Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-11-10
CLINIC ATTENDED
BY 81 PATIENTS
Months Record Shows Fight
on Tuberculosis Gains.

Nursing as a profession has an ardent
and efficient sponsor in Miss Marian ID.
Bell supervisor of the tuberculosis clinic
of Indiana University School OF Medicine
conducted in cooperation with the Indian
apolis board of health. Miss Bell, VINO
has been supervisor Of the clinic LOT
nearly three years, previous to coming to
Indianapolis was supervisor for four
years of the Milwaukee county hospital
where she took her nurses degree and did
post graduate work.
al am very optimistic over the future
of our work here" she declared.
Last month we had eightyfour pa
tients of which twenty-seven were chill
dren under Is years. OF course, all of
them were not tubercular cases, num-
Der merely being suspects who came 10
ms for examination. Often we find that
a suspect has some other trouble whlcn
we can assign to another department LOT
the proper streatent.
"In addition to our daily clinic held
from S to 10 a. m. We began night
clinic the first Of the month which we
hold from TO S Tuesday and Friday
nights. This is for men and women
onIy. We find It is Of great assistance
TO nersons who are working and could
not otherwise avail themselves OF the
free medical treatment.
In discussing the work of~the clinic
Miss Bell said that in addition to oper-
atfng the clinic a 'follow-up" Of the
patient and the home conditions sur
rounding him are conducted. Each aft
ernoon Miss Bell and her four assistants
visit the patients homes, find out the
living conditions, advise the proper hv'
ing arrangements and recommend the
proper food.
"Our work also includes cooperating
with the different organizations Of the
city" said Miss Bell.
.For instance, If we take a father
from his family, we must get in touch
with the Mothers Aid or the Children's
Aid in order that the family may not
suffer We also examine the applicants
for the city fresh air schools, and assist
in conducting the Sunnyside examination
bureau. Within the next ten days we
expect to open a south side clinic at the
Jewish Community House, II West Nor
ris street. Dr. R. A. Solomon will have
charge Of this clinic which will be held
three days a week, and Miss E. Freed
viii be the nurse IN charge"
Il am very anxious that our clinic be
a bureau Of education and information
as well as a clinic. I want people p
come to US for advice as well as treat
ment, and / want them to feel that we
are always more than glad to assist
them in securing medical treatment"
In discussing the type Of patients
treated by the department Miss Bell said
that while it is conducted for the bene-
1T OF persons who cannot afford expen-
Sive medical treatment, 1t is desired that
the patients do not feel that they are
accepting charity. She said it is very
difficult for persons who have at one
time been prosperous to be made 70
feel they are not accepting charity Of
fered to poor people.
In regard to the home conditions she
said the high cost of living and scarcity
Of bones is the cause of many unsani-
tary conditions
Sometimes we find as many as eight
or ten people living in two rooms, or
rather, trying to live; for it is impossi-
bic to live under such conditions" Miss
Bell said.
According to Miss Bell, the nurses have
to hunt out many Of the cases them
selves. Neighbors report sickness in
some instances to the clinic. Much DIFF
hculty In getting people to realize their
sickness was stressed by Miss Bell, who
explained 1t had been her experience that
those who gave the most trouble were
the ones who needed care the most.
Miss Bell expressed the desire more
women take up nursing as a profession,
saying the girl in one sense can not be
blamed in taking up work which after
six months Of training pays her as much
as nurse gets after three years Of
laboriOus and tedious application