Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-04
DANGER OF CONTRACTION
The Children's Hospitals Response to the
Commissioners.
Why 1t is Deemed Inndvisable to Esq
tabIish n Contagious Ward There
Protecting Children.

The report of the committee appointed
by the board Of directors of the Children's
Hospital to consider the appeal of the Com
missioners for the establishment, in con-
nection with the hospital, of an isolated
ward where contagious diseases may be
treated, has been received by the Com
missioners.
The committee. consisting of DR.. w. W.
Johnston, DR.. I. w. Lovejoy and DR.. J.
Ford Thompson, appointed by the board of
directors of the Children's Hospital to con-
slider the request of the District Commits
sioners. reported unfavorably upon the sug-
gestion, On the ground that such a step
would be q retrograde one, and would in
Tolve complete abandonment of the rule
which reason and experience have shown
10 be necessary. and in the interests of the
SUFFERING children intrusted to the care of
the hospital.
The report mentions hospitals in other
cities that refuse to admit cases of con-
tagious diseases, and says that at enc time
in the history OF hospitals no distinction
was made between contagious and other
diseases, but the resulting loss of life by
the propagation Of these destructive dis
cases has been SO great that for the pro-
lection of their inmates hospitals have
been compelled to adopt tine rule in ques-
ton. Even with the strict observance of
this rule contagion has found its way into
hospital wards; and epidemics of scarlet
fever, diphtheria and measles have fire.
quently attacked the children, who were al
ready i'll with other diseases.
Precautions Constantly Multiplied.
Each years experience" says tine report,
forces us to redouble our precautionary
treasures against the invasion Of conta gious
disease. An epidemic of this sort Invariably
and necessarily stops the admission of
new patients; no surgical operation can be
performed with safety while it lasts, and
fha yhn1n Of oh s%nlS1 t.
pended for weeks. And what is a no less
serious result, all the kindly care bestowed
upon the poor children by the ladies con-
Eected with the institution comes to an
erd; no mother or sister dares to visit the
hospital during the prevalence Of a con-
tagious disease.
"A few years ago child was brought
to the hospital in imminent danger of
death by suffocation from diphtheretic
Group. 1t was admitted and operated on
by tracheotomy and it's life saved, but,
although 1t was placed at once in an iso-
lated ward and every precau:ion taken,
five children in another part of the house
soon after developed diphtheria, and three
of these died. A child which had been i'll
in its own home from scarlet fever was
being treated in the dispensary for dropsy,
which follows that disease. When six
weeks had elapsed from the end of the at
tack, and in consequence of its serious ILL.,
ness. the child was admitted to the hos
pital. as it was thought there could no
precaution was taken; an antiseptic bath
was given; it was dressed in fresh cloth
ing and placed in bed away from other
children. In a week an epidemic of scar
let fever began in the hospital, which was
the cause Of the death of one child.
Recent Experiences.
within the past few months three chill
dren in the hospital developed scarlet fever
within twenty-four hours of each other.
They were removed to the isolated ward,
which is on the top floor of the central
building, far removed from the wards
proper. A physician and nurses, who were
directed not to enter the other wards and
not to come in contact with the officers
and employees OF the house, were detailed
to care for these children. Notwithstand-
ing these precautions, eight children were
soon afterward attacked with the same
disease. Fortunately, one only of these
died-a child who was very much enfeebled
with chronic cancerous disease.
"A hospital 70: sick children is like a
mass of combustible material ready for the
blaze; as soon as a spark Of contagion is
applied the fire bursts out, and for time
RACES uncontrolled. The very illness and
weakness Of our patients make them more
susceptible, and as they have slight power
of resistance many soon succumb. The
children in our hospital range from a few
months to twelve years of age, and they
are. therefore, just at the ages when they
have the greatest susceptibility to con-
to die from it. 1t is the same with diph-
iberia, which has its greatest mortality
between the ages Of two and five years. 1t
is then that the child is particularly liable
to contract 1t from the slightest exposure;
and then, also. it Is much more likely to
die from it. Over so per cent of all deaths
occur under five years, and IS per cent in
children under ten years. Moreover, the
aggregation of large numbers of children
in a hospital or asylum increases the nat
ural susceptibility to great degree; and
it is in institutions of this kind that these
diseases show a peculiar virulence. An
epidemic has been known to sweep through
an asylum, striking down one-half of its
inmates in a few days.
Protecting the Children.
1.-THE question is, Shall we deliberately
introduce these dread diseases - scarlet
fever and diphtheria- these helpless
children confined to our carer In organ
| izing the Childrens Hospital we came be-
fore the community with the promise to
care for and treat all sick children who
| might be unable to secure skilled medical
aid and nursing in their own homes. AT
I