The morning times., 1897-01-28
A COLORED LAOS DISTRESS
Ill of Diphtheria and Hospital
Treatment Denied Him.
DIR. WOODWARD'S VERSION
He Made Repeated Efforts to Have
the Sick Boy Admitted" to sun
dry Institutions, but Was I'm
successful in Every Instance
The Case Reported to Congress.

The health officer has another argument
to advance In favor Of the establishment of
hospital for the treatment of contagious
diseases, and in his report of the matter,
submitted to the Commissioners yesterday
afternoon he advises that the facts be con-
sidered in connection with the pending
request for such hospital. He also sug-
gests that 1.-The fact that the government,
while contributing largely to the support
of certain institutions named, as being
provided with wards for the reception of
contagious cases, is without authority to
determine under what conditions the ad
missions shall be made. should be con-
sidered in connection with the pending
charity investigation.
The caSeistha of Moses Garnett, colored,
eight years old, who was referred to in
The Evening Times as a diphtheria pa
tient removed yesterday from the Maulsby
Memorial Home to the Childrens Hospital.
The main points in the health officers
report are as to the delay in getting the
lad cared for, but an additional fact is
that the patient was late last evening still
at the Children's Hospital, isolated in
room in the basement, and that there is
still disputation as to whether or not
the admission" has been accomplished
according TO law, or whether the hoy can
be technically admitted" at all, notwitt-
standing his actual presence in the build
ing.
DIR. Woodward's report, forwarded to
Congress yesterday, is in substance as fol-
lows:
THE patient, with his attendant, was
left at the hospital by the police aInbu-
lance When the physician on duty in the
dispensary examined tie sick boy he sus-
pected the case OF being diphtheria, and
so notified the resident physician, who
concurTed in the diagnosis. The case was
reported by telephone TO this department
about $3.50 O'Clock in tie afternoon said
DIR. Woodward, ''and an inquiry was there
upon made of the hospital authorities as
to whether il could not be treated in the
isolated ward connected with the hos
ptal. Shortly after O'Clock the resilient
physician reported that the patient could
not be admitted, using tie term in the
technical sense
DR.. Woodward then details his inef-
fectual efforts TO have the boy admitted
to Providence Hospital, where the re-
quest was refused on account of his age;
by Garfield Hospital, where there was no
provision for the reception of such n case,
and the National Homeopathic Hospital,
where rejection was based on n similar
ground. He tells, also OF his several
the view of the possible return of the
patient to that institution The superin-
tendent there declined to take any action
for the reason that the boy had been an
inmate of the home but short time and
also because of the danger to the other
inmates there.
Meanwhile the sick boy had been kept
for hours in the patients waiting room,
and another dphthcurctic case from the
MaulSby Home was said to be awaiting
admission, an application therefor having
been made. This proved to be incorrect.
1t was as late as 8 O'Clock p IN. when
member of the medical staff OF the hos
pitaI telephoncd to DR. Woodward that
the boy, Garnctt, was still in the waiting
room and must be taken away-that The
rules OF the institution forbade the ad-
mission OF such case.
The Washington Asylum and Freedmen s
Hospital were appealed to in turn, and
neither could make room for the 10y, the
isolation ward at the former institution
having in it a case OF erysipelas. The
Freedmen'S Hospital authorities refused,
even after being reminded OF .he fact that
there is a ward at the institution erected
from an appropriation for that specific
purpose, and that it's use otherwise is in
violation of law.
DR. Woodward closes as follows; by
the time this investi cation had been
made it was after II o'clock The sick
boy was still in the waiting room at the
Children'S Hospital. and the resident physi-
clan, when informed of the impossitility
OF securing accommodations for him, re-
piled that he had no authority to admit
him. In reply to an inquiry by telephone
this morning l am informed that the boy
has been made as comfortable as possible
on cot, but has not been admitted D."
1t is not yet determined what shall be
done with Garnett, but the particulars of
the case will be read in botn houses OF
Congress today, it is understood as an
argument in favor of q provision for other
unfortunate little chaps who may fall q
victim OF the diphtheria or other minor
contagion.
The Commissioners will make an effort
before the Senate Committee to have an
appropriation added for the hospital for
minor contagious.