The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1945-03-01


This is intended as red hot warn
ing cry!
From health standpoint we face
a major crisis and doggoned little
enough is being done about it.
Consciousness of the facts appears
to be limited to too few persons.
Our public authorities are to blame
for this condition and they ought to
have the tarnation tar laced out of
them for what is nothing less than
dereliction.
| The fortunes of war are piling up
the totals of wounded, so that medi-
cal Observation-Disclosures and nurses
are being taken in larger numbers
than seemed possible, even if to some
they did seem remotely so, a few
months ago.
Now, for the normal conditions Of
life maybe this isn't so frightening.
If Johnny has tummy ache, let it
ache and he'll probably get well.
But that isn't the risk.
The risk is in the possibility of cpl
denies.
Try to see a doctor today-and
you'd better have a friend if you
don't want to wait and wait and wait.
Try to get a nurse-and you'll just
keep on trying unless you own the
mint.
But the condition today isn't a cir
cumstance to what is 'just around the
corner"
For, draft or no draft, the services
are going to get the nurses they need,
and that is exactly as it should be.
But what happens when profes
sional help is gone and trouble
comes?
What happens in about 80 per cent
of cases is that nobody knows what
to do and mama and papa go plumb
panic stricken.
The crime of this situation is that
people haven't been taught the
simplest things in the category of
what to do in an emergency-or how
to nurse sick person in the home.
Sure, there have been Red Cross
classes in bedside care, etc., but most
ly these classes have been filled by
those who need them least-and Joe
and Jennie Anonymous face a crisis
in the dark.
The big truth today is this: The
more you know about how to take
care of yourself--how to keep from
getting sick, what to do until you can
really get doctor, how to keep from
getting hurt, the better chance you
have of actually staying alive until
things get back to normal.
How long will that be? Oh, maybe
two to ten years-and just which, no
body knows.
Here's an example of what the sit
uation is: In a hospital rated to care
for 500 patients, only six nurses are
rated as essential by the Nurse Pro-
Committee.
All the rest can virtually be or
dered into service for Uncle Sam,
they particularly like it or
not. Just six!
If you don't believe that and if
your town has hospital of that size,
go and ask.
That means that, if and when the
draft comes, we shall be drained of
nurses.
Luxury nursing will go and should
go in such times. But plain every
day essential nursing also is going
to go.
h,yo
lie about taking care of ourselves
that we are sunk when the profess
sionalS leave us.
So, we had better hurry up and
learn.
Out of several groups with college
and high school educations, no more
han half could read thermometer.
No more than two or three per cent
had the slightest idea of how to avoid
or communicable disease,
)r what to do if child had an acci-
lent, or showed symptoms of coming
sickness.
By and large we are swell bunch
If ignoramuses, despite public health
lursing and all the propaganda of the
Jhildren's Bureau and other agencies.
One reason is that the professionals
ak jargon that the layman doesn't
Unions, having organization and
discipline, could do lot to arouse in
crest, if they would.
But somebody had better. Health
S important, in sense never true
'efore
Learn and live would be a pretty
,ood motto.
You'll do very well to make it
ours-but learn things that are true.
-CMW.