Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1903-10-23
BAD THERMOMETERS
Harm Done In Hands Of Persons
Without Medical knowledge.
Comnon lnGtrumenta valusleHs In
Determining the Temperature
of Patient.-Matter of We
tai Concern.

Probably no instrument claiming to
register with precision is 50 inaccurate
As tie average Thermometer. This be-
Icg so. IL is somewhat amusing TO no
lice the blinG faith with which the aT-
a-aCc citizen depends on these devices
:o7 indicating Temperature As 4 sci
saunS instrument" each is apparently
entitled 10 = respect approaching rev.
srcace, and its dicta are not 10 be
questioned. says the Medical News.
II fact is that the variations among
1 dozen ordinary thermometers will
often amount 10 five or six degrees
as any one can see who will glance at
a druggists window. With thermome-
tiers used for scientific work there is.
Of course. less variation. but their in
accuracy is often considerable. and in
clinical instruments 1t may easily be
so great as TO affect a physicians dag
nosis.
\ prominent hospital In this city has
scarcely recovered from the shock OF
A recent discovery made by the mem
bers of its house stah-namely. that
the thermometers in regular use in its
wards vary so much as to render
valueless the temperature charts
which well-trained nurses have been
taught TO regard as one OF their chief
responsibilities II Is a rude awaken
ing. indeed. for n physician suddenly
10 be made 10 realize that he has been
treating for fever patients who have
no fever. and that patients have been
discharged as cured whose tempera-
| f1,ras v-n-a far from MAMMAL ThfaB -
the wasted energy OF sponge baths
and OF tubbinEs. of antipyretics used
without due warrant. OF fluid diets
forced upon haIf-staryed conyaloscents
who loaged for solid food. and would
have been all the better for IL: Of pa
tients kept in bed and il the hospital
when they might ave benefited by
freedom of out Of doors. These are no
imaginary evils: they are errors actu-
ally committed. and errors which we
have no doubt are being repeated to-
day In many Of our best hospitals.
where every possible care Is supposed
TO be lavished on patients. Is this the
hospital management Of which Ameri-
cans are so proud?
In the hospital. whose experience has
been made known TO us. actual tests OF
groups OF thermometers used in the same
wards and on the same patients revealed
differences too striking and too seri-
Gus to be lightly passed over. In some
cases these differences were as great as
2.5 degrees F'Ghrcnheit-yariations wide
enough TO prove embarrassing in dag
nOsis and misleading in treatment. This
intOlerable state of affairs has existed
apparently for n long time-the inevi-
table fruit OF q policy which seeks TO di-
vorce economy and efficiency. Good
thermometers are costly: cheap ones
food the market. and the tide rises even
unto the sacred precincts of hospital
wards. where il browns all decent regard
for the patients welfare.
II Is not in hospitals alone that the
vice OF cheap thermometers has taken
root. In the stoclt Of the average drug
store in this city will he found a small
number Of clinical thermometers. relia-
bly, Certif!Cated. ard n much larger num-
Der bearing certificates OF doubtful au-
thcnticity or having no certificates at
all. The latter represent the practice Of
private physicians and the public In TAX
ing Of temperature at home. Most OF
these Thermometers are cheap; many OF
them are old. and all OF them are unre-
liable, because even when they happen
to be accurate We cannot feel sure OF
them, and we are hound TO question and
perhaps to discount the privilege Of
testing selections from retail stocks, but
We have found that variations OF two do
grees arr rot uncommon.
Here Is n matter Of vital concern L the
profession and the public. The volun-
tary testing and ccrti1cation OF Their
mOmcters by recognized experts Is a
safeguard within the reach Of those who
are willing to pay for It. Inasmuch ns
this protection Is so commonly neglected.
however. the question may we'll be raised
whether compulsory certiRcation Is not
desirable.