Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-07

HOW THE Ii TILE INDECENT INvALIps ARE CARED FOR
SCENES AT THE DIsPKNsARY BUILDING ON 10Th
STREET.-THE RAPID DISPOSITION OF CASES.

Il
HOW THE Ii TILE INDECENT rSvAIIps ARE CARED FOR
| SCENES AT THE DIsPkSsARY BUILDING ON 10Th
| STREET.-THE RAPID DISPOSITION OF CASES
Diseases OF children, Monday and Thursday,
| from TO pm" Such is one OF the many direc-
tons on the sgrboard In front OF the Central Free
DiSpenSary on 10th street When l O'Clock came
| yesterday, with the promptness that O'Clock has
| been known TO come every day from time imme-
mortal. STAR reporter made his way up the stairs
OF the dispenSary TO the children's room. In the
| second story. front room, which was innocent of
an furniture save table, some plain chairs and
oeIch the work or alternating the SufTerngS Of the
little ones had already commenced. In an adjoin-
! ing room sat a dozen or more women, both white
and some Of them with two or three children
OtnerS Sat upon the benches chairs In the front
The old fiction so useful to poets and ballad
makers, that where the rich have wealth the poor
nave health, Is very effectualy exploded by the
records or the free diSpenSary or by the diary OF
| any physlcl an to the poor.
THE MEDICAL STAFF.
| AT the table near the front windows sat Dr. R.
T. Holden, who was In charge OF the 'sservicer for
the day; DR.. G. L. Magruder, the physician regu-
larry In charge, being absent Two medical stu-
| dents sat with DR.. Holden at the table One made
the proper entries In book as the were dig-
| posed OF; the other rapidly wrote out prescrp-
lions at the dictation of DR.. Holden. Three other
young gentlemen, whose critical comments on the
various cases that were presented for treatment
| totayCu tucH ulSO us HleUical students, sat near
the table. Tie business had to be dispatched
| quickly, on account OF the great number OF
patents. A few questions, an examination OF
pulse, eye, chest or tongue prescription written
and one OF the student clerks call out the name of
the next patient.Just as the anxious and oquacious
mother Is about TO enlarge upon chidren,s ailments
In general, and TO go into detailed history OF the
| life OF the hopeful Immediately under cOnsidera-
| ZION. Each woman as she came in brought with
ner red card, bearing the number of the case
| date OF admission and other Information. This
caro- car, was laid on the table and the woman retired
with her child or children to flnl seat In due
order the name would be called, and the woman
| brought the invalid to the table for examination
THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
Inc group OF women and children waiting their
turn formed quite an interesting group. Many of
| the colored women, and the majority were
coored, were of the lowest type. such as one
| city.
There was one young white woman, who, not
WlSn u, hard work and hard times, seemed
| 10 strive TO keep up respectable appearance Her
! two little boys were we'll scrubbed and brushed
and did not look much in need OF medicine. There
little girl and sharp featured, scrawny, nervous
woman, with listless, fabby child in tow. There
period OF life where babyhood ends and childbood
| begins. Nearly all OF the babies had a moist look
aoout the nose, which suggested the need OF
| society for the free distribution of pocket hand
kerchiefs. There were children ranging ali the
way from toddlers, who tumbled about holding
their mothers dresses, and shily sucking a finger
| TO ungatnly big boys OF sixteen or seventeen
Some of the babes had b8ndapes ahout their
neads. one had Its little arm in sling Several
| OF them croWed very cheerly as though the visit
| TO the dispensary one OF the pleasantest
events events ;, In their lives. Others evinced a less
happy disposition and their mothers crowed over
| theLh 10 console them in their childish woes.
