Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-01-27
DENIED .ADMITTANCE
Hospital Doors Closed to . Young
Diphhthheria Patient.
SUBJECT OF: OFFICIAL REPORT
The Boy Kept All Night in the
Waiting Room.
NEED FOR 4 HOSPITAL

NEED FOR A HOSPITAL
A color> d boy named Moses Garnett. who
had been sick at the Newsbovs' Home for |
four days. was sent to the Children's Hos !
rital yesterday. 1t was thought he was !
suffering from an attack of diphtheria |
Today the health office officials investigated !
the case, and this afternoon the following |
report was made to the Commissioners by
Health Officer Woodward
81 have the honor to submit the following |
report relative to patient taken to chill
dren's Hospital yesterday. and believed oy
the hospital authorities to be suffering
from diphthera. Moses Garnett, colored,
eight years old. and an inmate of the
Maulsby Memorial Home for the past four
days, was sent to- the Childrens Hosp1tai
for treatment. The transfer was MADE IN
ambulance of the police department,
the patient being accompanied by an at
tendaht from the home. The patient with
his attendant, was left at the hospital In
the patients waiting room, and the am
bulance proceeded at it's usual work When
the physician on duty in the d1sDensary
connected with the hospital e examlmsa
of being diphtheria and so notified
/ the resident physician. who examined Inc
| patient and concurred in the diagnosis.
The case was reported by telephone TO
afternoon. An inquiry was thereupon made
Of the hospital authorities as TO Wnetner II
could not be treated in the isolated ward
| connected with the hospital. Shortly AFTER
| 4 o'clock the resident physician reported
| that the case could not be admitted
| (using the term in It's technical sense. the
! patient having been already admitted to
| the hospital building, and being there
| when the message was senO.
| providence Hospital was then requested
| to take the case. but declined on account OF
| his age. The attention of the hospital
authorities was invited to the fact that III
| view of tie necessity for the isolation of
| such a case in any instance. the age OF
| the patient did not materially affect the
| treatment by any particular institution.
| But they still refused to admit him.
1.-The Maulsby Memorial Home was then
visited with the view of the possible re-
| turn Of the patient to that institution The
| superintendent declined to take any actor.
| on the ground of the brief period during
| which Garnett had been inmate of that
il stitution. the danger to the other inmates
in event of his return, and the superior
ia cilties for the treatment of such cases
at the Children's Hospital
| Upon notifying the resident physician
at Children's Hospital of the status of the
| case he stated that he would report it to
| his superior officers. Later in the day. a
member of the attending staff of Children $
| Hospital telephoned, inquiring in refer
| ence to the matter. and was informed of
| what had been done. A member of the
| board of directors of the institution tele-
phoned, and was given the same informa-
| ton. He cited the rules of the hospital as
| preventing the admission of the case. not
withstanding that it had been kept in the
waiting room for hours. and there was a
ward in the building suitable for its re-
| ception. He telephoned about O'Clock
| pm. that he had communicated with tlie
| medical staff. that the rules of the institu
| ton forbade the admission of such a case
and that the patient was still in the wait
| ing room and must be taken away. He
stated further that application had jus
, been made for the admission of a SECOND
case of the same character from the Mauls
, by Memorial Home.
, I'm view of the alleged presence of thi:
second case which the Children's Hos
pital could not be required to take. ane
in order to secure a proper treatment 1o
, | muncated with DR.. J.: Wesley Bovee, at
! | tending physician, Washington Asylum
: | with a view of having the patient from
l | Children's Hospital transferred to thu
ward connected with the Washington Asy
! | lum and used for the isolation OF cases o
: contagious diseases arising therein. ina
ward could not be used owing to the pre-
| ence of case of erysipeas.
"Freedmans Hospital was then teie
| phored to and refused to receive the case
e Attention was invited to the fact that ther'
= was ward at that hospital erected from
an appropriation for an isolation ward aii'
- that it should be available. as Its use TO
e any other purpose was in violation of Law
h The admission OF the patient was however
l. | still refused.
g Garfield Hospital replied to reques
. that it receive the case or cases that it Wa
e not prepared to accommodate them.
'rhe National Homeopathic Hospita
| made similar reply.
~ 1.-The Maulsby Memorial Home was the
r | visited with view to the possible accom-
a. | modat ion of the patient there. In view o
| the numebr of children at that place an
the character of work done by it no salts
factory arrangements could be made TO
n the treatment Of contagious diseases. an
lie the superintendent so stated. The secon
IL case alleged to be in that institution pre-
3 | scented no symptoms sufilclent to 1ustlf
Id such a diagnosis with any degree OF Gel
ne tainty. The arrangements for medics
IL attendance OF the inihdtes was iathei vi
:, "Ry the time This investigation had bee
al | made II was after ii o't.lock The sick DC
III was still In the waiting room at the Chi
t. dren's Hospital and the resident physicla
IN | when informed of the impossibility
at | securing accommodations for him, reptile
he that he had no authority to admit hiT
se In reply to an inquiry by telephone tn
he | morning l am informed that the boy n.
been made as comfortable as possible on
| cot but has not been admitted.
'"The above report is made for ocnside
alton in connection with the pending r
| uue est for appropriation for a hosplt
If for the treatment of certain of the min'
contagious diseases
an ..The fact that the District governmel
20 while contributing largely to the suppo
90 of the Institution named. as being provide
as with wards for the reception, under &c
~ tain conditions. Of cases of contagious al
cases similar to the one cited, Is witho
ed authority to determine under what conc
,r- considered in connection with the pendil
nv charity Investigation.
nd
"a NOT WORRYING.