Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1919-08-09
4. R. c. NURSING WORK


effort to combat slowly, steadily and
persistently the uncomprehended dis
after Of preventable diseases, aid
Clara D. Noyes, Acting Director Cen
eral of the Department OF Nursing,
American Red Cross.
In her statement, Miss Noyes re-
views some of the needs Of America
for the services of the Red Cross in
her fight against these diseases, say
ing:
an the public mind the Red Cross
means disaster relief-a great national
energy capable Of mobilization on al
most an hours notice in time of dis
aster and catastrophe. Previous to
1914 this meant fire. food, coronado
and earthquake.
"The most tragic and the most cost
ly disaster which has ever faced the
United States, or the world, is pre-
ventable diseases. Like the poor. it is.
always with us; we have regarded it
with a Job-like patience. alternating
with despair. But we have done little
to fight it. With the coming of
peace, the Red Cross is joining in a
constructive effort to combat slowly,
steadily and. persistently this uncom-
pretended disaster until public health
organization and education have be-
come universal.
"The need for such activity is very
great $4,000 good American sold
iers have met battle deaths with the
American Expeditionary forces over
seas. Here at home 100000 babies
and young children have died. many
of whom might have been saved had
they received nursing and care and
possessed the strength which might
have been theirs before birth had their
mothers known how to safeguard
their own health The nations roll
of infant mortality is nine times as
long as its roll OF honor
'Preventab1e diseases claim many
American women. Sisteen thousand
mothers die every year giving birth
to babies. Perhaps no group of citi-
zens are more valuable or more nee
essary to the nation than these very
women. This is fundamental loss
to the nation as we'll as to the midi
vidual and community life.
Contagious diseases reap great
harvests of suffering, both on the part
OF the shild ndispnraesttof
of the child and its parents, and often
brings serious handicaps to future
vitality and strength. In spite of
antitoxin, diphtheia alone destroyed
$4,000 children last year.
"The condition OF the public health
is as grave among adults as among
children. The nation loses between
10000 and 100000 young men and
women in the prime of life from tuber
cufo}; These deaths. which are
a complete loss to the nation, are al
most preventable. Five hundred
thousand more are perhaps bedridden
all the time fom this one cause. We
nereal disease has become so grave
menace that the Federal Government
is launching nation wide publicity
campaign. through the medium OF
the motion pictures, to check it. The
influenza epidemic has world casu-
atty list of 100000 people. The
greatest war in history has no such
record as this.
The fact that this disaster is un-
necessary and largely preventable
makes it worth talking about and also
WORTH doing something about.
Medicine used to be concerned
principally i'll curing individual sick
people. 1t has taken on different
aspect, concerning itself with much en-
ergy in the social significance of dis
ease, and its prevention as we'll as
its cure. The treating OF disease has
become social rather than an indi-
vidual problem.
$50 successful is this application
of scientific public-health measures
that the cities have not only overcome
their handicap, but now are actually
safer places in which to live than is
the country. They have met and have
triumphed over the danger of con-
gested population, and are now out
distancing even the natural advan-
tages of the country.
1T is much more difficult to apply
scientific public health procedures in
the country than in the cities because
of the distances between homes.
public water, sewerage, and scavenger
systems are not feasible in the coun-
try. Nor is it easy to provide ade-
quate medical, hospital nursing and
public health facilities. The country,
trading on its natural advantages, has
Jagged behind in joining the modern
public health crusade.
"Our rural people, who constitute
more than one-half of the population
of the nation. are ready to make a
serious study of the health situation
in their localities, and to work out for