The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-03
Community ChestIP Protects
Children From I tuberculosis
Miss Clement, Nurse,
Tells OF Work Done
In County H.

1--WE have had the happiest year since
we were organized. The. best of all was
we did not have to stop to raise money
to carry on this necessary humanitarian
work. which means SO much to this
city and the county. The Community
Chest has meant much to the success
of our work and we all hope that the
SECOND annual campaign, November 10
II, will prove the success 1t SO richly
deserves"
It was Miss Bertha Clement, direct
ing nurse of the Anti-Tubercuoosis as
ISOLATION of Jefferson county, who thus
expressed herself on the question OF
what the Community Chest has meant
to her work. Few women of this COM
munity have been praised for their work
for humanity as has Miss Clement. Men
like DR.. G. B. Glenn, superintendent
of city schools, DIR. N. r. Baker, SUI
perintendent of the county schools, as
well as DIR. j. s. McLester, head of the
health work in the schools, declare that
neither figures nor words can adequate
Nv describe the scope and general in
fluence of her work and that of her as
sociates.
Educate Parents
They reach every home in the county
where there Is tuberculosis center.
They educate parents and children how
to prevent, as well as how to minimize
and cure, cases of infection. BY their
work in the schools they reach thousands
and build up good health habits. There
ire now 10 county schools in which they
do an intensive work, in addition to gen
eral work in the county schools and
practically all of the city schools.
Miss Clements is assisted in this work
by Miss Ellen Guilty, Miss Harriette
Dean, Mrs. d. Leonard, and two negro
nurses, Essie MCGEE and Pauline
Fletcher. There are also two nutrition
experts for children, Miss Imogene
Goare and Mrs. B. B. Walker. And
these eight, according to school and
health authorities, do yeoman work
which is not duplicated in any other
community by such comparatively
small force.
Nature OF Work
TIE Anti-Tuberculosis association
carries on three distinct lines of service.
i. The clinic where patients, suspects
and contacts come for examination by
competent physicians. These clinics
are conducted three times a week In
birmingham and twice a week in Bes-
semer.
2. The visiting nurse service which
cares for every known case OF tubercu-
losis in Jefferson county.
8, The health work in 16 county
schools and IA city schools. Two nutrl-
ton experts are employed to work with
the nurses in the schools.
The report of Miss Clements for the
period from January 1 to October l
Of this year, show that 97S white per-
sons and 1913 colored were examined
and looked after, including 300 throat
examinations of whites and loo re-
examinations. There were also a total
of 5,397 visits made by the nurses IN
Birmingham, Bessemer and county; OF
these 1856 were to undernourished chill
dren.
& uSupplies' gives during the nine
.naon6hs -zineIutie such items, as LULU
quarts Of milk given to INDECENT. pa
TENTS and similar items with even larg-
err figures, with scores of laboratory
tests and Al x-ray examinations. Ihey
have sent 81 patients to the sanatorium,
IA colored patients to the almshouse'
46 children admitted for the association
to the fresh air farm, II new cases re-
ported to the board of health and 1871
houses cleaned after death or removal.
Nutrition Glasses
During the past school year these
nurses conducted 500 nutrition classes,
and the total number of children
weighed was $4,000, with all kinds of
cases being looked after for various
and sundry disorders. Approximately
21O children were brought to the Chill
dren's and Hillman hispitals for the re-
moyal of tonsils. Many others were
treated for defective teeth, eyes, defor-
mites and general ailments.
And there is another, in this connec-
ton, who declares he is praying daily
for the success of the second annual
campaign of the Community Chest. 1t
is DR.. George caves, the founder of this
great work and father of the whole
movement in the county. He laid the
foundation against great odds when
there was no Community Chest and
therefore in a position to know just
what the movement means.