Part 8

“Whether tuberculosis will be finally eradicated is even an open question. It is a foe that is very deeply intrenched in the human race. Very hard it will be to eradicate completely, but when we think of what has been done in one generation, how the mortality in many places has been reduced more than 50 per cent., indeed, in some places 100 per cent., it is a battle of hope, and so long as we are fighting with hope the victory is in sight.”—Dr. William Osler.

[Illustration: ADMINISTRATION BUILDING OF INDIANA RED CROSS TUBERCULOSIS CAMP.]

[Illustration: A GROUP OF COTTAGES OF INDIANA RED CROSS TUBERCULOSIS CAMP.]

[Illustration: A SINGLE COTTAGE (IN CENTER) COSTING $60. INDIANA RED CROSS TUBERCULOSIS CAMP.]

The Indiana Branch realized $3,851.58 from the sale of Christmas stamps. To dispose of this fund to best advantage in anti-tuberculosis work, the Executive Committee early in February appointed as a sub-committee, with power to act: Dr. Frederick A. R. Tucker, of Noblesville, president of the State Board of Health; Rev. Francis H. Gavisk and James W. Lilly. After providing specific relief in four curable cases, it was found that the greatest good could be accomplished by enlisting local co-operation in the practical work of relief.

[Illustration: A DOUBLE COTTAGE (COSTING $80) OF THE INDIANA RED CROSS TUBERCULOSIS CAMP.]

The Indianapolis Board of Health, through its health officer and secretary, Dr. Eugene Buehler, had recently established free clinics at the City Dispensary and Bobbs’ Free Dispensary, and had begun a campaign of publicity, advertising its clinics and carding groceries and meat markets, which were raised to a better sanitary standard, and in various ways, by visitation and distribution of pure food and medicines, surrounding patients at their homes with better hygienic conditions. The need for facilities to isolate and treat curable cases with the necessary fresh air and sunshine resulted in the establishment of a colony of cottages on the City Hospital grounds, the Indiana Branch furnishing the first four—two single and two double cottages. As soon as this became known the Second Presbyterian and St. John’s Catholic churches and private individuals arranged to donate others, until there are now on the grounds eleven cottages. The single cottages cost complete, $62, size 10 × 12; double cottages, 10 × 16, $80. The specifications are:

House, 10 × 16 feet, with concrete foundation under house and porch; foundation to be 6 inches high. Siding to be tongued and grooved drop-siding; framing material to be 2 × 4 placed flatwise 30 inches on centers; flooring and roof material to be tongued and grooved. Hip-roof on main building and shed roof on porch. Porch to be 6 feet wide, with square posts and small rail. Four windows, 35 × 35, with canvas tacked on frame hinged at top. Three windows, 18 × 35, with canvas tacked on frame hinged at top. One glass door to be placed in each single and two in each double house. All lumber to be dressed on both sides and to receive two coats of paint inside and out, color to be selected by owner. Two-ply rubberoid roofing to be placed on roof. Price for cottages outside Indianapolis same, with freight added.

A cottage was also erected, partly through funds provided by the Indiana Branch, to be used in connection with the colony for dining room and kitchen to prepare food for patients and quarters for nurses and cook. This cottage has sewer connection, hot and cold water and sanitary plumbing. Patients’ cottages have electric call bells to summon the nurse, and electric lights are supplied from the City Hospital plant. A bath house is now being erected, providing separate bath rooms for male and female patients.

Adjoining the City Hospital grounds the Flower Mission—a private charity partially supported by public funds—maintains a hospital for incurables. It is the only place in the State where hopeless cases are received. The Flower Mission nurses also minister to the relief of tuberculosis patients at their homes. The branch donated $500 to the furtherance of this work.

The plan inaugurated at Indianapolis under Dr. Buehler’s management contemplates (1) extension of facilities of the colony system to include and care for every offered curable case; (2) minimizing the danger of contagion and infection from chronic or incurable cases by isolation where practicable, or else supervizing the home conditions so as to surround the patient with hygienic comforts, pure food and drugs, and lessen the danger of infection to other members of the household. Both parts of the work are well under way and as fast as funds will permit the work will be extended.

