Evening star., 1924-11-19

This week Is devoted to the In
structive Visiting Nurses Society OIL
Washington.
Humanity is growing more and
more humane every decade. w men
one remembers how many kind-heart-
ed folks there are in the world, II
seems that cruelty, selfishness, greed
crfme-all that betokens hard heart
edness-had been banished, and that
the world had entered into new
phase Of civilization in which the
brotherhood of man had become a
reality. Nothing goes farther III
that direction than the activities OF
the Instructive Visiting Nurse Society,
which visits the sick. cares Tor the
poor and the neglected and serves
as the tie of loving symps ihy and in
telligent service between the pros
porous and the unfortunate. Where
the Instructive Visiting Nurse goes
no thought of pay nor of social posi-
ton ever intrudes as condition
precedent" although even the pros
porous, we'll able to pay reasonable
costs, are now very grateful for the
opportunity to avail themselves OF
such skilled and ready service. Pri-
marily. the work of these nurses was
directed only to care for the poor; not
merely in teaching them how to care
for themselves or the sick ones IN
their homes, but by actually giving
to them the same skilled attention
that the S50-a-week graduate nurse
gives to the well-to-do.
1t is found that with all overhead
charges considered. with the 32
nurses and their 57,222 visits made
last year. the actual cost per visit
amounted to 97.5 cents. therefore,
any one who is sick and needs only
a half hour or hours attention daily
can have it from one of these trained
nurses at cost-97.5 cents a visit
and there will be neither profit nor
charity in the service.
Profit? Yes, on both sides. for
the society will have gained friend
whose gratitude will be a greatly ap-
preciated asset, coming back ike
bread cast upon the waters. Some
times such service results in interest
ing communities or churches or In
dividuals in the great opportunities
for service and cooperation. Front
to the patient? Yes, for when one Is
Ill the quality and intelligence of
the care are often the means of saw
ing the patient from more serious ILL.,
ness, yet the family or neighbors may
not have had the training to know
what is needed, and the circumstances
may not justify the expense Of
nurses full time.
Profit to those who contribute to
the cost of maintaining this wonder
full service for the poor? Yes, for.
as Robert Browning has expressed 1t,
4 poor man served by thee shall make thee
rich,
A sick man helped by thee shall make thee
Thou shalt be served thyself by every sense
OF service which thou renderest.
r 4 y X
Visiting the sick Is nothing new:
nor even devoting full time to such
ministrations. Yet, regular training
for skilled nursing IL comparatively
modern, and the use OF trained
nurses paid and supported by the
prosperous to visit the poor In their
homes Is scarcely 80 years old. The
order of Sisters Of Charity. estab-
lished in France in 1917, and today
active in all parts of the world, set
the first example of visiting the poor
and sick without pay, and devoting
their full energies to such service.
bat they were. and are not, neces-
sariIy, graduate nurses.
Lord SALISBURY, in England. aud
Pastor Theodor Fliedner, in Germany,
were pioneers In seeing the need OF
appealing to the rich for support OF
nurses and doctors for the poor and