Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1922-10-12
AMERICAN RELIEF
ADMINISTRATION

Odessa, Russia (By MaiD examin-
ing $4,000 filthy, lousy under nour-
isher and frequently diseased child
rem, as the employees of the medical
section of the American Relief Ad-
ministration in the city of Odessa
nave done, is perilous as well as an
unpleasant task Some of the boys
and girls freely admitted that they
had not bathed for year and their
bodies were encrusted with layer OF
filth that astonished even the Rus
sian doctors who were called upon to
deal with the situation.
In report of the medical activities
Dr.. Cherries states: 1.-THE conditions
Of the work of the personnel at the
medical points have been exceeding
ly hard. These conditions were still
more aggravated by the fact that the
combination OF circumstances made
the carrying out of prophylact1c
measures quite impossible A pre-
liminary disinfection of the children
before examination could not be
made owing to the lack of water and
the children inevitably transferred
the infection from their homes-those
unextinguishable foci of typhus-to
the medical points. Ten or twelve
days after the beginning of work the
personnel began to fail to respect be-
cause Of illness from tyhus. At point
No. l, Moldayanka, all of the per-
sonnet who had not had typhus pre-
viously and were therefore immune,
fell i'll. Of the total number OF en-
pioyees at the medical points In
Odessa SO, twenty-five persons had
had typhus before their employment
with the American Relief Admins
tration (and were, Therefore, proof
against it, and 2S fell i'll with typhus
while in the service Of the American
Relief Administration. That is to
say that $3.50 of the employees sus-
ceptible to the disease contracted it,"
At some of the points the percent
age was much higher. AS already
mentioned the morbidity from typhus
at point No. l reached 100 per cent
OF those not immune. At point No.
it reached 20 per cent; at point No.
g. 55.5 per cent; at point No. 6,
so per cent.
"Cholora did not spare the per-
sonnet either, DR.. Cherkes' report
continues, "a student of the medical
faculty died from it, having caught IT
in the clinic where he was recovering
from typhus.
The work OF the medical person
mel was all the time strained and tir-
ing and could not but affect the
health OF the employees of the medf-
cal points, especially as it was al
ready affected by the general con-
ditions OF life. Cases Of acute over
strain could be witnessed often.
especially on days when the capacity
of points reached 600 and more
children. Systematic oYerstrain to-
gether with malnutrition led to many
cases of acute and subacute tuoer-
culosis which were registerer among
the employees of the medical points.
Being in close contact with filthy
and lousy children, the employees
Of the medical points constantly sut-
fered from lice and fleas which they
carried home with them and cases OF
transfer Of contagion to the members
OF the employees families were noted
Medical assistance was rendered
by the medical section to the sick
employees in the dispensary as well
as in their homes and one of the
University clinics was turned over
to the American Relief Administra-
ton for the employees. Medicines
are delivered gratis.
Reviewing the activity of the
medical section of the child-feeding
division we must state that it can be
considerer as an uncommonly hard
and responsible work, effected under
health of their families as WELL"