The sub-committee, under the direction of Dr. Tucker, secured like co-operation of local authorities elsewhere in the State, and cottages have been erected as follows: Four in South Bend, four in Terre Haute, six in Evansville, three in Lafayette, and negotiations are pending for supplying Richmond, Fort Wayne, New Albany, Frankfort and Huntington. The branch erects the cottages and the local authorities maintain them. In every case it has proven an effective stimulus to local aid by the municipality and private charity.

NEW YORK

_Ferryboat for Red Cross._

Miss Mary Harriman, eldest daughter of E. H. Harriman, has taken one of her father’s Erie ferryboats and turned it into a man-o’-peace to fight tuberculosis. She has presented the boat to the Brooklyn Committee on the Prevention of Tuberculosis and the Brooklyn Red Cross Society.

It will go into commission as a part of the Red Cross Navy on July 1, when its flag will fly over an anchorage off Brooklyn.

Hammocks, steamer chairs, and other conveniences of out-in-the-air sleeping will be arranged for the accommodation of 300 men, women and children. Three meals a day will be served on the boat.

_Resolution of the International Association of Accident Underwriters._

Mr. A. E. Forrest, president of the North American Accident Insurance Company of Chicago, presented the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:

_Resolved_, That the International Association of Accident Underwriters, in convention assembled, herewith voices its profound admiration for the magnificent work of the American National Red Cross in its efforts for the relief of suffering and distressed humanity and for the prevention of disease;

_Resolved_, That we extend to the officers and members of the American National Red Cross our heartfelt co-operation, and earnestly recommend that not only the companies and associations, members of this association, but that all branches of insurance interests will, so far as lies in their power, promote its humane labors by a liberal use of the Red Cross Christmas stamps;

_Resolved_, That the thanks of this convention are herewith tendered to Miss Mabel T. Boardman, a noble woman, whose ardent labors in the cause of humanity sheds such bright lustre upon American womanhood, for the charming compliment which her letter addressed to this association so graciously conveys; be it further

_Resolved_, That the thanks of this convention are herewith tendered to Mr. Max Cohen, editor of _Views_, Washington, D. C., for embodying this appeal from one of the greatest instrumentalities for a higher and finer civilization in his interesting and instructive address pertaining to the presentation by this association of its George E. McNeill medal in rewarding acts of heroism in the saving of human life.

WHAT THE CHRISTMAS STAMP IS DOING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

By GEORGE B. LEIGHTON.

[Illustration]

New Hampshire is a small State, but its people have the same interest in advancing the methods of living and the same desire to be abreast of the times that people of other States have. The motives which govern its people are as high minded as in any other State, and a great deal that has been said in regard to the political shortcomings of the State are not in accordance with the facts. The people of New Hampshire became interested in the Christmas stamp idea, and, so far as they were able, have seemingly accomplished a good deal to be proud of. The New Hampshire Federation of Women’s Clubs, through the then president, Mrs. Lorin Webster, took a deep interest in the Christmas stamp campaign of last December, and largely through their efforts we had in bank something over $1,300. Naturally, many people who had helped in selling the stamps felt that they should have a part of the funds for particular cases of tuberculosis in which they were interested, but the officers of the Red Cross took the position that these funds were to be used for general rather than for special work, believing that in the end more good would be accomplished. As there are no tuberculosis societies in the State of any prominence, although one exists in name, we decided to spend this money on rather new lines. We believed that the way to exterminate a disease was to prevent, so far as possible, new cases. To accomplish this end a poster was prepared, which is indicated in the cut, and it has been very generally circulated through the State, being placed in all schools, mills, railway stations and places of public meeting. In the distribution of this poster the Women’s Clubs assisted materially. All together, some 8,000 of these posters have been distributed and requests are coming in continually for additional copies. The poster states in concise language three conspicuous factors or conditions in the campaign against tuberculosis, that the disease is contagious, that it is curable, and that it is preventable. The Boston & Maine Railroad, which operates practically the entire railway mileage in New Hampshire, has taken a deep interest in this matter in that they have placed the placards in all of their stations and have instructed their agents to see that they are not defaced or removed. This assistance has been most helpful. The railway even went further and placed the placards in its stations in other States, for it has a considerable mileage in Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine. The result of this has been that numerous requests have been received from Massachusetts, from people interested in the tuberculosis campaign, for those posters, as they have seen them in the other States. The people in the good commonwealth of Massachusetts have been obliged to confess that they have had to come to New Hampshire for a very important suggestion in this work. The more the writer familiarizes himself with the tuberculosis campaign the more he is impressed that if the disease can be eliminated it must be done by informing practically every citizen of the State how to avoid contracting it, and we believe that what we have accomplished by this poster has been or will prove to be successful.

