Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-11-08

the ones in which the Red Cross is to-
day instituting nursing service.
In founding these services the Red
Cross is carrying out the will of Miss
Jane A. Delano, wartime director of
the Red Cross nursing service, who ex-
perienced the rigors of outpost nursing
80 years ago in mining camp of the
/ Southwest. special bequest supplies
the funds required for penetrating hab-
of travel. The lessons of health will
be carried to people who need instruc-
ton.
The Red Cross seems to be one Of
the few great Institutions which have
government utilization which has been
virtually immune from complaints and
anything like harsh criticism. Its war
service is well known, but perhaps it
is not so well known that while the
seemingly overwhelming duties of war
work were on the hands of the organi-
zatiOn it found time and means to be
| in readiness at any moment to respond
to calls for assistance to places any
where in the world which should be
visited unexpectedly by disaster. The
possibilities of flood, famine, fire and
earthquakes were not forgotten even
when great armies were graphing one
with another in the Old World.
Public Health Service.
The pioneer work which is to be es-
| tablished in the three regions to which
attention has been called is character
istic of the public health nursing serv-
| ice and the Red Cross. This service
maintains 1,03S nurses in rural COM
munities throughout the country. A
years accomplishment by these nurses
approximates 175,00O patients cared
for, 100000 nursing visits to homes,
and the inspection of 100000 school
| children. The Red Cross public health
| service works under the direction of
the local chapter, with the end in view
of securing a permanent foundation for
the service.
In the past year 116 such services
were taken over by the taxpayers as a
municipal responsibility. Public au-
thorities, in states where legislation
permits it, are quick to assume the cost
Of public health nursing after chapters
have furnished convincing demonstra-
ton of initial development. The fed
eral government has recognized the ex-
cellent work Of the public health nurse
/ and on request of the commissioner of
Indian affairs the Red Cross has made
surveys of about fifteen Indian reser-
vations with the view to solving health
,, problems and establishing nursing
services among the Indians.
Forty Thousand Nurses Enrolled.
Another feature of the health pro.
gram Of the Red Cross is the ENROLL
ment of 10000 qualified women in the
Red Cross nursing service, of whom
10000 saw service during the World
war. This great force is by law re-
serve of the Army Nurse corps, and
upon call serves the navy, the United
States public health service and the
| veterans bureau, and also provides
nurses for the various activities Of the
on nursing standards is sought by Red
Cross societies throughout the world.
Forty-one Red Cross nurses are now on
| duty with the army, 1876 with the navy,
200 with the public health service and
| 1,O10 in hospitals of the veterans bu-
reau caring for disabled ex-se>sice
men. Ninety-three nurses are on for
eign duty, 81 Of them in the Near East.
The benefit derived from meals bal
anced to meet each persons peculiar
needs is winning widespread recogni-
ton through the work of the Red Cross
nutrition service, particularly in the
schools. During the last year 2,688
schools carried on regular instruction
| in nutrition, reaching more than l5O,-
600 children End adults. Red Cross
volunteers to the number of 2,25O as
sisted in the work and 1888 schools
were assisted in supplying hot lunches
and milk to their pupils. A feature OF
instruction which struck popular ap-
proval was the teaching of how to cut
food costs without sacrificing food
values.
/ Throughout the country 1928 health
meetings were held under Red Cross
auspices, attended by approximately
255,OOO persons. Health contacts, in
fact, through this wide campaign for
the production of healthier and hap
pier citizenry, aggregated 100000 dur
ing the past year, contacts which
would otherwise have been impossible
except for the various health services
and the American Red Cross.