The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-01-26
IDAHO GOVERNMENT MAKES
A VENTURE

n
The state of Idaho Is starting In
on a new venture in behalf OF Wo-
men and children and Indirectly IN
behalf of all citizens.
What is known as the maternity
bill has been enacted in congress,
and it provides an appropriation Of
$4,000 for the first years operation
in every state in the Union.
After the first year the federal
government will cooperate with the
state government in financing work
of the office to be conducted as we
shall hereafter explain.
The department of public welfare
under the commissioner, David Bur-
rel, is now planning to put the mea-
sure into operation in Idaho. The
way to do that, or the way that 1t
is proposed it shall be done, is to
open an office at the capitol at Boise
and establish bureau to administer
the business of that office thruout
the state and the commissioner is
to be woman who has had expert
ence in nursing and if possible she
is to be a physician. She must at
least have a practical working
knowledge of taking care of the sick
in the home.
Then there is to be lady physic-
ian or if not physician trained
nurse who shall spend all of her time
travelling over the state by automo-
bile and she is to have driver to
take care of the automobile and at
tend to all the work he can, so she
will be free to attend to the field
work in connection with this under
taking Her work is to lecture to
the women and girls who are inter
ested in learning how to take care
Of infants and in general way to
work about as the Red Cross nurse
did in this county last summer teach
ing women and girls sanitation and
nursing. The work of this depart
ment that we are speaking about,
specializes on matters of maternity.
The bureau in the capitol building
will arrange for the meetings in the
different counties, and different COM
munities of the counties where they
can get enough together to make it
worth while to have the teacher stay
and teach them. The lessons con-
sist of learning all the practical
problems connected with the care OF
mothers and infants. 1t begins with
the care Of the mother and the
mothers health before the birth Of
the child. her diet, her exercise, her
rest, and all the conditions that at
feet her health and the health and
intelligence of her child. It deals
with the preparation of the layette.
that is the clothes for the new born
baby, prepared for the child and
ready for it at the time of its birth.
The lessons deal with all the prob
lens of CONTINENT and child birth,
the care of the baby, the care of
the mother, the food for each of
them, all the problems of nursing
baby from a bottle and the natural
way. The care of the milk glands
and all the conditions of the milk
that affect the child by allness, sour
stomach, and other things and car
ries the work right on until the
child is year old. Attempting to
meet the principal problems of child
life up to the age of a year old, and
the problems of the mothers care
and health up to the time when the
child is weaned, and she has gone
thru the full cycle of events con-
nected with the birth and rearing of
one child up to weaving time.
The outstanding reason for all of
this preparation of child life and
motherhood is that there is very
high percentage of the children that
die before they are year old and
a high percentage of mothers who
die or lose vigOr on account Of mis-
management during that period. The
government has just awakened tot
the reality of the great reproach that
rests upon the American people for
letting so many of the children and
L.others die from preventable causes.
This travelling physician we are
speaking about is the one who does
the field work, will have nothing to
do but field work. She will attend
to no correspondence, she will not
'"t asa physician by going into any
home and taking care of any case,
but will stick to the one task of
teaching the women and girls. Her
work will be laid out so far as pos
sible from the office at Boise and
where it is not done thru that Of
flee the field worker will arrange it.
Women desiring to ask questions
by mail will write to the bureau at
Boise and the woman in charge Of
1t will advise by mail.
This service will eventually raise
your taxes trifle, but it will pro-
tect women and babies at times when
they cannot protect themselves.