The superintendent of public instruction in our State, Mr. Morrison, grasped the idea of the importance of this poster early in the campaign, and he prepared a letter to all his subordinates directing them to place the poster in the schools and to see that attention was directed to them by the teachers. Again, Rev. R. E. Thompson, head of the New Hampshire Sunday School organization, felt the importance of this work, and he, too, prepared a circular letter to be sent to 600 superintendents and teachers in the State requesting them to put a placard in all Sunday Schools and direct attention to it. Copies of the poster were sent to the different granges throughout the State. The posters have been printed on cardboard, measuring 19 × 12½, and they cost, with envelopes, about a cent a piece.

In addition to this form of publicity the New Hampshire Branch has prepared two bulletins, one being a reprint of Rev. Elwood Worcester’s article which appeared in the _Ladies’ Home Journal_ for March, 1900, on the class method of treating tuberculosis. This has been circulated gratuitously throughout the State. The conditions seem to be such in our State that in a good many communities the class method ought to accomplish much. Again, we prepared as Bulletin No. 3 an article issued by the Boston Association for the Relief and Control of Tuberculosis, which treats in a very simple manner of the essentials of right living and clean living. This bulletin is also being distributed gratuitously.

So much as indicating how the campaign has been carried on through the assistance of printer’s ink, but we have in addition secured the services of Mrs. Duryea, whose duties are to go about the State and tell of the class method of treating tuberculosis. The method of procedure is that she communicate with the officers of the local Women’s Club, some of the medical men and other prominent citizens, to the end that a meeting will be arranged, and at this meeting she tells of what has been done in Boston at the Massachusetts General Hospital in curing those afflicted with the disease.

We have found, regrettably, that the doctors in some of the smaller communities have not sufficiently studied the apprehension of the disease in its early stages. The State Board of Health has recognized this and is endeavoring to bring before the profession means and suggestions so that all of its members may have the latest word on this subject. The State of New Hampshire has directed, and is about to open for the treatment of patients, a sanitarium situated in the northern central section of the State, but this sanitarium will accommodate very few cases, and for this reason our campaign has been largely to interesting communities in establishing tuberculosis classes.

The death rate from tuberculosis in New Hampshire has decreased materially in the last ten years. It has dropped from considerably over 1 death per 1,000 of population to less than 1 death per 1,000 of population. A study of the report of the State Board of Health shows that the death-rate is higher in proportion to the population in that part of the State nearest the sea than it is in the western or Connecticut valley district.

We feel that we can not as yet consider our work anything more than begun. It is a campaign of education, and when considered from this point of view we feel that we have accomplished a great deal. Unquestionably, a very much larger number of citizens know certain things about tuberculosis than they did six months or a year ago. Everybody must know these facts before the work of publicity is fully accomplished.

We have made an open offer of financial assistance to any tuberculosis class or summer camp that is established, and in the coming years a much larger amount of money can be distributed in this way.

RED CROSS NURSES’ DEPARTMENT

_Miss Delano’s Appointment._

The Red Cross can not fail to be greatly pleased by the following announcement:

Miss Jane A. Delano, of New York, has been appointed Superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps. Miss Delano was formerly Superintendent of Nurses at the Bellevue Hospital in New York, and is President of the National Association of Nurses. It is probable that an attempt will be made at the next session of Congress to enlarge and organize the Army Nurse Corps.

