"THE LEAST OF THESE."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18296, 12 January 1923, Page 9

"THE LEAST OF THESE."

MINISTERING TO THE SICK.

ST. JOHN DISTRICT NURSES.

WORKING FOR HUMANITY.

No finer humanitarian work is going on in Auckland at. the present time than that performed by the District Nursing Service of the St. John Ambulance Association. It is in the hands of two women, Nurse Saunders Jones and Nurse Edgerley, and they have done work in the humble homes of Auckland far beyond any measurement by figures or statistics. They have tended those who in pain and sickness would otherwise have known no ministering hand, have come to the aid of women in sore distress, have eased the sufferings of little children, and removed the burden of terror and anxiety from many a poor mother's heart. An Untouched Field. In starting their work some three years ago, the St. John nurses entered a practically untouched field. When very poor people are sick, they usually just endure it, either struggling back gradually to health after illness has run its course, or giving up life's struggle under a burden which has become too ' heavy. Sometimes in cases of severe illness, they went to the general hospital, more often they just made the best of things and muddled through in the . way that poverty and necessity have ever enforced.

The position is different. ~to-day. No home in Auckland is too poor for the St. John nurses to enter, no,- : , work too arduous or. too distasteful for' them to undertake under some conditions such as arise in homes of ignorance and poverty, it can be very unpleasant indeed. Every call for help is answered promptly, and the nurses have established themselves as a tower of strength and comfort to those in need. Full credit must, of course, be given to individual workers among the homes of the poor, and to kindly medical men whose ministrations allay untold misery, but the St. John nursing service remains the only organised form of free district nursing which Auckland has yet known. In some cases, a free-will offering is made in grateful recognition of timely help, but no payment is ever requested, niid the service is maintained by vo l -!!!- tary contributions to a fund established by the association. The Auckland Hospital Board recently made a donation of £100 to this fund, in recognition of the urgent need which now exists for the appointment of a third nurse, and it is hoped that when this sum has been sufficiently supplemented, the two nurses i now at work will be given some assistI ance.

111-effects of Overcrowdi&g. The work is growing tremendously, and filling an ever-increasing need. During the year just past, 8718 visits were paid by. the nurses, nearly 600 more than in 1921. The total number of cases treated was 762, an increase of 141, and 100 minor operations were performed. Conditions of overcrowding such as exist in Auckland at present are undoubtedly having their effect on the health of children and adults alike; for one thing, they increase enormously the risk of infection, a risk which it is always very difficult to get a certain class of people to take into serious consideration. Under the conditions which exist in many Auckland homes " to-day, it would be a matter of almost superhuman effort to prevent the spread of infectious disease from one part of the house to another.

During the last three months, according to the St. John nurses, there; have been many cases of measles, for instance, and the trouble shows no sign of immediate abatement. This is not a notifiable disease, and is not usually considered a very serious matter, but nevertheless even a mild outbreak, unduly prolonged, is not without serious results, if only in the lowering of vitality of a large number of children.

Regard for Hygiene. "An important feature of our work is in trying to impress upon people the great importance of cleanliness, sunshine, and fresh air," said one of the nurses yesterday, " and I am happy to say that a, great * improvement is now becoming noticeable. Then, again, we constantly encourage the boys and girls to learn to swim, and once a child mis learned the joy of bathing, there is a desire for personal cleanliness." Another important feature of the nursing service was stated to be the relief which it was giving to the General Hospital. Instead of having to return : to this busy institution after discharge, for badges and dressings, many now came to the out-patients' department at the St. John rooms for attention. The nurses tackle every kind of work save infectious disease and midwifery, although sometimes the urgent need of the moment compels their service in the latter direction also. They perform simple operations, assist the doctors . in cases where medical aid<? is necessary, and visit patients within the whole city's radius, and up to within a mile of any tiamline. They have the use of a motor-car, and work steadily through a long day, and often late into the night. Value of the Comforts Fund. A very important adjunct to the nurses' work is the comforts fund, from which they purchase medicine, invalid's food, and otherwise meet the urgent needs of the sick and poor. This fund is low at present, and further contributions would be very gratefully received by the nurses. There is also need for unlimited supplies of old linen; the generous store donated by the commercial travellers from their clothes drive last year is now practically exhausted, and the shelves at the nursing depot ~ are distressingly bare. , ~ . . "We should be most thankful^ to receive any donations of this kind," said one of the nurses yesterday, " and are more than grateful for all the help given in the past. I should like people to know, too, that our patients themselves are very grateful for the work wo are trying to do. The gratitude of these poor people, who have so little, is very touching, and I think if those who are better off knew how much their gifts were appreciated, it would still further encourage their generosity." ~