The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-04-22

4Ab "a oEdAhCIl WAt1ID!tG rI4J u4VSl AS+
motive in view, something unique in
the experience OF seafarcrs, accus-
toned as they are to the Shiny at
tentions OF the missions and other
organized gangs Of grafters working
on behalf Ct the shipow1oers.
The Medical Station.
The Medical Station was first
opened in 1880 as first aid station
and dedicated to the memory of
Fridtjof Nansen, the Norwegian ex-
plo-er who organized relief during
the famine period in the then newly
born Soviet Union. Since that time
it has been enlarged and now con-
sists of a clinic and q dispenSary.
There is a department for yenereal
disease and a dental hospital nearby
which is connected with the station.
Three doctors and q nurse consti-
tute the staff of the station, which
its to be open day and night in the
future.
During 1882 a medical service is
to be established and thus every
medical and sanitary need of the
seamen will be catered for without
them being obliged to leave the dock
area. The station is scrupulously
clean and many windows give plenty
of light and fresh air and a good
view of the Baretshnoy Basin, which
in summer and autumn is crowded
with shipping of all nationalities.
Just to enter the station is to be in
terested. Models, pictures and charts
show measures of labor protection
obtaining among Soviet seamen, the
danger of infection from the drink
ing of impure water, statistics of
adult and infant mortality in the
city (Which by the way illustrate one
of the triumphs Of the october Rev.
olution) and other things of interest.
The faces of Lenin and Stain,
Nansen and Jenukidze look down
from the walls. The later is the
president of the Society of the Red
Cross and Red Crescent of U.S.SR.
under whose auspices the service was
started.
2,167 Treated.
AS an example of the good work
done here it may be mentioned that
in 1881 medical treatment was given
to 2,167 seamen and an additional
300 seamen received dental treat
ment. Medical treatment is entirely
free and no humiliating questions are
asked as to earnings and personal
expenditure as is the case in public
hospitals in Britain. Dental treat
ment, such as plumbing, extractions,
etc, are entirely free. Should sea-
man desire a set of false teeth he is
charged for the materials only and
then at half of their cost price. This
is necessary because such materials
have to be imported. The manufac-
ture of the teeth costs the men
nothing.
In cases where seamen are sent to
hospitals in the city, the staff of the
medical station for foreign seamen
does not lose interest in them.
Visited In Hospital.
The men are visited in hopsital
and newspapers in their respective
languages are provided. If a seaman
is too ill to write letters, this is done
for him. Sick seamen left behind
without clothes are provided with
them and. in short, their require
ments are studied down to the last
detail.
Officers Protest.
The work of the station is often
hampered by the opposition of ships
captains, possibly acting under the
instructions OF the owners, but some
times because they themselves are
fascist minded. Such captains and
officers try to poison the minds of
the seamen against the station, so