The Washington times., 1903-06-07
No Distinctive Sect Race, Sex or Condition
IS Recognized in the Treatment of the
Little Patients, Who Number Into the Thou
sands Each YedT-IRstitutioR Is Aided BY
Private Subscription. ~ ~ ~ ~

cal operating room. The funds for the
building and equipment OF the room,
81, 900, were contributed by ST. Mary's
Guild of Georgetown, with the assist
ance of friends. 1t Is dedicated as a
memorial TO the late Mrs. VI. A. B.
Kennedy, charter member of the hos
pitaI organization, and who. after tbs
death of her husband, John c. Kennedy,
found surcease of her own sorrow n
ministering for years of beautiful life
to the poor and needy.
This operating room is so constructed
as to be entirely germ proof. All the
lines of intersection of the walls of the
room are rounded instead OF sharp-cor
nered, so that 70 Judgement for dust or
germs is afforded. The floor is stone
mosaic work, permitting of sanitary
flushing. complete equipment of
operating tables and surgical apparatus
will be provided, so that the cases which
demand surgical treatment may be
treated Immediately in the hospital in
stead of sending the patients to the
Providence Hospital, as has been neces-
sary in some cases heretofore. Every
year a great many terribly crippled chill
dren are received by the hospital, some
with their poor little bodies warped and
The Celebrated Lorenz Case.
A typical case of this sort was that of
little Charlie Willett, a boy who had
been afflicted with club feet from birth.
His parents have never been able to get
for him the services of surgeon, but
on removing from the country into
Washington their attention was directed
to the work of the Children's Hospital,
and he was admitted TO it. For year
he remained there. under the care of
the famous surgeon, DR.. Lorenz, to
Washington. it was arranged that he
should be operated upon
AS the company of medical men who
were to witness the operation was too
large for the accommodations of the old
operating room of the Children's Hos
pital, the boy was removed to the
Providence Hospital. where. on Deem
Der 5, 1902, the operation was performed
The insensible form of the little fell
low, to whom an anesthetic had been ad-
ministered, was brought into the am
phitheater, and the surgeon Immediate
ly began the demonstration. The pre-
liminary steps in the operation consisted
in relaxation of the ligaments and fascias
of the crippled feet to get them into
shape for their proper adjustment. This
appeared to the laymen present like
vigorous massage.
For about twenty minutes. the sur
geon worked to bring about this condi-
ton. explaining the developments of the
operation as he proceeded. He explained
that the case was an unusually bad one
and that, although he had experienced
but two failures out of many hundred
similar operations, there was a likeu
hood that this might constitute his third
unsuccessful attempt. moment later.
however. he was able to force the bones
of the foot into their normal position,
and the operation was practically finish.
ed. All that remained to complete the
task was the inclosing of the feet In
plaster casts. 1t was predicted neees,
sary for the cast to remain in position
for about six or seven months. but that
1t would not entirely impede the boys
The correctness of this statement has
been proven. for today Charlie is able