Evening star., 1920-02-16
DIR. FOWLER LAUDS
|. V.N. s. NURSES
Helped Health Department
Control Recent Epi-
demic, He Says.

7. v. N. 8. nurses have played IN
important role in helping tho health
department get control Of the recent
infenza and pneumonia situation. &C
cording to q statement received by
the Instructive Visiting Nurse 30
clety today from District Health or
ficer Fowler.
"Now that tho epidemic seems to be
over" DR.. Fowler stated. Il wish te
state that the health department. ap. p.
preciates most heartily the assistance
Of the Instructive Visiting Nurse 80.
ciety in the recent campaign against
Influenza and pneumonia The ed-
cellent work OF the I. v. N. s. nurses
| in caring for many OF the SICK who
would otherwise have become a men.
ace to the community, was important
in helping to control the disease.
! appreciate greatly their service to
the department and the community
in meeting a grave situation prompt
ly and efficiently"
| Will Give Figures.
Complete figures. showing the work
Of the sixteen visiting nurses en-
ployed by the /. v. N. 8. in guarding
the health Of Washington citizens
| during the past year. will be made
public at a meeting under the auspices
| Of the society Wednesday evening at
Rauscher's, at which DR.. Livingston
Farrand and Miss Julia Lathrop Will
speak.
This is the regular annual meeting
Of the society. but the purpose and
! been ampli1ed into a public health
meeting to which the general public
generally. and all friends and bene-
| factors of the society particularly, are
invited.
Partial figures now available show
L a ~ AA "
| these nurses in the epidemic just over.
The usual average of new cases Tor
the !. v. N. 8. during the past year
was 231 a month. During January.
1920, 6S4 new cases were reported TO
the society and received the care OF
the nurses, the great majority being
influenza and pneumonia cases. The
nurses worked without regard to
hours or fatigue as long as their help
was needed.
Answer Many Appeals.
MANY desperate appeals for assist
ance came to us" reports Miss Alice
Bagley. superintendent Of the I. V. N.
s., land they came from people of all
types and classes. of all nationalities,
in all parts of the city.
"In many cases whole families were
ill and help could be secured neither
for household work or for nursing.
In one family the mother. father and
three children had influenza. Not
only were they without help. but
their coal supply had given out. An
| /. v. N S. nurse went to the house,
gave the family the necessary nurs-
ing care and later sent a practical
attendant. Coal was also secured
and sent them through the help of a
friend of the society who had offered
his services in such an emergency.
In another case a woman, who kept
a rooming house in which all the
| dodgers were men, was sick and with
out any care at all. One mother in
an apartment in the northeastern
section Of the city was struggling
with the care of two sick children
when her third. a baby. succumbed.
She called a visiting nurse. who came
! and was taking the baby's tempera-
ture when it went into convulsions
The nurse stayed with the child until
the danger of further complica tions
was past, helped with the care OF the
other two children and gave the
mother the necessary directions about
| further care.
"Instances such as these could be
| multiplied. They tell the story OF
the necessity of the visiting nurse
| to her community and her value in
checking. discovering and preventing
sickness"