The Herald-Sun from Durham, North Carolina • 27

DURHAM MORNING HERALD DURHAM SUNDAY APRIL 20 1947 SEC PAGE 3 Durham's 19 Public Health Nurses Watch Closely Pulse Of Population By GEORGE LOUGEE JR Thirty-three years ago' In the tobacco-bred town of Durham tongues wagged freely with skepticism and good-atured derision me year prior in 1913 a Health Department had been established and now somebody advertised as a public health nurse was coming in to play nurse maid to the community But the townspeople's doubt soon changed to praise and admiration A wholesome spirit of cooperation was achieved and instead of being a subject of jest the nurse by her humanitarian-ism and untiring service promoted a new confidence in public health work In recognition of the ladies in blue and white whose work is dedicated to improving and maintaining the good health of every resident even before he is bom to his death this entire week today through April 28 has been proclaimed Know Your Public Health Nurse Week" Here in Durham we have 19 Public Health nurses who are graduate registered nurses with additional training in public health But the work does not end here In addition to giving individual counseling in the school consulting with the teachers on health problems and holding Parent-Teacher and nurse conferences the nurse follows up any defects found in the child's physical makeup and visits the home of this student But again the duty doesn't end here The nurse visits the home to learn the relationship of the family toward each other in the community In this way the nurse demonstrates an interest in the health of the adult as well as the children Each nurse is qualified to do every type of work in this generalized program and is responsible for her particular district The six clinic nurses who perform their chores solely in the Health Department boast of one of the finest clinic set-ups in the entire nation Mrs Elizabeth the dean of Durham nurses handles the important immunization program and fewitizens there are in this city who can say they have not been a subject for this needle -Nurse provides immunization against typhoid whooping cough tetanus-diphtheria and smallpox Children and even adults who visit the clinic with a dread of a lose all sense of fear because of Mrs friendly and reassuring smile The are given with a quick featherlike touch and a lot of her customers depart with somewhat of a disappointment because the job as painful as they expected Mrs O'Kelly serves too as a receptionist for the chest fluoroscope for tuberculosis program This staff includes 11 field nurses (seven white and four Negro) six clinic nurses a nurse supervisor and a nurse who serves as educational director Several thousand calls and conferences are held every month of the year as the diligent health promoters keep their fingers on the pulse of the population Even before a child is born the health nurse has inaugurated a program designed to assure his safe arrival This program is known as Pre-Natal Clinics Each field nurse is assigned a district which she thoroughly covers She makes visits to pre-natal homes and when the baby is bom she follow's his progress calling on the new mother and the baby As the infant grows older it has the splendid opportunity of gaining additional health service by attending one of the seven Well Baby Clinics Five of these clinics are white and two Negro The Planned Parenthood Clinic is another important phase of Public Health Nurse work This clinic is conducted weekly by Dr Annie Smith who is assisted by nurses in aidng mothers in spacing their births When little Suzie or Johnny outgrows the baby stage and begins thinking about attending school the Public Health nurse again serves as his or health guardian Pre-school clinics are offered in all schools Defects are carefully checked and recommendations for corrections made so that the little fellow will be a healthy specimen when his first school bell rings The nurses assist the doctor with these school physical examinations and with the school principals plan a substantial health program sponsored by the Health Department Five nurses work in the venereal disease clinic a clinic which is so efficient modern and advanced that eminent medical authorities from throughout the world visit it with the view toward using the clir ri-Mi for a plant in their One of the lar tV cl this type in Amern i-n ization serves as i i-r clinic for all tyj rl diseases and offer- rr- tr gonorrhea The cl the department change years ago when i'-zr s' -eminent establish- i a rai ment center for ie old NYA site in Di-fij'-a Persons found are referred to fl v- at li with Charlotte ai '-vy such hospitals in 1 i Mrs Emily Pi cl is r- visor of Durham i nurses a position i 1 i'rW for many years wi lcij Cox is educat and assistant super -urve This educational -1 irclu'ics planning of work 'x nurses who are r'-rostered nurses sent jrr universities for in public health Health Supt i -commending the -r -e Public Health a services Laj -t-j proved of immen this nation State and commiu The health of the people has unproved through the years a shown by the infant mortrLty rate and the birth and death This is due in no small nw r0 to your Public Health nurse And Public Health services are available to it-cause they are supported tv -ex funds i at the desk of Granville County Library left to right Brent Haney and Helen Hall and serving them are Miss Mrs Edith Cannady librarian are Yvonne Hughes Janet Sophronia Cooper left and Library Rounding Years Of Service 7-isP LINED UP FOR SERVICE Speed Dorothy Currin Lila Granville Out 10 By TOM JOHNSON Oxford April 19 Granville County Library established by vote of the people in an election held in 