Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-12
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES
DOING WONDERFUL WORK

That not many agencies for human
welfare are doing better work than
the public health nurses of Perth
Anboy was clearly shown yesterday
when an Evening News reporter ac-
companied one of the nurses on her
daily rounds. Trudging along the
slippery streets, up and down rickety
flights Of stairs, only to come upon
scenes of wretchedneSs and misery,
many pitiful in the extreme. 1t is
little wonder that the nurse is af-
fectionately greeted as she enters
many Of the homes, for she is ready
for any emergency, ready to bathe
the babies or supervise their bath
ing, ready to give the best of care to
the mothers, ready to advise them
and teach them how to change their
homes, many of them filthy, into a
clean and orderly condition.
It is splendid to see the confidence
shown in the nurse by most of these
women. Foreigners speaking very
little English, and trying so hard to
understand just what she would
have them do, and the questions of
those who do speak English. Why
do we have to have the windows
open? Why can't we have a pacifier
for the baby? Why can't the baby
eat this and that? And the nurse in
her kindly way snatches time from
her packed schedule to answer them.
Besides the maternity cases which
took up great deal of time yester-
day, we visited a widow who was
trying to secure a pension. A week
ago she asked the nurse to help her
obtain this money, and yesterday a
| months pension was given to her.
One case in particular was most
-SA F,.I icI1o 10
room with but one window and that
| tightly closed and covered with a
dark green shade, a so-called bed
and two soap boxes its only furnish
| ings. The occupants of the room
| were four small children and twins
a boy and a girl just two months old,
| The family were Russians.
The nurse instructed the mother
how to care for her infants and keep
them clean, and by all means to
have the window open especially
The nurse asked several of the
mothers why do you have your
children wear caps while sleeping?''
The answer was that It kept their
child from catching cold. The
| nurse then explained to them the
great harm that is done by wearing
| these caps. In many instances the
mothers told the nurse so and so
wants nurse come her house to see
baby. They are in great demand in
the northern section of the city and
are doing splendid work.
The real work that the nurse tries
to do is to teach the mother the
rearing of an infant up to one year
of age, and If the mother should
have any more children it would not
be necessary for the nurse to come
SO often, and she Is able to give time
to another mother.
Not only does the nurse attend to
the babies in our city but older chill
dren as well. She exposes herself to
all kinds of contagious disease in
order that she might help these kid
dies.
The nurses are not only compelled
to listen to stories of the crying
needs OF their children, but the mo-
theirs seem to make a confident of
the nurses, in telling their family
troubles, and asking for her help.
One home, visited yesterday, 1t was
clearly brought out how much the
mother appreciated the nurses Wis
it. The woman was g. very young
mother, and 1t was her first child.
They were poor. but in spite of their
poverty her three small rooms were
kept Immediately clean. while in
most of the homes visited were just
the opposite as were the inhabitants
Of them. Her young sister was TAX
ing care of the child, and the mo-
ther did not know whether the girl
was bathing the child properly, or
taking correct care, 1t relieved her
mind SO much when the nurse ex-
planned to her the care of the child,
and she thanked the nurse profuse-
ly and asked her to please come