The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-05-01
DEMONSTRATION in FORM. =: 4.
OF PLOT TO SLAY PUBLIC
MEN IS COUNTRY WIDE
National Organization for Public
Health Nursing

England and Canada alike propose
as one of the first steps in their re-
construction programs the appoint
ment of ministers of health.
In this county, though the U. S.
Public Health Service is making an
effort to continue certain phases of
its cantonment and extra-cantonment
work carried on during the war, there
is no concerted effort on the part of
the government to put into effect q
constructive health pcogram.
There is, however, a movement on
the part of local communities
throughout the country to take this
matter into their own hands and per-
feet measures for the protection of
the health of the people. 1t is note
worthy that these local measures en-
phasize the most democratic Of all
health agents--the public health
nurse-and look to the improvemo t
Of the health of the great mass of
the people. 1t is recognized that
only through the services OF the pub
lie health nurse can health program
be made to reach and benefit every
individual in the community.
States such as Wisconsin and S,uti1
Dakota, Michigan and New Hamp-
shire, in the legislatures of which
bills have just been introduced pro-
viding for county nurses, and cities
such as Rochester, Pittsburgh, In
dianapolis, Cincinnati, Los Angeles,
and many others, which are endeavor-
ing to coordinate and increase their
nursing service so that it may be
available to all citizens, are striking
at the very roots of poverty and
social discomfort. According to sta
tistics of the Charity Organization
Society, rs per cent of the people ap-
plying for relief are forced to do so
because of sickness.
The public health nursing move
ment has passed the experimental
stage. 1t has proved that it can save
thousands of lives and thousands of
dollars. "If there is not a public
health nurse in a community, one fact
is certain: babies and grown people
alike are dying unnecessarily and
hundreds of people suffering from
preventable illness" Such is the
statement of Prof. C. E. A. Winslow |
of Yale, while without exception the
heads of the great government de-
partments are urging the employment
of more nurses-Julia Lathrop for
the Children's Bureau, Secretary Will
son for the industrial forces, Surgeon
General Rupert Blue for the U. S.
Public Health Service.
To provide an adequate number of
nurses to fill the present need, the
National Organization for Public
Health Nursing, of which Miss Ella
Phillips Crandall is executive secre
tary and whose offices are at 1856 i
Fifth Avenue, New York, is raising a
scholarship fund of $150,000 to en-
able graduate nurses, especially re-
turning war nurses and members of
the senior classes of training schools
who had pledged themselves to wsr
work, to take additional training in
public health work. Half of this
fund is already in hand, $4,000 hav-
ing been contributed by the Red
Cross at the request of the National
Organization and $4,000, given an
and reserved for women
desiring to equip themselves as teach
ers and executives in public health |
work.
The National Organization stands
ready to aid, not only nurses who de-
sire to take up public health work,
but communities that wish to secure
the services of nurse or information |
OF advice concerning the development /
of a public health nursing system.