The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-07-05

1 cedures for the year were 23,297. For June. the number was 3,474.
 We expect this year the number of such cases to run between 50,000 and 55,000"
 In the laboratories. laboring every
 moment oyer this difficult work, are | Dr. Bean, R. G. Martin. assistant di- | rector; George A. Depison. chemist; | William Rothberg, bacteriologist; Lu- | ther Smith. serologist; Miss A. E. | Sutherland, nurse and technician
 Mrs. E, B.. Reynolds. clerk, and A. l.. Perolio, United States government vocational student
 How pleasant it was to note the unselfish service these citizens are rendering, and how delightful to have Dr. Bowling tell that before long, at the City Hall, there is to be arranged an enclosed lecture hall. This win be used for the purpose of instructing members of the staff of the various divisions of public health service in the city and county. Here also will be held public lectures on various public health topics. These nay run in series. those attending being all persons interested in ques- tons relating to public hygiene and 1 health.
 
 Getting back to the welfare nurses of the city, they report all cases cf any type of disease they find ia Birmingham homes. The month of May the nurses made 2,2S3 calls for babies alone. During 1921. 1,i1a white babies were examined. and 1,536 colored. There are four health centers, three of them being open one day weekly, and the other five days a week, The average atten- dance at each center is about lo babies every conference.
 At the prenatal clinic. which was opened october 10. 1921, there was an attendance of 57 mothers the first month This last May POI expec- tant mothers took advantage of the service, They were thoroughly ex amined physically, blood press Ire taken and urine tested. These ex- pectant mothers attend the clinic, a s directed by the doctor in charge, for supervision and detection of any un- favorable symptoms, if these oc cur, the cases are given attention immediately.
 Think what boon to mothers who cannot afford to pay for such service and who, if it were not given free might frequently lose their babies. HIS NOfh EhIS- GSiolos WiO tiAiS may be called the city's thoughtfni ''mother.r declares is one of the greatest steps in reducing the city's infant mortality.
 Mfdwives Banished A big step forward was when the elimination of midwives was made during 1920. Through their super vision and control, better care was Insured, and better babies.
 Said Miss Elizabeth La Forge, SUI pervisor of the bureau of child hy- giene and public health nursing.
 "When first 1 came to Birmingham the nurses made over 100 visits to new born infants suffering with sore eyes These were actual nursing cases requiring irrigation of the eyes. With our new law requiring sil :. yer solution to be put into every newborn infants eyes within a few hours after birth. the number of those calls was reduced to eight within a month.'
 Mrs Echols' city nurses also give typhoid fever inoculations in the home. They further demonstrate care Of patients so as to prevent the spread of disease in homes.
 The health nurses are everybody's friends They really visit all babies that are registered unless they are positive no assistance is needed: and all colored babies are visited because the death rate among them Is so high. This Is caused said Miss La Forge. from hereditary diseases and a great deal of ignorance on the part of ne- gro mothers.
 In their trips about the nurses ar range for calls from the doctors. Through the work of the "baby doc tors,'' 1t is declared that not one-tenth