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Form No. 222
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
WASHINGTON. D. C.
INTER-OFFICE LETTER
To All Direct ors, Sanitary Units. Date October 11, 1918.
From Director, Bureau of Sanitary Service.
Subject Nurseing personnel for influenza work.
Under date of October 1, 1918, the American Red Cross War Council
appropriated the sum of $575,000 to be expended in cooperation with the
Public Health Service in combating influenza, and has appointed at National
Headquarters a committee on influenza. I am sending for your information
and guidance extracts from the General Instructions telegraphed to all Red
Cross Division Managers by the chairman of this committee:
"Paragraph 10. Because of the arrangements made with the Federal Publ ic
Health Service as stated above and because the available nursing personnel
within the control of the Red Cross is very limited such personnel will be
assigned for civiliar services in this epidemic only upon the direct and
specific requests of the Public Health Service.
"Paragraph 12. Accordingly from October 5th, Division Managers will not
authorize from the national appropriation made for this epidemic any payments
for salaries or other compensation for nursing personnel except upon notice
from the Department of Nursing that such personnel have been so assigned by
that Department.
"Paragraph 15. It is desirable that each community should depend upon its
own resources to thefutllest extent in order to keep all possible surplus
of such resources free for use in places where the need is overwhelming.
"Paragraph 17. To organize a commit tee consisting preferably of the
chairman of the chapter, a leading pkays ician, a representat ive of the local
committee on nursing service, when one exists, also the chairman of the
committee on nursing activities and the chairman of the home service section
and such additioral members as may be desirable to be known as the chapter's
committee on influenza. Similar- committees may when warranted be formed
in branches of chapters. These committees should be formed at once even
though the disease is not prevalent as a mans of preparedness for possible
local needs and in order to help other comnities.
"Paragraph 18. Through this commit tee and in consultation with the Public
Health Officer in its jurisdiction to make survey of available nursing personnel within its own conmnity and to make similar survey of available
hospital supplies.
S3AIH3 V 1VNOILVN 3HI It ~fOOI3
