The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-12

THEHASKlNLETTER
TO EDUCATE MOTHERS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

, stories Of city babies dying from heat
in crowded tenements, or freezing to
death from exposure. We know Iess o.
the hardsnips winch babies and moth
ers have 10 bear IN remote districts
Forty-tive mics to the nearest doctor
is no uncommon situation IN our bound
less West Often the roads are so poor
that a doctor can not reach patient
at ALL
In one case the doctor travelled A.
miles through drifting snow 70 see
child in commissions. After riding sew
eral hours he lost his way In the hight
and had to return to town, The next
morning he set out again and reached
the home by O'Clock, but the baby
was dead.
In homes like these, several miles
from telephone or postoffice. the fam
lily is shut off from assistance through
the winter. One mother on North
western ranch sent 10 the nearest town
for a prescription for her baby. II was
two months before 1t came, for the
roads were in such a condition that no
mail could be sent over them. In such
districts a public nurse Is vital ne
cessity.
Nurses selected to care for mothers
and infants, according to standards OF
the children's bureau, should not only
be graduates with hospital training, but
should have had practical experience In
public health work. poor nurse is
worse than none at all, In the opinion
of the bureaus experts. They cite in
this connection the incident of an in
experienced mother who engaged
nurse for her first baby, The girl had
had only correspondence course IN
nursing, and no practical experience
The first three days the nurse fed the
baby cows milk and sweetened water
Then she tried various patent foods
She kept the baby asleep with dope
nearly all the time, and when it was ~
days old it died.
The public health nurse approved by
the childrens bureau is thoroughly
grounded in hygiene, proper feeding for
babies of various ages, emergency rem
edies, care of newborn babies and thell
mothers. She can not stop in a home
to take care of case for several days,
as she has too many patients in her
charge, but she does give as much at,
tention to each family as possible, and
she leaves the mother with definite
idea of what to do.
Besides visiting the families Of her
district the nurse conducts meetings
and councils at a central point, where
the mothers from the surrounding coun-
try can bring their babies, Here they
ask questions and see demonstrations,
and have the baby looked over to see
II he is growing as he should.
This sort of thing is done here and
there throughout the country where
public heath nurses and doctors are
maintained by community or state. The
federal appropriation would extend the
work and places nurses in the many
counties where they are SO much need
ed. but where the population is too
scant or too poor to support them BY
! taxation or subscription.
Besides providing for maintenance, Of
| nurses and doctors, the proposed bill
would establish especial care for moth
| ers and infants at home or in. hospitals.
| This applies especially to mothers in
out of the-way districts, 1t would pos
| sihly take the form Of maternity hospl-
! tails at the county seats and domestic
| helpers to assist mothers in their
| homework
The home helps" as they are some
times called. are provided by English
| low for mothers who have no one to
| take care of the housework while they
are at the hospital. The home help
stays until the mother ia able to resume
her regular work. Trial Of this Eng
fish plan in the United States is under
| consideration
Exact use of the proposed fund would
rest largely with federal and state Of
| ficials, Officers named in the bill as
the federal board of maternal and in
| FAINT hygiene ere the secretary Of labor,
| the chief of the childrens bureau. the
| surgeon-g general of the U, s. public
| health service, and the U S. commits
siOner of education. In the states there
| must be a similar board OF state Off
| cials created If the state hoard Of health
has no child welfare division.