1936 soon is to round out 10 years of service marked by increased patronage and phenominal growth Even now the library located on the first floor of the county-owned Agriculture Building near the court house is overfilled and the board of trustees headed by John Mayes Jr- is formulating plans for a new building which may become a war memorial When its citizens voted on Nov 6 1936 approval of a proposed 3 cents tax levy on each 6100 of property valuation for establishment and operation of a public library Granville County became the first in the southeast to take such step Fortunately through pioneering efforts of the Oxford Woman's Club there was a cordial interest here in the proposal for the club had a library of some 2500 volumes which are circulated In the community It was in September 1937 that the Library opened in its present location with the Club Library given to the county as a nucleus for its public library cm the many bare shelves Five years later a Negro branch was opened on Granville Street in an especially erected building The rapid growth of Granville which makes regular trips to the six high schools outside of Oxford visits six book stops periodically and stops at 52 stations in the county taking volumes from the institutions 10000 volumes to thousands of rural residents The members of the library board of trustees serving with Mr Mayes are Pittard Mrs Bay Mrs A A Hicks Fred Webb Jr Bobbitt Eakes Clement Yancey and Mrs Bullock The Negro division of the Library is under the supervision of Mrs Maude Lassiter It has a program of reading which is developing interest among youthful as well as older patrons Committees from the board of trustees are already making investigations and studies with a view of future expansion of the Granville County Library The proposal that a new library be erected as a war memorial has struck a responsive chord and something definite will be offered the public within a short while officials state Meanwhile the number of patrons served by the county library is growing as it has already grown beyond all expectations of the early advocates The county that pioneered in establishing tax-supported library service has no intention of letting its book-lovers go away with famished appetites DR DERWIN COOPER is shown giving a fluoroscope chest examination for tuberculosis Nurse Elizabeth O'Kelly serves as receptionist for this program while other public health nurses are available to assist Dr Cooper when needed rJ? i "s' 4 Ma AT THE PRE-NATAL CLINIC at Lincoln Hospital Public Health Nurae Dudley is shown assisting Dr II Bruce and Nurse Ethel Brown in making a blood pressure test of an expectant mother These clinics are held regularly in the basement of this hospital Latest Data On Status Of Health Of States People County Library as measured by the increase in book circulation and the number of persons served may be attributed largely to the helpfulness of the personnel Mrs Edith Fagan Cannady librarian Miss Sophronia Cooper cataloguer and Miss Florine Kittrell clerk and bookmobile driver It necessary to go to the Granville County Library to get service The library is as close as a telephone or mail box Books are renewed upon receipt of a telephone call and books may be reserved for a patron for a limited time in the same manner saving patrons many trips to the library and thus giving them more time for reading at home Teachers ministers club members journalists and others frequently make telephone requests for information or reference material which the librarians cheerfully furnish Spelling questions on geography books on special subjects these and many other calls come within the course of a routine day It is not unusual for a visitor to the Library to find Mrs Cannady sitting in the children's book corner with a number of small boys and girls gathered around as she reads to them while their mothers browse among the books The Library owns a bookmobile been no appreciable spread to the civilian population Cases for 1946 totaled 369 as compared to 554 the previous year Venereal Diseases The chief communicable disease problem in the State that might be considered as war-connected is that of syphilis In 1946 there were reported 2452 cases of primary and secondary syphilis among males as compared to 1522 the preceding year There has been a corresponding increase among females namely 2121 cases for 1946 and 1250 for 1945 The decline in the number of late cases that has taken place for several years was continued during the past year Gonorrhea reports for the white race showed a decline in 1946 however in the colored race the totals were 10994 for 1946 and 7365 for 1945 Rocky Mountain spotted fever continued a twelve-year upward trend during 1946 There were 66 cases afad 21 deaths reported Endemic typhus fever which had shown a ten-year upward trend in 1944 and was expected to continue upward in the southeastern United States has declined in the past two years Ringworm Problem One new communicable disease problem made its appearance in this State during 1946 An outbreak of epidemic ringworm of the scalp was called to the attention of health officials in Alamance County by Dr Callaway of Duke Hospital Approximately 300 cases of this disease have been located in the area A control program is being carried out through the cooperation of the local medical society public schools barbers and health department A survey is being carried out in the larger centers of population to determine the prevalence of this condition in other areas so that if necessary measures can be instituted in attempt to prevent the occurrence of other localized epidemics Up' to the present time the problem in the cities surveyed -is predominantly