Evening star., 1928-04-15
NEW SKY PILOT
SPIRIT AIDS BABIES
Work in Behalf of Mountain
Mothers and Children to
Be Described.

How the spirit of the old sky pilot
Who rode horseback across tracts OF
wilderness 10 carry the message of the
Gospel 10 isolated communities is being
reincarnated in the work of band OF
nioaeer woman nurses who are bring
ing medical attention TO remote homes
IN the mountain regions of the South
will be related to WaShingtonians by
Mrs. Mary Breckinridge of the Ken
tu>&y committee for mothers and
babies.
Mrs. Breckinridge will tell of this new
health program To cut the excessive
infant snd maternity death rate in
mountain districts at a meeting We'd
neS6ay afternoon at ( O'Clock at the
residence of Mfr and Mrs. George H,
Myers. 1880 S street All those who
are interested in the public health
movement are invited to hear about the
work that Mrs. Breckenridge is DEM
onstrsting with her. corns OF trained
nurses in Leslie County. Ky.
Where Nurses Are Needed.
whereas the sky pilot" who is still
an important factor in the religious life
of the Southern mountaineerS, packs
his SiE,e in his Sadoleba2s. the regis
tered nurse who rides forth TO meet the
uncertainty of swollen foros and wind
ing mountain trails packs well
equipped medicine kit. Mrs. Breckin-
ridge has undertaken 10 introduce this
frontier nursing service in other remote
sections Of this country. where there
are no physicians. and where the reg
tstered nurse must be able to handle
not only the usual cases which come
under her care but in the absence of
doctors. must be trained midwife as
well. AID is being sought for this
movement
That the opportunities for such Serv-
Ice are vast and its need imperative is
indicated by the fact that America is
sun frontierSmsnS country for 30
100000 people. These people live in the
Appalachians the Ozarks, parts of the
Alleghenies and Rockies and lonely
strips of coastland, and on isolated
stretches OF great plains and forests.
With a Death rate of mothers in the
registration area of the United States
IN 1923 of 81 per 900 live births, it is
estimated as much as twice that high in
rural areas among old American STOCK
A thc mountaineerS of the South. who
err among the greatest sufferers. come
from a stock that dates back to earliest
colonial days
In striking contrast. the death rate
for England and Wales was So and that
Of the Queens nurSa-midWives in 54.554
eonfinements attended by their famous
organization in the same year wss
but IA
Studied English Methods.
To afford some degree Of medical at
tention IN these remote sections. Mrs.
81 14e
ing Service of England which employs
r ~sstered trained nurse-midwives to
give care Of mothers and babies in the
highlands and islands of the British
Isles Mrs. Breckinridce Is herself a
registered trained nurse and has taken
the Midwife training In London and
h. worked with the Queens nurses
In the Hebr1des in order to get a COM
piete knowledge OF the special nursing
technique required and of the methods
OF administering this service.
Mrs. Breckenridge iustifies the
pioneer Nursing service of her commit
Tee by the following statement:
Our reason for existence is that
America is still frontiersmcns cots-
fTy for millions Of citizens of the old
stock and because Of that she has the
highest death rate of mothers IN child
birth in the civilized world Fifteen
ether nations have lower rate than
ours We lose approximately 20.ce0
wcmen every year In Childbirth. more
than fro-1 any other cause except to-
berculesis
Losses I'm Childbirth.
we have lost more women in child
birth in our history as g Nation than
men in battle. Maternity is, in very
truth. the young won1an's battlefield.
more rnutilating. more dangerous more
painful than war. and IL is not az pre-
ductfye Of good 10 the Nation? Child
birth is the one basic fact underlying
al others. No matter what we plan
for the next generation. II must first
be born. To be born successfully is
prerequisite Of any career. To survive
the birth of her children Is the right Of
eyeYv American woman.
what Of the babies themselves. foE
whom so much danger and suffering Is
undergone We lose In America every
year approximately 100 900 infants in
the first month OF life from causes due
20 ei1il0birth, wiih perhaps as many
staiibir4hs over and ADORE that. A
new born BABY Of the old stock in
America has less chance of life than a
man 30 years old. There is no more
hazardous occupation than Just being
bern ar American citizen"