Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-08
INFECTION HOSPITAL S
Information Received by the Commits
siOners From Foreign Capitals
The Practice i'm Austria and Hungary
where Nearly Every Community
Has Such an Institution.

The Commissioners today received a le.-
ter from the Secretary OF State relative to
the establishment of hospitals for conta-
sious diseases in foreign capitals. 1t for
wards the following letter from Austria:
The Isolation of persons affected with
contagious diseases is one of the first meas
ures ADOPTED in Austria. in order to prevent
further spreading of the disease. In view
OF the fact that perfect isolation within the
place OF domicile of the patient is possible
only In an insufficient manner, owing to the
confined space of the localities at the dis
posal OF the family, instructions were is
sued that such sick persons should be trans
rerred for treatment to a hospital. The
more the necessity of early isolation in the
nrst stage of a contagious disease became
apparent to the population the quicker and
easier took place the transfer of such sick
persons to isolated hospital care Small
pox, and more recently the danger of intro
auction and spread of cholera, have given
the impulse to the erection of numerous
buildings for the reception and isolation of
persons affected with contagious diseases
Nearly all the public and the greater num-
Der OF private hospitals in Austria are pro-
Vlded with localities, or connected with
greater or smaller buildings, isolated from
the other wards, where persons affected
with contagious diseases can be treated AS
the number of such institutions however
is limited one, when compared with the
NUMBER OF communities, and as the principle
prevails not to send such sick persons from
one community to another without a permit
from the authorities. IL follows that these
institutions could not be made available in
case or necessity, and the political authori-
Ties, therefore, ordered that every COM
munity should, If practicable possess a
building completely isolated or that two
communities bordering on each other should
at least have one building in common, in
Hr1t
disease, and in the course of the Epidemic
those persons who have homes and could
lind no proper care or who could not be left
with their families without endangering the
latter, might properly be taken care Of A
large number of such hospitals have been
built during the last ten years and during
the years 1892 and 1888 il was not only the
imminent danger of cholera which added in
great measure to the increase of their num-
ber but also the fact that in the greater
part of the provinces of Austria the ex-
penses OF maintaining these hospitals for
the reception of cholera and other patients
will be paid from public funds and that the
communities will be reimbursed. In the
year 1893, for instance, there was of 1886
communities in the Bukowina only one
without its own hospital; in Karnthen of
Austria mot including Nienna) of 16ll
communities, only lbs.
Maintained by Each Community.
with the exception of the Franz Josefs'
Hospital at Vienna, which, with its an
peNes, was built from the general hospital
fund, these hospitals are, throughout hos
pitfalls belonging to the respective communi-
ties. and built and maintained by them. In
the Bukowina and Galicia legislati re power
granted TO the communities pecuniary aid
for the erection Of such hospitals. In dense
ly-populated localities with huctdating
population these institute ons are now TO be
found. almost without exception; in COM
munities. however. the population OF which
is scattered over a large extent CT terri
tory and more stationary, such hospitals
for isolation are yet wanting in many in
stances.
when building such institutions, which
must be sanctioned by the political au-
thority, perfect isolation of the persons in
an effective manner will be enforced pre-
venting any possible danger of further
spreading of the disease. Aside from this.
the building must be situated at a distance
from any town or village, and not in i'm
mediate vicinity of frequented roads of
communication; il must also be supplied
with the proper means of Transportation
ana must have at its disposition a sufficient
stan OF employees Tor nursing and attending
on the patients which staff of employees is
likewise to be kept isolated from contact
with the outside populat ton. Many of these
hospitals, models and plans of the inner ar
ranseinents of which have. in some pro-
vlnces been furnished, are surrounded by a
fence to keep visitors at a distance
Particular importance is attached to the
Keeping on hand of a steam disinfecting
apparatus. either stationary or movable
or at least some improvised method for dis
injecting by steam.
The large isolated hospitals such as the
Franz Josefs Hospital at Vienna have an
nexed TO them special outhouses furnished
with the necessary comfort where patients
with means can be accommodated on nav
ment of fixed rates.
The experience which has so far been
gained In these epiden isolation hospitals
speaks highly in their favor and shows Tho =
IN many instances they have materially
AIDED in checking further spread OF con-
tagious diseases, especially when the first
case could be successfully ascertained
traced to its source and Isolated in hosnital
when 1t was very rarely folio we'd by others
or, at least, only by a few sporadic cases
when the infection had taken place before
the patient had been admitted to the hos
pital.
Transmission of contagious diseases from
such hospitals took place only in very few
instances and only when contrary TO reg1l-
lations traffic of the inmates Of the hospital
with the outer world had not been sufficiently
supervised.
The immediate surroundings and the neo-
pie living in the vicinity of The hospitals are
exposed to no danger by this close prox-
unity, provided the isolation is perfect ana
the interruption OF communication is kent
up in the proper manner
Nothing is known as to whether the trans
port OF sick persons to the hospitals is ac-
companied by fatal results In Vienna
where the Franz Josefs Hospital. destined
to receive patients infected with conta gious
diseases, is situated, on the southern out
skirts of the extended city limits, and where
the transport of patients from the nortb
ern and eastern districts even when effected
In carriages, requires comparatively speak
ing long time, any unfavorable result OF
such removal has not been obs arved.''
Infection Hospitals in Hungary.
memorandum of the ministry of the In
terror of Hungary is appended as follows:
referring to the establishment of hos
pitfalls for infectious diseases. L have ,ba
honor TO report that almost every to yn ana
larger place in Hungary has a stationorv
hospital for infectious diseases. which ara
invariably located on the outskirts Of sucb
town or village. In a few cases whore the
hospital is situated in a part of the town
which is still inhabited, IL is always sur
rounded by large garden. In general q,
may be asserted that a strong an.ipa tbv
exists in hungary on the part of the am,
thorlties toward the erection of HOSPITALS
for the reception Of patients with contp ,,i,I,s
diseases in the neighborhood of nnnn1a "a
parts OF a town, and although no injection,
as Tar as l know, has ever resulted fror,
such proximity to places with a dense noD,-
tauon, and no fear Is to be entertained az,
with due observation of disinfection isaiaN
ton ana cleanliness a transmIssioo Will
cihe place YET me community of Csongrad
Tor instance, which heretofore had tic 49,
pital for contagious diseases in a lar,ra co.
den near the populated part OF the town
lett X to be advisable TO erect a may bos
pttai Tor the same purpose at the outskirts
of the town. SAii -