Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-11-15
REPORT OF HEALTH NURSE
Miss Mccarthy. in Charge of
This District, Tells News Read
ers Some Pointed Facts.

ErS some EothAtu AaSto-
The mortality of American
mothers. among the highest of
many countries and higher than
some oriental nations, taken with
the needless loss Of infant lives
makes the choicest types of hum
an life seem cheap 10 US. The
passage of the Sheppard-Towner
law came about as a challenge TO
reduce this human waste. Anum-
Der Of remedial measures are
now i'm use under the supervision
Of the state board Of health. The
major activity is the operation OF
a maternity and infant health
center in every county, establish
ed in the most accessible place
and changed from year 10 year.
Villas county Is now a partner m
the new life-saving enterprise.
Miss Anna II. Mccarthy of Mad
ison. public health nurse for ma
ternity and infant health centers
for this district, made plain the
tragic situation in the light of
vital statistics at a meeting OF
the members Of various womansI
organizations in this county IN
the High School Monday evening.
More women Of child-bearing
age lose their lives from diseases
caused BY pregnancy and con-
finement." she declared. than
from any other cause except tu-
berculosis.
If a town of 10000 is destroy
cd by fire or food we are at once
aroused 20 measures Of relief and
prevention. America loses her
mothers in no such spectacular
way, but one by one-partly be
cause il has been so from time
immemorial and we have acquir-
ed the habit of accepting this
condition. 1t is high time we as
men and women realize the need
lessness of this lose and set our
selves about 10 find a remedy.
In 1919 in the death registra-
tion area (erlbracing ali but ten
Of the IS stateS), 1850 mothers
died from causes incident to
childbirth. With the maternal
loss in the other ten states. the
total for the nation represents
a huge sacrifice Of motherhood
and a tragedy for additional
thousands of motherless children.
Anywhere We look" Miss Nc
Carthy continued, statistics are
appalling, and only the least bit
of encouragement comes from
those communities where prenatal
and postnatal work has been done.
Women who die of this cause are
lost at the time Of their greatest
usefulness and need 70 their fam
lilies and the state, and they give
their lives in carrying out n func-
tion regarded as the most inn
portant ia the world, and AZ the
same time physicians remind us
that the women who die in child
birth are few in comparison with
those who suffer preventable i'll
ness or lifelong impairment of
health. and this is not yet all the
loss. The wellbeing of her home
and of her children suffers; then
there is the motherless infant,
who faces a peculiarly hazardous
existence.
The ChildFen's Bureau survey
cd these conditions in two Wis
consin counties a few years ago.
The survey revealed a surpris-
ing lack Of medical and nursing
care at confinement. as we'll as be
fore and after. Ii showed that
great risks are run, that too
much dependence is placed on
Erandmothers and neighbors and
not enough on skilled service.
In 1920 the state of Wisconsin
lost SIS mothers from causes con-
nected with childbirth. There
were also 1866 deaths Of babies
under one year. of which num-
Der 2,6l3 were under one month.
The total births in the year were
59.269.
Under Sheppard-Towner plans,
prenatal care is especially empha-
sized for saving maternal lives.
This includes explaining personal
hygiene and the need for it. urina-
lysis, examination of eirculatory
conditions. care of diet with note