The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

104 THE HEALTH BULLETIN.WATCH YOUR NURSEMAIDS.Nursemaids are a very potent healthfactor in child life. Children's diseasesare frequently conveyed by them,and sometimes diseases more far-reachingare directly chargeable to ignorant,careless, or diseased nurses. Thisis particularly true in the South, wherecolored women do much of the nursing.Perhaps the only reason we do nothave more crimes of preventable diseasescharged up to careless, ignorant.or diseased nurses is that, as a rule.it is very hard to determine the exactsource, cause, or occasion wherein acase of preventable sickness was contracted.In May, 1912, however, in alarge children's home, a nurse havingtuberculosis was given charge of a wardof ten small infants ranging from twoto four years of age. All ten of thesechildren had been tested for tuberculosisthe month before this nursemaidtook charge, and it was then found thatthree out of the ten had been previouslyinfected with tuberculosis, but were notin an active stage of the disease at thattime.It was noticed within six weeksafter employing this nurse that she hadtuberculosis, and she was promptly removedon the first of July, and thechildren again examined, but only thesame three responded to the test.Three months later, however, the childrenwere again examined, and it wasWarren H. Booker, C E., Assistant Secretary.found at that time that tubercular infectionhad developed sufficiently inevery case to be recognized by the tuberculintest. These children could nothave contracted tuberculosis from anyone else except the tuberculous nursemaid,as she was the only person thatcame in contact with them. Even theirmilk supply was Pasteurized by heatingto l-iS F. for 45 minutes to kill anytubercular infection from the cows.It should be noted that there werenearly three hundred children in thisinstitution, and it was found that thiswas the only tuberculous nurse present.It was also found that the childrenunder this particular nurse were theonly ones to develop tubercular infectionafter coming to the institution.All this goes to show the grave dangerof infecting our children by means ofnursemaids.Fortunately, these early tubercularinfections are, as a rule, readily overcomeby children, but not always, asis shown by the records of deaths fromtuberculosis among children. The lessonto be borne in mind is the possibilityand the danger of having ourlittle ones and our loved ones infectedby a race of people having three timesthe amount of tuberculosis that whitepeople have, as well as a great excess ofcertain other preventable diseases, tosay nothing of the loathsome venerealdiseases.WE WANT TO HELP YOU.Warren H. Booker, C E., Assistant Secretary.Miss Teacher, Mrs. Club Woman. ten out to accompany them. One ofMessrs. Preachers and all other Public- the lectures is on tuberculosis and isSpirited Citizens, we want to help you.Will you let us?Here is one way in which the StateBoard of Health can help you in yourschool, church, and community work.We have just secured two sets of lanternslides, with lectures already writ-well adapted for any mixed audience,while the other lecture is on the generalsubject of health, the teeth, voice, hearing,and sight. It is especially adaptedfor schools, and for work on the medicalinspection of school children.Anv one can "deliver" or read one of