Miss Delano has long been deeply interested in the Red Cross and has been for some time a member of the New York State Branch Committee on Nurses. She will be appointed a member of the Red Cross War Relief Board and be made the Chairman of its Subcommittee on Nurses. By this arrangement the whole system of the Regular Army Nursing Corps and Red Cross Nursing Corps will be placed under one head, so that in case of war the plans for Red Cross nursing assistance will fall into complete accord with the demands of the Army Medical Service. Miss Delano will, therefore, be not only fully advised as to the regular nursing strength of the Army Corps, but will know exactly the status of the volunteer aid of the Red Cross Nursing Corps.

At the annual meeting of the Federation of Nurses, held last June at Minneapolis, a resolution was passed that the Alumnæ Association of Trained Nurses of the United States affiliate with the Red Cross according to the plan outlined by the War Relief Board. This plan provides for a Subcommittee on Nurses of the War Relief Board, the committee of fifteen to consist of a Chairman, who is to be a trained nurse, two other trained nurses, an Army surgeon, and a Navy surgeon, and one other person, all members of the War Relief Board, six trained nurses selected from a list submitted by the Nurses’ Alumnæ Association, and three other persons, all to be appointed by the Chairman of the War Relief Board.

CALIFORNIA.

The lectures of the Nurses’ Auxiliary of the California Branch, of which Mrs. L. L. Dunbar, President of the Children’s Hospital, is Chairman, and Miss Frances S. Hershey, Secretary, have continued uninterruptedly. Miss Katherine Brown, Superintendent of Nurses at the Children’s Hospital, and Miss Killiam have been very active in this work, as well as Miss Eisel and Miss McCarthy. The lectures at the Heynemann Overall and Shirt Factory, at the noon hour, have proven very interesting and profitable, both to lecturer and the class. They have found the work mutually enjoyable. This auxiliary has also undertaken a course of lectures at the request of the Young Women’s Christian Association. Notices of these lectures have been posted in the retiring rooms of the large department stores. The Branch is planning courses in home nursing and hygiene for the Chinese women of the city of San Francisco.

PENNSYLVANIA.

_Work of a Red Cross Nurse._

PHILADELPHIA, July 30, 1909.

Captain JOHN S. MUCKLE, _President, Pennsylvania Branch, American National Red Cross_.

I have the honor, in compliance with your request, to hand you the following report in reference to my aid to the injured at the collapsed building at the northeast corner of Eleventh and Market streets, Philadelphia, on Thursday afternoon, July 15, 1909:

I was walking west on the north side of Market street, between Tenth and Eleventh streets, about 1 o’clock, with my mother, Mrs. D. S. Baxter, when I heard a terrific crash, followed by clouds of dust. I left my mother standing on the sidewalk and ran in the direction of the disaster, and on my way left my hat in the saloon of the Bingham House, southeast corner of Eleventh and Market streets, and then ran over to the collapsed building and saw two injured women being taken away to a hospital from the sidewalk in an automobile. As I entered the ruins I was stopped by a city policeman, and stated to him that I was a Red Cross nurse, and the officer immediately let me pass into the collapsed building. I found a projecting joist, which I hung on to and dropped into the cellar, where I saw two men; one was already dead, and the other, H. W. Fickis, I called to and he answered. By this time a police officer and a doctor of medicine joined me, and we three tried to remove the above two, but found it impossible. I then turned to help others, and succeeded in bringing one, Martin L. Lewis, to the surface, and stuffed my handkerchief into the cut in his head and took him to the Hahneman Hospital in a patrol wagon; then returned to the building and continued removing those I found, James Haggerty, Thomas Devine, Peter Nelson, and James Noble, dressed their wounds, and sent one, James Haggerty, to the Hahneman Hospital, and the others to Medico Chi Hospital, in a patrol wagon. By this time they had removed the man I had seen in the cellar, H. W. Fickis, put him in the patrol wagon, and I dressed his wounds and took him to the Hahneman Hospital. My last injured man, Albert Creen, I sent to the Jefferson Hospital in a patrol wagon. In dressing the wounded I used my handkerchief and underskirt, and when these gave out used the bandages I found in the patrol wagon. After I had taken and sent about twenty-two injured to the hospitals, and the dead, six, were removed, I returned to the collapsed building and helped the firemen and police officers and workmen who were cleaning up the debris, as they were alone, no one having remained to help them. I stayed in the collapsed building until the very last person had been removed. Through the courtesy and kindness of Mr. George W. B. Hicks, Mayor’s statistician, I was taken home in his automobile late that night. I hand you a copy of a letter from Hon. John E. Reyburn, Mayor of Philadelphia.

