V. Public Health Work at Home of Compassion

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XVI, Issue 3, 1 July 1927, Page 122

V . Public Health Work at Home of Compassion

The Sisters of Compassion have been engaged in work for the benefit of public health for nearly thirty years in Wellington City. The work at the Home of Compassion is divided into four groups, as follows : — 1. Infant and Child Welfare. 2. Nursing and Care of Congenital Defectives. 3. Nursing and Care of Chronic Diseases in Adults and Children. 4. Nursing and Care of Operation Cases, i.e., Surgical Work. SECTION 1. Feeding and Care of Infants and Young Children. Babies are admitted at 4 weeks, and are usually kept for two years and over, with few exceptions. Average admissions are 20 to 25 per annum. Accommodation for 25 in Nursery Annex. Babies admitted are of foundling type, badly nourished and giving evidence of pre-natal interference, the normal baby being the exception. They are reared on modified humanised milk, made from new milk, separator cream, etc. (milk obtained from herd on the premises). Milk and cream are graded to suit each individual child. Where a baby shows intolerance for the proper proportion of cream, cod liver oil is substituted. Constipation is treated with carrot or orange juice, paraffin oil, raw apple, spinach puree, according to age and individual idiosyncrasy. Dried bread crusts are given freely, but no sweets or sweetened biscuits or raw sugar. Porridge has a little sugar cooked with it, and is served with a little butter. Milk is given to drink after porridge is eaten. All sloppy diet is carefully avoided. This is done with a view to teach children to masticate. Temporary cases, especially young children, are admitted during illness or incapacity of parents. Children develop well and grow sturdy, and are mentally bright — with some exceptions due to poor family history. Medical men remark about the sound, strong

teeth of the children. A small percentage show tendency to syphilitic ulceration — anus usually attacked. Some have been sent to Out Patients' Department, Wellington Hospital ; others have been treated in the institution. Infantile paralysis cases, transferred from hospitals, make periodical visits to orthopaedic specialist, Wellington Hospital, and show steady progress in developed muscular activity. Epidemic diseases not infrequently occur among the children, particularly scarlet fever, diphtheria, measles, chicken pox. Some of these are sent to Infectious Diseases Hospital, and some isolated and treated within the institution. An obstinate case of infant rumination was successfully treated, and is now a normal, healthy child. He was admitted at a month old, weighed 8\ lbs., made slow progress up to age of 9 months, and from that time he persistently ruminated his food, and at 12 months only weighed 10| lbs. By observation it was found the child would bring up food and ruminate it at any hour of the night. His arms were put in splints to keep his hands out of his mouth. The diet for a child of his age was slightly modified, and by keeping him interested in all his waking hours the child was cured at 18 months. From that time he developed steadily, and walked at the age of 1 year and 10 months — weight and mentality normal.

SECTION 2. Nursing of Congenital Defectives-

A fair proportion of these are due to head injury at birth. Others are: Amyotonia, hydrocephalus, microcephalus. chronic cerebro-spinal meningitis with marked head retractions, and cretinism. Some congenital defectives that have been sent in as hopeless incurable, have responded to training and thyroid treatment, have learned to speak and walk, and have been able to attend school, and have left the institution with a possibility of earning a livelihood.

The Sisters have had no special theoretical knowledge of the treatment and education of these cases, but experience and observation have led to a general mental and physical improvement of even hopeless cases. SECTION 3. Nursing and Care of Chronic Diseases — Adults and Children. Patients' surroundings are made as bright as possible ; wards have a cheerful aspect. Usual cases are those that usually gravitate to chronic wards and hospitals, viz., rheumatoid arthritis ; locomotor ataxia; chronic spinal affections, some with trophic ulceration of bladder ; paralysis of limbs, partial and complete ; Parkinson's disease ; diabetes ; malignant tumors, etc. Particular stress is laid on prevention

of bed sores, cleanliness, nourishing diet, fresh air and sunshine. SECTION 4. Surgical Section. Comprises : — Male and female wards, containing 17 beds in all. Operation block, comprising theatre, scrub-up room, anaesthetic room, sterilising room. All fully equipped. Good lighting and good heating apparatus. Operations of any kind, both major and minor, are undertaken. Specialists and surgeons give their services free. All branches of the work are gratuitous. Patients are admitted without regard to creed or colour, the sole object of the work being to benefit the poor. And the Sisters are trained solely for the efficiency of the work within the limits of the institution.