The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-02-17
ALL TO AID HERE.
Continued from LIST Page)

when the help needed is nursing, med
zeal and hospital service.
In accordance with the court s de- |
cree therefor the Thompson trustees, |
under the direction of Mr.. Bradley, |
have financed and organized the fol- |
lowing forms of service:
There was no hospital and probably
no trained nurses in the town in 1900. |
1t introduced and supported visiting
nurses. 1t purchased hospital site and
with a committee with Doctors Lawton
and Miller procured and approved plans
of a hospital and built the same.
1t assisted in organizing the present
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital corpora
tion and under the DEGREES of this
court turned the hospital over to it.
1t has supplied it with $4,000 or more
year toward running expenses. The
hospital has trained many nurses, now
working in the town, and last year
cared for $50 persons The total cost
of the hospital and its support has been
over $350,000 The hospital includes a
school for graduate nurses, many of
whom are now nursing in the town.
The trust organized and financed
the Mutual Aid association, embodving
y
of nursing and household help and serv-
ice apart from medical service to the
homes where sickness existed. Ninety
four per cent of the maternity cases in
the town had trained care during the
last year, IS per cent directly through
the organization. This nursing center
has been for 10 years open day and
night to answer every call for help in
sickness not supplied by the hospital
| or the physicians. Last year it filled
over 700 calls for help of various kinds,
and gave its maternity service in rs
per cent of the births in the town. The
trust has expended over $4,000 on this
work. Most of the calls for sudden
need, both from sewing women and
others, have been for help in accident
and sickness and have been supplied
+ by these agencies organized by the
trustees.
The trust also furnished free medical
aid where needed through arrangement
with the doctors.
The trust, as stated in the report of
the Brattlebero school committee, as
sisted in stamping out school epidem-
les by giving them the services of the
trusts head nurse in putting school
nursing into practice.
1t started and maintained tuber-
! culosis infrmary and a tuberculosis
nurse until the disease was reduced
and has supported help for the tuber-
4 culosis patients since then.
1t bought and opened smallpox
hospital at the time of the serious out.
break in 1908.
In 1918 it caused to be made a can
vass of places for an emergency in
luenza hospital and of equipment
J caused notices and calls for volun
, teers to be prepared so that with tht
, able assistance of certain citizens the
2 town was almost the only one in tn,
5 country prepared in advance for tn,
epidemic. When it came the emergency
hospital was opened and run on a few
hours notice. and the nursing fore
of this town reduced by the war from
40 to II was augmented by the trus
school nurses and volunteers who as
sisted in covering the emergency TIL
death rate of the town from this cpl
demic was in Consequence much lowe
than in most communities. This wa
g made possible only by the fact that tn
8 trust had started a school for Household
nurses in connection with the Mutua
Aid association and was thus able I
! make use of its students.
= This school is also continued as on
:. of the uses of the trust and supplies
: kind of nurse much needed in Brattle
boro and vicinity.
: The trust likewise supplies assistant
y ! to all mothers in the town through
II nurse whose special care is 10 hel
. these mothers to bring the young chi
. dren to school age in good physical cor
dition.
The trust has supported a kinderga
d ten and a house for women needing
} change and rest in summer. 1t hi
" helped the people of the town TOWARD
le obtaining as complete as possible
ie system for caring for the sick, avoidin
d disease, and instruction for the pre-
% ervation of health.
re At the present time there are son
n s. persons engaged in ministering I
1t the needs of the people of Brattlebol
If and vicinity, who are either employc
rs directly by the trust or by the hospita
m the Mutual Aid association, or the XII
lie hergarten, almost every one havin
a. continuous employment.
1t The last complete year s records sho
that some LOO different pieces of ser
v ice have been done in single year
he term for persons or groups of person
at by these employees, counting each cas-
n no matter how long, as a single pie,
I'd of work. There were some 1000 da,
n. spent in outnursing work by these e1
I. ployes and some 6,449 days of hospit
" service given, not counting out-p
tn tients.
IN Over 1000 nursing visits were mad
ed Over 1000 children were examine
of often more than once, by the nurs
IT, as part of their work with the childre
st This work being found the best W;
a. to prevent future disease and dis
v. bility.
ed The trustees represent that ov
in nineteen-twentieths of the income
m the fund has been expended for pu
ht poses within the town of Brattlebol
az and that the balance has been used
IN such way as 70 be of the create
at benefit and protection to the people
said town and essential for the esta
no lishment and continuance of the wo
i done there. They furthermore rep1
he sent that the income of the fund won
hoT Il 4