Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-01-16
PUBLIC WELFARE DEPT,
BY Miss Margaret Thomas
Health Nurse

| interest that | ain drawn back into
Rusk county for it is just five years
ago this month that few public-spir-
| tied citizens here persuaded me to
come here to Ladysmith and do six
weeks of public work under the fnan-
cial support of the local Anti-Tubercu-
| losis Association.
| When they asked me to come then, |
| hesitated, for l had never been CON
; nected with public work before. and
| had not felt the spirit. But no one
could be in it for six weeks as | was
| and not get the spirit, SO after leaving
| here l was drawn into other public
health work. but always looked back
on Rusk county as my foster mother
in it. for had not the work here been
thrust up on me as it was, | might not
have been in public health work today.
Before | went to France with the
Red Cross | was engaged in organizing
public health work in counties in
Michigan. but have always kept in
touch with friends of RuSk county and
have always felt that sometime
would he back here. Although the
pioneer work is the hardest. and it is
| usually the first one who gets all the
knocks. and those who follow get the
results: nevertheless | have a feeling
that Rusk county is awake and pro-
greSSive enough to take hold Of the
work and make a name for itself, and
it can never have a better opportunity
to do so. for now that the public are
realizing the great need Of it. and the
state laws require it. and the counties
wishing public health nurse are so
much more numerous than the nurses
who will do it. that those getting
start now. can set the example
There is always a class of citizens
who oppose all progress on general
principles. but we have these with us
always. like the quack grass and they
are like that too. in that knockers
| never do any good themselves; so let's
hope that we have few of that specie
here and if the public will do their
part, Rusk county can certainly put
| themselves on the public health map.
| like to quote Il note from DR..
| David Starr JOrdOn which is good
| headlight for this work:
| There is nothing i'm all the world so
important as Understanding so in
| tereSting.
| If YOU ever wish to go in for some
| philanthropy if you ever wish to he
| of any real use in the world. do some
| thing for children.
If you ever yearn to be truly wise
study children.
| We can dress the sore. bandage the
| wounded. imprisOn the criminal. heal
| the sick and bury the dead. but there
| is always a chance that we can save a
child.
If the great army Of philanthrOpists
| ever eXterminate sin and peStilence.
| ever work ont the races salvation. it
will be- because little child has lead
| them
The initial work in the county nat
| urally centers in the schools. and the
public can he reached quicker that
| way. but don't be impatient. and re-
| member that Rusk county has 92G
square miles of territory and about 90
schools to go TO, and about 1890 school
rhildren to he examined and weighed
and measured individually and as soon
rs possible we must get the names and
records of the children in the county
of pre-SchOOl age. So this will give You
a slight conception of the extent of the
work for one person to do. but | have
always found that the public in general
| is very quick TO fall in line and help.
and what can be done in a years time
is beyond realization, if everyone does
their bit to help.
| was very glad to see that schools
have already started hot lunches and
| will be very glad to get report from
| all those who are having them and
also from the schools where the chill
dren bring milk TO school with their
dinners As soon as my office equip
ment is in running order | will mail
some literature to all the schools.
| in the lunch problem.
Schools will also know the day that
| am to he there and | ask that the
parents make it their point to 60 to the
school on that day also. for. until |
| have been around once. | will probably
| only he able to get to each school once
| in the year.
Many people have asked me What
| is Hot Lunch?' 1t is one hot dish
served at noon to supplement the cold
| lunch brought from home.
Why Have the Hot Lunches?
/ Better school work is accom-
plished by the children.
Better health is shown by the pu-
pills.
3 Better digestion is melted by the
| hot food
Better table manners are encour-
| aged.
) Better selection of food is taught
TO help diminish the four million
| cases of malnutrition in the United
States.
TO help diminish the cases of
tuberculosis in Wisconsin.