In the colored population The past year brought a record number of births preliminary estimates give a total of well over 100200 The birth rate of 262 per 1000 population is the highest record since 1926 The crude death rate of 76 deaths per 1000 population is the lowest ever recorded in North Carolina The maternal and infant death rates have both continued to decline The ten leading causes of death for 1946 show no change over 1945 are as follows: Heart disease A PRE-SCHOOL EXAMINATION Clinic is shown under way at Oak 'Grove School with Public Health Nurse Carrie Wilson assisting: Dr Alta Davison in ascertaining: if this youngster is physically prepared to go to school for the first time CLEO MANGUM Public Health nurse is shown assisting: Dr George A Watson at the Well Baby Clinic at Erwin Auditorium This type of clinic is held at various sections of the city and county and affords the best of baby medical diagnosis and advice for parents By CHARLES STEVICK Director of Epidemiology and Vital Statistics North Carolina State Board of Health The collection and analysis of morbidity and mortality data by the Division of Epidemiology and Vital Statistics during 1946 revealed many interesting features regarding the status of the health of North Carolina's population Pulmonary tuberculosis the leading cause of death among the communicable disease was responsible for 1065 deaths as coxn-parel to 1287 for 1945 thereby establishing a new low Beginning improvement in tuberculosis casefinding is reflected in the ratio of minimal to advanced cases for 1946 as compared to 1945 Of 1894 active cases reported during the past year 153 per cent were mim-imal 380 per cent were moderately advanced and 46J per cent were far advanced In 1945 147 per cent of the 1803 active cases reported were minimal 370 per cent were moderately ad vanced and 483 per cent were far advanced Pertussis another major cause of death among the communicable diseases showed the lowest number of both cases and deaths in the history of the State except for the year 1936 Pertussis cases totaled 3394 and deaths 57 Decline in Diphtheria Diphtheria the next most important communicable disease in so far as deaths are concerned caused fewer cases than ever before but the number of deaths did not drop fcs low as the previous record The 1946 cases were 590 in number as compared to 1275 the previous year and 665 for 1944 the best year on record up to that time Diphtheria deaths reported to date for 1946 numbered 53 as compared to 35 for 1944 Typboid fever continued to decline as a public health problem Only 54 cases were reported during the past year Malaria among returning service men has been reported frequently but there appears to have ASPHALT TILE it RUBBER TILE I CAROLINA LINOLEUM CO DIAL J-79S4 WAKE FOREST ROAD 2 Intracranial vascular lesions 3 Nephritis 4 Cancer 5 Congenital malformations prematurity and neonatal diseases 6 Pneumonia 7 Violent deaths and non-vehi-cular accidents 8 Pulmonary tuberculosis 9 Automobile accidents 10 Other diseases of the digestive system In addition to the collection and analysis of routine statistical data and the preparation of the standard reports the Division carried out several special surveys and statistical projects and gave assistance to a large number of applicants for statistical information Field work with local public health personnel for the purpose of strengthening the communicable disease program has been continued Malaria Control Progreso The Malaria Control Unit of this Division continued the blood slide survey that has been in progress for a period of years A total of 13209 slides were taken from children in the first six grades of school in three counties in the malarious section of the State The survey was conducted in areas not previously visited The Public Health Service laboratory in Atlanta accepted 10200 slides for examination The reports are not yet available from this group From that part of the remaining group of slides examined to date in our own laboratory no positive cases have been found A further increase took place in the construction of new ponds This was chiefly due to the activity of the Soil Conservation Service in the promotion of pond construction for fish soil erosion and other purposes The Soil Conservation Service cooperated with the North Carolina State Board of Health by requiring the person planning to build a pond to obtain a permit from us before they would participate Inspections were made of existing ponds With forces equipment and materials provided by the Public Health Service a much larger DDT residual spraying program than that conducted last year was carried on in areas proven to be malarious by positive blood smears or other means Attempts were made to spray the home of each discharged service man who had a malaria history A total of 40683 homes was sprayed with DDT during the year Funds have been provided by the Public Health Service to continue this program during 1947 MARGUERITE HILLIARD Public Health nurse is shown giving a blood test to a young girl at the Venereal Disease Clinic of the Health Department This clinic is second to none in the South and eminent medical authorities from throughout the world visit the clinic in view of modeling their plant after it Field nurses follow up communicable disease cases PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE Elizabeth O'Kelly dean of Durham nurses at work in her immunization clinic giving a of preventive serum Nurse O'Kelly has a knack of needle jabbing which promote dread and stubborness The group of small children are getting a big kick out of watching her work as they await their turn for vaccination (Herald Staff Photos by Cooper).