THE MEDICINAL VIRTUES OF BACON.
| bridget Boyle" called out one OF the medical
| students. A good-natured Irish woman led little
girl up to the table and told distressing story OF
the asonies the little one Dad suffered the night
before, as she unloosened the wrappings about the
| childs throat
"ln1iamed,' said the doctor, touching the throat
81 thought it was inflamed good dale,n said
! the woman, With broad brogue "Sure / put a
| Dit OF bacon on her throat. did"
A rapid examination followed Discovering q So
TlouS case or liberated sore throat and while the
| mother was still dScoursing on the efficiency of
bit OF bacon cure for ali the Ills which flesh ia
nelr 10, a prescription was made out, and Bridget
| Boyle and her little daughter Joined the throng
waning IN The room below for the druggist to COM
| pouho Inc prescriptions sent to him.
"MIsERY"
| The next In order was colored woman with her
| ten-year-old daughter. The daughters a.Iment
was most fully and satisfactorily described by the
| mother as "a stin neck and misery in her ear
Her misery was quickly prescribed for, and She
followed Bridget Boyle, receiving directions to
| come back Thursday
| The next woman called up was colored woman
| with two little children WHO were SUFFERING with
| chlliS. These children, boy and a girl were
twins about four years old, and the mother de-
| clared that when one gets sick the other one GETS
| SICK too, which called out remark by a facetfous
student, that they We're the Siamese twins The
| twins were disposed 0r quickly. Mary Bankett.
white. next came up, carrying pale mite of a
baby suffering with the chtlls. 1t had been grow
ing worse ST., since the last visit to the
The doctor directed the entry s.unfav0r-
| able RESULT to be made against the name, and
proceeded TO give new prescription to meet the
| new eXgenceS OF the case, and soon Mary Ranket
and her pale baby, joined the throng In the
| with a very black baby, arrayed in q very Whit,
| dress, with little White cap perchei sauclly
upon its round head. This interesting infant was
suffering with wheeling on the Chest" the
mother said The doctor gave pres cription and
dthe child go and wheeze no more. Then came
the colored woman with child having its arm in
| sling, "a dslocated arm" said the doctor .take
| That enid into the other room" The woman car
| ried the infant into the side room wnere She was
soon Joined by the doctor and his attendant stu
| dents. The doctor manipulated the arm rap.dly
but gently, readjusted the bandages, ordered q
| prescription, and that case was disposed of.
| PRESCRIBING BY TELEPHONE
! The next woman wanted a prescription for
Sammy, who, she said, was victim OF malaria.
Sammy was not present, because the malaria
would not let him come. show can treat him
unless l see him?" said the doctor not ILL
naturedly.
''He is the same as Elijah and Isaiah was,n said
| the woman, referring TO some ailments with
which Elijah and Isaiah, brothers OF the malari-
Gus sammy, had suffered in the dim past but
|
| and Elijah did not call w TO the mind of the doc
tor sufficiently clear Idea OF the TO justify
| him In prescribing.
ut is like prescribing by telephone" said the
| faCetiOuS student
The doctor directed the woman to send for the
physician TO the poor in her district to visit her
house, so the unfortunate Sammy will have to
battle, undoctored and undosed. with tho malaria
| until the poor physician comes around.
| A STOMACH ACHE
fat little three-year-old colored boy, with big
wondering eyes and pudgy bOw-legs, was the next
| patient
"His throat is WELL" said the mother, referring
to the subject OF complaint at former VISIT s'but
his stomach aches"
! 'StOmach aches?" said the DOCTOR kindly 81
| sympathize with anyone who has the stomach
| ache"
"A brief examination, short prescription, and
| the boy waddled off with his stomach ache.
The next infant was rickety-too much fat and
too little bone, the doctor said. Then, to add to
| its misery, 1t was tOngue-ted. It's appetite was
good, the mother said, and she thought it didn't
need phyStc but the doctor gave it a prescription
| to make its bones grow. Then taking pair OF
surgeons scissors, before the infant had time to
| cry, had opened its mouth and severed the
| troublesome membrane that clogged its tongue.
| The infant was borne away bawling and kicking