The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-12

constitute the only free clinic wock.
The baby's older sisters and brothers
have a place to go to to have their
physical condition examined. That
place is the nutrition clinic, where
children over two years may be
brought, and even where grown-ups
may apply for examination. At the
SONS learn how to improve their condi-
ton, unsupported diseases are dis
covered and defects are corrected.
Had Serious Skin Disease.
A small girl was found to have a
serious skin disease when examined at
the nutrition clinic last Wednesday
afternoon. A Mexican girl was found
TO be twenty pounds underweight and
was regarded as a suspected tubercu-
Rsis case. She is now rapidly gain
ing in weight and health at the sana-
forum, after her case was diagnosed
at the clinic. Miss Charlotte Harkihs
and Mrs. Damaris Payton are the ex-
perienced nurses who give service at
the nutrition clinics, where DR.. r. j.
Miller. city physician. examines the
patients.
A family of five children. each one
of them from fifteen to twenty
pounds underweight, came under the
attention of the clinic nurses not long
ago. The doctor ordered more nour-
ishing diet for the children and better
living conditions. The parents had not
provided a fair chance for the chill
dren. Milk was provided for the chill
dren, as well as other nourishing food.
They gained surprisingly. So retard-
ed was the growth or the youngest
child that when wholesome food and
the proper environment were supplied
he grew more than an inch in two or
three months! An accompanying
photograph shows the nurse measur-
ing the five children.
The Tuberculosis Clinic.
Extremely important in the survey
of Topeka, public health work is the
weekly tuberculosis clinic on Friday
afternoon, where the anti-tuberculosis
doubled vigor. following the iestab-
lishment of the Bertha Hampstead
Memorial clinic, under the direction
of the Topeka Anti-Tuberculosisa sso-
citation. In the memory of the
prominent newspaper woman who died
recently of tuberculosis, the new as
sembling of forces to fight the disease
was one of the greatest public health
steps Topeka has ever taken. The new
association has undertaken the work
shouldered successfully for nearly a
year by the city board of health and
the Shawnee County Red Cross. The
excellent progress made during the
year has had a still greater impetus
with the beginning of 1921, for in the
January report sof the Topeka Anti
tuberculosis association it is shown
that the two Red Cross tuberculosis
nurses made 500 calls during the
month. They report 131 persons suf-
fering with the disease under care, and
that the fact that twenty-nine new
cases were found in January. The
tuberculosis nurses are Miss Charlotte
HarkinS and Mrs. Damaris Payton. DR..
Forrest L. Loveland directs the clinic.
Work Well Organized.
No city in the state and not many
in the country are better organized for
public health work than is Topeka
Ten regular nurses and two student
nurses now carry on the work, making
the largest staff in the history. of the
organization. No home is too dirty
humble or infected for the nurses to
visit, and they also visit many of the
better homes of the city to care for
patients and report conditions.
The hourly nurs ng service provided
by the "P. H. N" association means
that any one needing a nurses aid at
any hour of the day or night may have
the need supplied from the public
health staff. The only requirement
before granting the service of the
nurse is that the family applying for
the service must furnish transporta-
ton for the nurse.
Efforts to eliminate social diseases
are made every Tuesday afternoon in
the city board of health Persons
suspected of having social diseases are
brought to the city board of health by
city health officers and many volun-
teer patients come to the clinic for
treatment.