Very truly, yours,

MARGARET B. SIMON, _American National Red Cross Nurse No. 604_.

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, PHILADELPHIA, July 15th, 1909.

Mrs. MARGARET B. SIMON, _Philadelphia, Pa._

MY DEAR MRS. SIMON: In a report of the terrible accident at Eleventh and Market streets this afternoon when a building of the United Gas Improvement Company collapsed, imprisoning in a mass of wreckage a large number of people, special mention is made of your heroic action in offering early aid to those seriously injured.

The Red Cross badge justifying your membership in a great organization gained you immediate entrance to the heart of the disaster, and all agree in saying that you proved by your splendid work and helpful sympathy your right to be considered an honor to the great order.

I think it due to you that public recognition should be made of your brave and successful work in a time of extreme excitement and danger; grateful for this new reason to be proved not only of the Red Cross but of the women of Philadelphia.

I am, yours, very truly,

JOHN E. REYBURN, _Mayor of Philadelphia_.

_Letter from President of the Red Cross._

THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, August 5, 1909.

Mrs. MARGARET B. SIMON, _Louden and Camac streets, Philadelphia, Pa._

DEAR MRS. SIMON: Through the President of the Pennsylvania Red Cross Branch I have learned of your brave and helpful action on July 15, at the time of the serious accident caused by the collapse of a building in the city of Philadelphia. As President of the American Red Cross permit me to express to you its sincere appreciation of the services you gave in the capacity of Red Cross nurse in rendering first aid to so many of the victims and at so much risk to your own life.

The knowledge that the society has enrolled so courageous, faithful and valuable a nurse as yourself is a great satisfaction to its officers and an inspiration to its nursing corps.

Sincerely yours,

WM. H. TAFT.

_Reunion Program._

Following is the program of the First Annual Reunion of the nurses enrolled in the Pennsylvania Branch of the American National Red Cross at Philadelphia, September 18 to September 25, 1909:

Saturday, September 18—Reunion.

Sunday, September 19—Attend service at Christ Church (11 a. m.).

Monday, September 20—Call on the Hon. John E. Reyburn, mayor of Philadelphia, at the City Hall (12 noon). Afternoon, visit places of interest, institutions, etc.

Tuesday, September 21—Visit Philadelphia hospitals. Afternoon, visit places of interest, institutions, etc. Evening, Keith’s Theatre, as the guests of Mr. B. F. Keith, through the courtesy of Mr. H. T. Jordan.

Wednesday, September 22—Visit Philadelphia County Prison, Tenth and Reed streets (morning), and Eastern Penitentiary (afternoon). Evening, reception given to the nurses by the “Colonial,” at Logan, Pa.

Thursday, September 23—Trip on the river. Assemble at Race street wharf at 2 p. m. (A boat has been placed at our disposal through the courtesy of the Hon. Henry Clay, director of public safety of the city of Philadelphia.)

Friday, September 24—Call on Mrs. John S. Muckle, wife of the President of the Pennsylvania Branch, at her summer home “Windrush,” in Germantown. Train leaves North Philadelphia Station 12.26 p. m. for Queen Lane Station.

Saturday, September 25—“Atlantic City.” Train leaves Broad Street Station at 9.40 a. m.

FIRST AID DEPARTMENT

CALIFORNIA