The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1922-03-09
MAKE HEALTH CATCHING.
A Strong Plea for Public Betterment
Through Health Service.


down from Spokane and visited for a
few days with old home friends here,
again urges the people of Lewis coun-
ty to retain their advantage of the
public health service. He does this
simply through the friendly, neighhor
lily interest he has in our people. His
letter follows:
To the editor of the Herald:
A short time after the war had been
declared against Germany and assum-
ing it would be long, bloody strug-
gle, and that our wounded and dis
able boys would need quick an care
full attention, our President called for
an individual contribution from the
loyal citizens of our country for tho
Red Cross in order that such attention
would be supplied with efficiency.
That call was for $1OO,0O0,O00, and
when that was apportioned among the
states and handed down to the counties
Lewis county quota was $2500. This
did not come just exactly as a thur-
der bolt, but as very great surprise
to our population all over the country,
for but few had any knowledge of the
inner workings of that great charit-
able institution. The then county at
torney of Lewis county, being on
common level with all the rest of Us
along that line and having a very
heavy responsibility resting on his
shoulders in raising that amount, cal
led to his assistance one or two educat-
ed persons of Nezperce and set about
to look up the history of this order
so that the matter could be placed in
formidable and effective way before
the people for their action. That
bunch did the hardest and most rapid
digging of their lives for knowledge,
and how well they succeeded in their
attempts is well known when it is re-
membered that in the short campaign
which followed the quota was raised
to $310O.
Patriotism was then at its highest
pitch on account of the war. 1t should
be at its highest pitch now on account
of peace. "To visit the sick, to re-
heve the distressed and to use all
means in its power to make health
catching instead of disease, is one of
the highest forms of patriotism a peo-
pie can practice.
The Red Cross acted well It's mission
of mercy all through the war, followed
the boys up close behind the trenches,
did everything it could for them while
fighting to lend them comfort and
cheer, bound up the wounds of the nn-
fortunate, cared for them, and told
them of mother, home and heaven. Tho
lesson of its good deeds was driven
home to the heart and mind through
the eye in the great parades incident
to those days when the floats would
carry Red Cross girl with boy in
arms in imitation of bandaged
wounded soldier, streamers bearing the
inscription, 1.-THE best mother in the
world. = That was one of the best
ways of driving home good thought
any educator ever devised.
The Armistice day finally came and
the Nation rejoiced. Thousands of
mothers mourned for their soldier boy
who did not come back. And in the
midst of the rejoicings of the Nation
and the walls of the sorrowing moth
ers, there swept over our land the wide
trail of death, gathering into that
~. "a
lives as were recorded as lost and
wounded in that war; and that, too,
in much shorter space of time. The
demand for the trained nurse at home
was furious and the supply inadequate.
Many soul cried for help and passed
away when help could not be had. Nez-
perce prairie was hit hard at that time.
Many one there remembers the day
and mourns a loved one whom they
could not keep from going away. The
nurse was then on her job working
the hardest to do her best to save
them whom she could. Her true worth
at such times or any other time is be-
yond estimate.
Ahc odiic hididuy AS thOh III iiBntoA
form is claiming its victims to-day.
Schools, business houses, and all places
where people assemble in public way
are closed by authority in many towns
Of the Northwest Physicians are
again racking their brains for help in
their work on account of the ineffic-
iency of the immediate friends of their
patients in giving the proper care and
ndmisistering medicine properly as per
directions. Communities are unfortu-
nate in not being prepared for such
and when prepared why dis
pense with one of these workers Of
mercy when the only pretense that can
be given comes from the viewpoint of
the-dollars
Douglas v. Dowd-