The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-10-24
SMALL PATIENTS
AT FREE CLINIC
A Peep at the Work of the
" Nurses at the Dis
pensary
! KIDS ARE RESPONSIVE
Anxious to Cooperate With
Doctors in Efforts to
Gain Health

UNext." called the nurse and Iona
,,snned forth and took the thermom-
..,r from her mouth. My lungs
S,S hurt right here, but today they
s.S very good. ! haven't coughed
.,nch since yesterday" she said to
,be doctor. II was little Iona who
sas be,n treated for T. b. for three
n,onfhs in the open-air school that
~ beirg supported by the Tubercu-
I,sis association here. 4
81 like to go to- the opcn-air
.,bool We have between meals
nat are so good. Sometimes we
nave hot chocolate and crackers,
nd sometimes we have soup. i have
ID drink quart of milk every day
and sometimes l cant quite do it,
I don't like it. but II Is good for me
So | do. Some OF the little boys
have patches on their pants, so |
guess they are poor. but they get
medicine anyway. l am about
we'll"
Iona is ten years old and has been
in the open-air school since school
started this year. She was at the
clinic Friday and seemed quite well
pleascd that she had gained ten
uOunuN W ANUAll NIit ltiEl Aoti
The way she holds the thermometer
IN her patient little mouth shows a
knowledge of things medical that
s not possessed by many children.
Experience has taught her.
EDWARD comes next in the exam
ming room and while he sits SOL
emnly and stares at the floor. re-
peating slowly and in time with the
Doctors tapping the words ninety
nine, there goes through the room
the sound of the duh thudding that
tells II Edward has improved any
since the last clinic. with a short
! white cape thrown over his should
ders he attempts to sit erect as the
doctor admonishes him TO "sit
straight you rascal, or well put
braces on you" And he grins at
he remark for he has been there
before and the way he says ninety
nine" SO monotonously tells a story
that means weeks and months ana
even years of patience and faith In
the treatment he receives at the dis
pensary.
Melvin is older than the other
children and the dignified and busl-
ness-like way in which he accepts
the work of the nurses is as eloquent
AS the childish confidence of the
| younger patients. Melvin Is about
Is years old and has been treated
for two years. In his appearance
here is no sign of the dread dis
ease that has taken hold OF him. He
tall. with black eyes. and a back
ward fling to his hair that makes
one think OF outdoor sports and ath-
etes and popular young fellows
With manners that are clever, dig
ni'ied and spirited.
A young married man Is being
heIped out Of tight place while he
receives medical treatment and sup
ports his family, a young wife and
baby that is learning TO talk to
daddy The sl25 that he earns
as living wage IL not enough to
pay doctors bills and he strives to
Keep appearances as near normal as
possible Perhaps I've gained a
pound today. feel as spry as a
VhHd. he calls gaily as he leaves
"e clinic and hurries of to his work.
All OF these patients are well on
ule road to recovery. Next week
mere Will be a report OF those who
%e as yet In the most advanced
S4seS' The field work of the nurses
most Interesting and brings TO
"sht many incidents that would re-
.aih covered through false pride
"a ignorance as to the proper
se or action 10 follow TO secure
Hee medical aid.