
ters were felt to be imperative in view
of the large percentage of physically
unfit reflections made by the U. S.
Army, the high death rate and the
alarming ease with which an epidemic
such as the Stu could sweep the
country.
In view of its emergency achieve
ments during the war the American
Red Cross was sure that it could sue
cessfully put across" ever so huge a
proposition. But the combat against
disease and ignorance could not be
fought by a few trained specialists.
There can be no public health or real
Community" work unless each in
dividual is interested.
To Conduct "FolIow Up" Work.
From its ranks of nurses twenty-sev-
en- capable young women were select
ed. All of them had battled with death
in the hospitals of France and had
gained a new vision as a result of
their overseas work. In less than a
month they were trained for public
speaking and sent u to make adj
dresses from the platforms of. the
Chautauqua.
Almost every day the twenty-seven
Red Cross nurses address large audi
ences. But they do more thar the
mere making of speeches. Between
meetings they are discussing the local
situation with the officials of the
health board and other existing health
promoting organizations.
AS a result of this pioneer work all
over the country the way is being
cleared for the next phase of the Red
Cross national health programme
follow up work in every community.
Visiting nurses are to be sent where
needed to cooperate with existing or
CARNATIONS, public health nursing
classes are to be carried even unto the
most isolated farming sections. and
the much needed health information
is to be made easily available to ev-
eryone. In conjunction with this work
will, Of course, be community santa
ton.
The Red Cross national health pro-
gram means not only healthier bodies
and longer lives, but it means cleaner
houses, cleaner yards, cleaner streets
and consequently cleaner cities. 1t
means the doing away with out of
date and harmful methods of living
and the substitution of what science
has found to be best for the human
race. 1t means the proper kind of
food it means plenty of light and air.
After the turmoil of war, with its
chaos. of home and Industrial life, it
is n of the very important things
needed to restore national peace of
mind. With a high plane of national
health, backed by well ordered home
conditions, the entire morale of the
country becomes elevated at once. Boil
shevism can have no terrors 10 a land
where people are educated up 70 TAX
ing the best Of care of themselves. An
efficient, smoothly working health or
ganization in every town with a full
complement of visiting nurses would
be a great asset to the nation.