Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-06
Say There Was a Design.
COMPLAINT SUSTAINED.
Physician Relieved From Duty by the
Health Office

Mrs Charles H. Reiter of 400 NJ street
northwest several days ago made COM
plant relative to the manner in which en-
ployes of the health department disinfected
her premises for a case of scarlet fever.
The complaint Yas referred to DR.. w. G.
Woodward health officer for the District,
who ordered IN investigation, from which
it was established that the complaint of
Mrs. Reiter was well founded.
AS consequence, DR.. Arthur NJ. Mac
Nance, a per diem officer of the health de-
partment who had oversight of the case
has been relieved from duty, and action
will be taken to discipline the men who
did the work under the officers direction.
In her complaint as to the manner IN
which she was treated by the employees of
the health department Mrs. Reiter stated
that her little girl had been afflicted with
scarlet fever. She said she was perfectly
willing for the health department to disin-
feet the room occupied by the patient and
tried to do all that the employees suggested
when they came to perform that duty.
Among Other things Mrs. Reiter said:
Last Saturday morning about 10 o'clock
a doctor from the health department,
cOmpanied by two colored men, came to my
house ago NJ street northwesD and, without
putting any covering over themselves. and
after closing the windows, hung up sheet
saturated with formaldehyde gas. Simply
closing the door they left the house. the
doctor stopping long enough to inform me
that he would return at pm. to get the
culture of the room.
He told me not to go to the room, but
leave 1t as 1t was. No sooner were the
men gone than 1 was compelled to open
all of the windows in the room adjoining
the one being disinfected, as well as the
hall windows. In about three hours my
entire house was filled with the odor of
formaldehyde. My little girl and 1 had to
seek relief in the kitchen. which was GER
tainly no proper place for her, since she
had Of har mi do
The doctor did not return until nearly 8
pm. 1 asked him to open one of the win
dows of the infected room, and he very po-
Htely informed me that they were not sup
posed to do that, for it was much as he
could do to reach in his hand and grab the
envelope.
Having a front porch, upon which the
two front windows of the infected room
the windows fastened. I told him if the
windows had been left unfaStened I would
try and get some one to open them from
the outside by means of ladder He SEEM
ed to think that would be good idea
Mrs. Reiter goes on to say that after
the physician left her house she secured a
ladder and climbed to the roof of the
porch, whe to her great disappointment
she found both OF the windows fastened on
the inside. She said also that the odor
of the formaldehyde permeated the entire
house to such an extent that, although
there were two other bed rooms ins the
hCose Al aooi'ioh " the injected room,
she had to make up bed for her little girl
in a small packing room in another part
of the house. and that she herself slept on
the floor upon some bed clothes:
Mrs. Reiter declared that the employees
of the health office did not stop up the
keyhole of the room in which the formal
dehyde gas was placed, and that they did
not stop UP the crevices around the door
She claimed that it was the duty of the
health office to make the disnfected room
alright.
1t was stated at the health office that
this is the first complaint relative to the
methods used In disnfecting premises ever
presented to their notice. Several resi-
dents of the city have written to the health
department thanking the officials for the
courteous, thorough and efficient treat
ment accorded them during quarantine for
infection. In the present case, however
the complaint of Mrs. Reiter was sus-
tanned.