Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-12-20

County dates back to the year of 1915
when the Eagle River Womans Club,
with the help of the Woman's Home
Companion, held a Better Baby con-
test. Babies were weighed, measured
and examined by the local physicians
and dentist assisted by several mem
bers of the Woman's Club Defects
found were reported to the parents
for correction. May 13, 1916, under
the same Club another contest was
held. Prizes were offered to the child
ranking highest, Myron Hanke TAX
ing the prize in 1915 and 1916. In
1917 the towns in the entire county
held a similar contest and from all
reports proved a great success. In
January 1918 Mr.. and Mrs. George
Jackson realized the need of a tonsil
clinic, and turned their home, which
was then the County Jail, into a hos
pital An out of town doctor was en-.
gagged to do the operations, assisted
by the local physicians. At this time
about twenty-five children had their
tOnsils removed.
The year of 1921 marks another
step taken toward the welfare of our
children. The Parent-Teachers Assoc
iation, started movement to obtain
a County Nurse. A committee of
T 10
We'll and Rev. Davis met with the
County Board, but were not success
full in convincing the Board of the
necessity of a nurse. Then in 1922 the
Association, with the aid of the Wo-
mans Club, again met with the Board
and at this time were given an ap-
preparation of six hundred dollars in
which the work was to be tried out
1t took some time to find an appli-
cant for the position as the demand
through out the state was such that
the State Board of Health could not
fill the vacancies.
In Sept. 1922 Ann Christman, the
present county nurse was employed
for the remainder of the year. At the
annual meeting in Dec. 1922, the
Board voted an appropriation of $500
to carry on the work for another year
and to retain Miss Christman as
nurse. Sept. 1923 another resolution
was passed by the Board to retain
the nurse for the year of 1924.
The following is part of the work
done by the nurse: All the schools
have been visited and inspected, the
second inspection has been started.
Routine inspections have been held
in several of the schools that is, look
ing for contagion and vermin. School
inspection reports have been printed
during the year, so it is not necessary
to give that report at this time. The
school inspection work shows that
great deal of corrective work should
be done for the children. We find
that many corrections have been
made, but not the number that should
be, the reason being that the parents
haven't the means to carry on this
work. The Health Committee hopes
that with the aid of the different
clubs and associations throughout the
county to be able to put across some
corrective work that will make pub
lie health work while, such as, remov-
ing tonsils care of teeth, and the
correction of defective vision. In or
der to do this we must have the sup
port of every man, woman and child
in Villas County. We expect our
school children to take a very active
part in this by giving little programs
and the proceeds going toward the
Relief Fund.
We now have at the State Home at
Sparta seven boys and five girls.
There were six girls but last spring
one of the girls died of adiseasewhich
we so often make light of-Measles.
People often have a dread of our
state institutions, they feel that the
children do not receive the proper
care, and the children should be kept
in the home and not relieve the par.
ent of their care. If each and every
one of you could visit homes where
children are found living in far worse
quarters than the cattle and the par
ent feels that the COWS and horses
are worth more to him than the chill
dren, then you will soon change your
mind and agree that after all our in
situations are not the worst places.
The following is taken from letter
written by one of the boys taken to
Sparta.
Dear Friend am sorry | did
not write for long time but l
will write now. How is everybody
and yourself l am not very we'll
| got the checker pox and am in