Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1920-01-04
HEALTH CONDITIONS
ONE OF D|v|S|ON's
GREATEST STUDIES

Cross, state Health Depart
ment and Anti Tuberculosis
Association.
Through the efforts of various
agencies in the state interested in the
improvement of health conditions a
bill was passed by the last Legislature
authorizing county commissioners to
appropriate funds for the employment
of county nurse or nurses. At Il, ST
there was no thought OF putting the
work under the extension division, but
the first counties to consider making
the appropriation seemed to think the
farm bureau machinery would be an
excellent means of carrying on the
work. The nursing program could not
be carried on successfully in the coun-
ties without a state program and, SUI
pervisor. The extension division is CO.
operating very closely with the Idaho
Anti Tuberculosis association, the state
department of public welfare and as
much as possible with the northwest
division of the Red Cross.
Gooding county was the first to en-
ploy county nurse, and the impulse
visit by Mrs. Bennett, of which the
county superintendent OF schools
wrote:
100 PER CENT INTEREST
1.-THE schedule was given the school
in advance and in almost every school
the attendance was 100 per cent The
interest of the children, too, was 100
per cent. The larger pupils sometimes
waited until all the examinations were
over to still further consult with her.
AT all schools parents were present
In one school, which we visited in the
morning, mothers remained until after
the noon hour, regardless of the fact
that the men at home were waiting for
dinner.
There were 2s2 children examined,
of which only IA were normal. Sixty
one per cent had defective teeth. 1t
was found that children did not know
the value of whole milk as food.
TAKE QUICK ACTION.
Before Mrs. Bennett had left the
several children had gone to
doctors and dentists. At the first meet
ing of the county commissioners fol-
lowing a large representation from all
parts of the county met with them to
that an appropriation be made
funds for the employment of
a county nurse. Before the days ses-
sion closed the necessary funds had
been appropriated"
Other counties have fallen enthusi-
astically into line in the hiring of
nurses. and in most cases such
nurses work under the farm bureau or
ganization. in line with the extension
division plan.
The checking of epidemics is an i'm
80 tlA
work, as an example of. which Mrs.
Bennett points TO the stopping of the
spread of smallpox in Lincoln county
where Miss Lydia Sinclair is county
nurse as contrasted with the serious
epidemics which obtained in some Of
the other counties, where there was no
county nurse.
MOTHER PRAISES PLAN
The hot lunch for school children is
another health project. the enthusiasm
for which is set forth. along with an
of results in the extension d.
Visions clothing work, In the follow
ing letter from a woman at Smiths
Prairie:
Miss Ebba Djupe and Miss Erwin
from the Idaho Extension society were
up here in this country for about a
week. Miss Djupe is Red Cross nurse
ma SHe examined anu WelRneu ana
measured all the school children and
gave several lectures on health and
nursing, etc. 1t sure was grand. Miss
Erwin talked on the care of school
,hildren's clothes and food. We now
awe our school arranged and the chill
lren cook and serve hot dish for
unch. Some days it is soup, some days
,scalloped potatoes. baked beans, stew
,r a cooked vegetable. On Fridays
L is cocoa day. The teacher makes
,ut the weeks menu and the families
furnish the things the number of d.ys
IN proportion to the number of chill
iren attending. We mothers all think
t makes big difference in the health
md studying abilities of the pupils.
CLOTHING ECONOMIES
Miss Erwin gave us some of the
incest patterns OF all kinds of clothes |
made of sugar sacks. The little dresses
were either bleached white or colored |
with Rit, and all the dandy things to
be made of old underwear. And mems |
shirts make the cutest little dresses
and even stocking legs, with stocking
pattern to make women's stocking legs
over for the little tots.
THE meetings were sure grand and |
showed us many ways for poor people |
to get along"
TOM cINM