Evening star., 1898-09-26
ALLEGED VIOLATION OF LAW
Issue Raised BetweIn Health Department
and Chief of Pnedmens Hospital.
Failure to Obey alaeEulutiOns in the
The Question Referred.

DIR. A. NJ. Curtis. the sur geon-in-chief OF
F'reedmen's Hospital, wAs recently request
ed by DR.. VIM. c. Woodward the District
health officer, for staten .nt of his Cur
tfs) reasons, If any, for sending diphtheria
Patient, Willie Davis, colored out OF the
hoHpital into the public streets, and also
his reasons, If any, fer failing to report the
case to the health office. DR.. Woodward
reminded DR.. Curtis that the latter's at
tention had already been called to the law
governing such matters, the health officer
stating that it is impossible to understand
the surgeon-in-chief's action in the case
Dr. Curtis wrote in reply that contagious
diseases are not admitted to Freedmen's s
Hospital; that the boy declared that Drs
Fowler and Gill had visited him and pro-
nounced MS allment to be diphtheria, and
that 1t was taken for granted that the
case had been reported to the health Of
flee, 1t not being the desire of Freedmen's
Hospital to violate any laws or regulations
relating to the public health.
Dr. Woodward thereupon called the mat
ter to the attention of>the District Commits
sloners, explaining that DR.. Curtis was
some time ago furnished with copies of the
act of Congress enacted to prevent the
spread of contagious diseases, and that
conferences were held with him relative
thereto.
In Law and in Fact.
TT may be presumed, therefore" DR..
Woodward wrote the Commissioners. that
he is not only In law, but in fact, fully ac-
quainted with the provisions of that act.
which provides that every hospital in the
District shall be provided with suitable
room for the isolation of contagious dis
eases, and that 1t shall be the duty of any
physician in charge to see that a report is
made to the health office Immediately after
the application for treatment of any con-
Not tuy{f NSf1 a nd
knowledge of the requirements above re-
ferred to, a patient who recently applied
for treatment at Freedmen's Hospital, and
was suffering from an eruption very sim
liar to smallpox, was turned into the pub
lie streets without any notification whatso-
ever to the health department. the reasons
set forth being the resemblance of the dis
case to smallpox.
1T is manifest the spirit of this act re-
duired that such a case should have been
isolated in the rooms provided for such
purpose. Even however, in the absence
OF any law, good judgment and due regard
fer public health should have led to such
action. This department had no desire to
be captious in the matter, and contented
itself with again calling the attention of the
surgeon-in-chief to the requirements of the
.cW.
1T appears, however. that notwithstand-
ing the several opportunities which have
been offered to DIR. Curtis to become ac-
quainted with the law. or else in wllful de-
fancc of it, Il patient. Willie Davis, who
applied at the hospital for treatment on
the 18th instant. was informed that he had
diphtheria. that Freedmen's Hospital did
no. care for such cases and that he should
apply to Providence Hospital for treat
ment. This patient, boy of eleven years
of age. was tEen allowed to proceed
through the public streets on his way to
Providence Hospital, and it was not until
he was discovered in, the streets, near 7th
and streets northwest. that the health
department had any knowledge of the eX-
istence of the case. This case has never
been reported to this department by the
authorities of the Freedmen's Hospital.
Referred to Interior Department..
THE patient should have been detained
until he was moved by this department IN
the ambulance provided for that purpose.
In view of the facts that the surgeon-in-
chief of Freedn ems Hospital is an officer
of the Interior Department, compliance
with the Law can doubtless be secured
through the honorable Secretary of the In
terror without resorting to prosecution such
as is provided for in said act. l have the
honor to recomn end, therefore, that with
that end in view, the attention of the Sec
retary be invited to the practice III vogue
at this hospital, as set forh above, and that
II be suggested that he issue such instruc-
tons as may be necessary to prevent its
continuance
1t is understood the attention of the Sec
retary of the Interior will be invited TO the
matter by the Commissioners, as suggested
by the health officer.