The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-02-11
VISITING NURSES
NEED AUTOMOBILES

II was disclosed in the report Of
Miss Mamie ]. Minor, superintendent
Il the Instructive Visiting Nurses
association, made at meeting OF the
association yesterday, that there is
Eill much demand for automobiles to
heip In the drive against flu. The
nurses are overworked, ana special
request for automoD1les is being sent
out The headquarters Of the associ-
lrion are at 223 South Cherry street
Miss Minors report.
Since writing my annual report we
have been In the throes OF another
epidenaic OF influenza Not 80 viri-
lent as the one OF 1918, but most
taxing and distressing on account OF
the large number Of people III ana
the shortage Of nurses. This work OF
ours u . pretty good barometer OF
the ctty's health, and we were 1eeling
the pressure considerably before
was asked by DIR. Levy to come To
called meeting OF the Academy Of
Medicine to take measures OF pre-
paredneGs in the face OF the impend-
ing epidemic
On MONDAY the 2sth had another
conference with DR.. Levy, when 1t
was decided that his staff Of nurses
and ours should be pooled. his nurses
TO 10 CQ0 IQFS&1E LlsiH dih lt4SL AIiAN .
work. and ours to give bedside care.
BY this means our nurses were saved
vary many useless visits, bat even
20 were tarribly overtaxed.
was authorized by the nursing
committee to add another nurse to
the star, whom was able TO secure
Immediately, and it was well we had
hAr. for first one and then another
OF the nurses have gone under, for
tunatAly none very sick, but much OF
thu time we have run two or three
short
We have carried s34 patients on
our books for January. of whom $40
were dismissed. and AIS carried over
into February 4.4Sl visits we're paid.
This represents 327 grippe and in
duenza patients. az pneumonia. %
colds and bronchitis, II maternity
cases and many other illnesses.
The Milk and Ice Mission. through
Mrs Boiling have given US unlimited
milk tickets Individuals and the
ladies OF the Second Presby-
terrain church. through Mrs Henry
Czbal, have given broth, SO none have
gone bunxTv with whom the nurses
save come IN contact
The cases have been unevenly dis
rfbused. the heaviest district being
The west side of South Richmond.
where a. many as SO visits daily have
baea made for many days All the
west end of Richmond from Harrison
xtreet out and between Eleventh and
rwanty-fifth streets, and this time the
disease was as prevalent with the
calored as the white, and the suffer
ing great among them
The cases have not been 80 severe.
nor the conditions so distressing as in
1918. but there hae been enough 10
wrIng the heart strings. rot the least
being the inability to secure even
earstakers TOR the scores OF calls that
haze come over our phone for special
nurseS
Last wednesday the situation BE-
came so desperate ! put an appeal liz
the papers. with Mrs. Hickey's CON
sent, for nurses4and automobiles. The
social workers released Miss Hopkins
for three DAYS. few women with
some hospital experience responded,
and on Saturday and SUNDAY several
nurses from the achool helped tre-
rsendouSIY. For three days antome-
hiies came which were great help,
for the conditions NJ the streets made
writing d,fficuf-5 and the street. car
s=,refce was crippled and INADEQUATE.
Evidently the people think the need
= past now, but II is 8 mistake. for
w1ile there Is a marked decrease III
new eases. the others still have To be
Hlrssd and thG distances ara 5usf ag
great. One by one the nurses are
dropping out for q day or more at a
time. and II they are. 10 stand up
under the strain they should have
automobiles for several days longer
until this acute situation clears up.
Some money has been sent in to help
influenza patients Shall it be used
in securing automobiles for the
rnurEes9