The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-11-14
RED CROSS NURSE
DESCRIBES YEARS
ACTIVITIES HERE
Annual Detailed Report Of Miss
Dora M. Clark i.s
HUNDREDS OF VISITS MADE
First Free Clinic in State
One Of the Big Il,
Accomplishments az

t,h
A year ago at the annual meeting
OF the executive committee OF the
Bennington county chapter, 1t was dc
c.ded to put second nurse In the
field to do regular district nursing
and as mach other public health
work as possible in the town OF Ben.
nington. In December Miss lda NJ,
Randall, r. n, was secured and the
work begun under the supervision OF
an efficient nursing committee con,
sist.ng OF Mrs. L. X. Whitney, chair
man. Mrs. E. W. Williams, Mrs. E. w.
Bradford, Miss Anna d. Rogers, Mrs.
Clarence Holden. f...
The work in the county was oon-
tinued until April 1922, when Miss
Randall resigned and Miss Clark took
over the work In the town as It had
grown so steadily that 1t was deemed
inadvisable to drop 1t. During the
summer 1t was impossible to secure
a nurse, and It does not seem adyis-
able until after roll call TO decide
whether Bennington county should
have nursing service. s
During the months from October
last to April, special effort was
made to put on campaign for bet
ter teeth for the school childrvn .of
Bennington county" cooperating
with the Colgate company dentist
was taken around the county visit
ing every large and many small
schools, who gave spendid talks. on
oral hygiene and dental prophalyxi6
and encouraged the children 10 take
care OF their teeth. This wa fDl-
lowed up by sthe nurse selling tooth
brushes at the nominal rate OF ten
cents apiece and the Colgate COIN.
pany giving free samples OF tooth
paste to every child In every school.
A little later on In the year q free
dental clinic, the. first ip the state,
was opened in Bennington Under theidi
rection OF the local school board and
the Ioca' dentists to which the nurse
could briug the needy children Of the
county.
Glasses we're obtained for 2l,chil.
dren who would otherwise have had
to struggle along without them and
parents were persuaded to get S.1sses
for 81 children.
Six children were sent to the hos
nta for free tonsil and Adeno.. oper.
ations and IA children were taken by
their parents. There we're plenty OF
other children who needed help. butt
on account of shortage OF funds, no
more could be done.
One neglected and dependent child
was sent to Vergennes, one turned
over TO the State charity and Proba-a
ton society and several turned over
TO the Vermont Children's Aid socie-
ty. This means that these children
will have at least q chance to havesa
square deal. One girl has recently
been secured training In Perkins In.
stitute for the Blind IN Boston. -
In all 1856 visits were made, includ-
ing visits to. schools, home visits TO
school children, infant welfare visits,
sanitary inspection visits and social
service visits -" .f
Beginning with December. in the
town OF Bennington, the following
visits have been made: Nursing S22.
infant welfare %. prenatal %, 7. b.
4, visits to schools 81 home visits
to school children SO, social serv.
ice 13l, friendly visits As, other visits
PIG, making a total OF 1879 Visits.
A baby clinic to help Keep we'll
babies we'll was established during
the summer with the cooperation OF
the local physicians. which has been
very successful. One particularly
successful clinic was largely attent
ed when DR.. A. w. Benson. the baby
specialist of Troy, came to Bennlns'
ton. it
Several children in town have been
furnished glasses. and one child op-
Grated on for tonsils and adenolda
One child was sent to Rutland to at.
tend polio-clinic OF DR.. Obus.
Three families were helped through
fire emergency. Ycl .iN
Many. children were helped to 10
respectfully to school through the
gifts of clothes.
The time when the nurse IL not
busy with nursing calls, and baby
or dental clinics has been used visit.
ing the rural and paroch.al schools.
giving health talks. ~
The Red Cross Is very grateful to
the Kings Daughters, the Putnam
Memorial hospital, the Metropolitan
Life Insurance company, the Vermont
Children's Aid society and the town
poor master for their cordial cooper.
alton given throughout the year. The
gifts from interested individuals 10
the community have helped to make
the work success. eT
Dora NJ Clark II. W. ~
puhlic Health Nursh