Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 263, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 November 1920 — FIRST AID IN RURAL HOMES [ARTICLE]

FIRST AID IN RURAL HOMES

Department of Agriculture Makes an Interesting Statement. USUALLY FAR FROM DOCTOR Farm Family Whose Members Know Rudiments of Caring for Sick Is Fortunate—Average Farm Home Is Five Miles From Family Doctor— Survey Shows Number' of Children in Farm Homes Is Very Small. Fortunate is the farm family whose members know the rudiments of caring for the sick and have an emergency kit fitted up and at hand. According to the figures in a survey of some 10? 000 fairm homes recently conducted by the United States department of agriculture, the average farm home is more than 5% mUes from the family doctor, 12 miles from a trained nurse, and about 14 miles from a hospital. These distances are shortest in the eastern section and longest In the western section. This means that even though the farm home be provided with an automobile and a telephone, (he farm family may be obliged to act unaided in case of sickness, child birth, or serious accident, and that its members perhaps need more than ordinary training to prepare them for such exigencies. Along with proper nutrition, clothing and exercise, sanitary conditions have an important bearing on the health of children and aMults on the farm. On the basis of 9,580 reports, 90 per cent-of rural homes still have an outdoor toilet. Only 20 per cent (6,784 answering) have bathtubs, and this does not necessarily imply hot water in cofinectlon. Almost ly the houses are screened, as indicated by the 96 per cent of 9,667 homes reporting. The desirable screened kitchen porch is found, however, in but 32 per cent of the 9,502 homes reporting. Few Children in Rural Homes. Among the surprises in tabulating the surveys was the small number of childrap in farm homes, 7,467 reports show an average of but 1.18 under teni years of age for each home and but 0.89 between ten and sixteen years of age. It may be of interest here to note that the number of. children,ln rural homes' of the East falls below the country-wide average, the report showing 0.9 children under tea years and 0.77 children between ten and sixteen years, on a basis of 2,573 reports, while that In the* western section is the highest with 1.4 children under ten years (1,734 reports) and 0.97 children between ten and sixteen years (1,823 reports). In any event child life is at a premium in rural districts, and for the future Of our agriculture, *if for no other reason, an intelligent effort should be made and as much money expended to safeguard the child crop on the farms as to safeguard other crops that have to do with building up the farmstead.