Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-08-22
TELLS OF WORK IN
PREVENTING 7. B.
Miss Monroe Says Work Of
County Nurses Is Largely
Educational

Because tuberculosis causes more
deaths than any other communicable .
disease, in Maryland every year, care
and prevention of the great white .
plasue have an important part in the
work of the public health nurses thru
out the State.
"The activities Of the public health
nurse, in the fight against tuberculosis
are largely educational said Miss
Ethel Monroe, the Advisory Nurse of
the State Department of Health, in
recent interview, for only through
a we'll grounded knowledge of the dis
ease, can individuals help to combat
it. Altho the program may vary in
some of the localities, the general pro-
cedure in this particular field is as
follows:
1.-The State law requires physicians
to report to the State Department of
Health all cases they diagnose as tu-
berculosis. The nurse in the county
in which the patient resides is notified
that this patient has been registered
as a Tb case, and she is asked to visit
him. She first interviews the attend
ing physician, obtaining his permits
sion to visit the case. When she goes
to the home, she talks to the patient
and tells him that cure is possible if
he plays the game and carries out to
the letter the rules laid down by his
physician.
"She tells him that the germs caus-
ing the disease are in the sputum and
the discharges from the nose, and that
they are scattered by coughing and
sneeZing. She shows him that by the
simple method of coughing, sneezing,
OF splitting into a paper napkin and
placing the napkin in paper bag
that can be burned, the germs are de-
stroyed and his loved ones protected.
"The nurse also points out the ne
ccssity for providing separate dishes
for the patient and for having these
dishes boiled after reach meal; for
having the patient sleep alone in a
a room that is we'll ventilated; and
for having him remain as much as
possible in the open air. She explains
the danger in kissing; she urges the
sweeping and busting by some damp
method, and she advises as to the
proper disinfection of the bed linen,
floor, walls etc. She leaves at the
home supply of the disinfectant dis
tributed by the State Department of
Health and demonstrates it's use.
"The nurse impresses upon the pa
tient the necessity of rest, as ordered
by his physician, and if the doctor
has recommended that the patient be
treated in sanitorium, she makes the
necessary arrangements for the pa
tient to go, often helping to provide
the clothes required, if the case is
needy one.
"After the patient has been taken
to the sanatorium, the nurse has an
equally important duty to perform for
the members of the patients family
or the household in which he has been
living. Unless great care is taken,
there is always danger of the spread
of the disease to the patient. To be
sure that no unsupported cases have
developed, the nurse arranges with
the family doctor, OF at the nearest
tuberculosis clinic, for those who have
been in contact with the patient to be
given a careful medical examination.
Under the joint auspices of the State
Department of Health, and The Mary
land tuberculosis Association clinics
for the examination of persons threat
ened with, or suffering from tubercu-
losis, are held in every county in the
State, so that service of this sort is
readily available in every section.
From January to July of this year,
$50 cases of tuberculosis were regis
tered from these clinics.
talking it all in all the work of
the public health nurse in connection
with tuberculosis is full of helpfulness
and hone"