Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-05-26
DIR. sTRATToN SPEAKS.
\ Plain Statcmcnt-Trying TO Re
lease a Woman from Needless
QuaTantinc-A Frank Con-
fcSSion.

Such an erroneous impression has
been conveyed in connection with the
case OF diphtheria alluded TO by Dr.
Oppenhimer before the Council that
a plain statement of facts will not
perhaps be inappropriate. The main
question at issue IS. was it right for
this patient with mild case Of
diphtheria TO be Quarantined over
three weeks on the reports OF DIT.
+. c. Levy. city bacteriOlogist and
was / justified in the means resort
ed TO in order 10 ascertain III those
reports were correct when every ap-
parent circumstance connected with
the case disproved them? The facts
are as follows:
On March 21st I attended Betty
Watkins. cOlored at No. 621 North
Sixth Street who had a mild attack
Of diphtheria. She was promptly in
jected with antitoXin and an alter
auve prescribed. On the afternoon
OF the same day I paid her a second
visit and reported the case to DR.. T..
c. Levy, the city bacteriologist, who
confirmed my diagnosis. The next
morning / again visited her, and al
though there was some exfoliation
or The membrane proving the alb
sorption and action of the antitONin.
! determined 20 take no chances.
and again injected her. prescribing
iron terwine, strychnia, etc: visiting
her on the evening OF the same dav
l found that here was a beautiful
response TO the action of the anti
toxin very little OF the membrane
remaining. AT my visit on the third
day, ! did not deem il necessary TO
use antttoXia. as ] could see no men,
orane. DR.. Leonard. who had Wis
Ited her on one occasion with me-
Kindly consented TO visit her on the
fourth day. with instructions to use
antitoxin II he deemed il necessary.
Detecting a small shred of mem
brane on one tonsil, ne gave her an
injection.
On the fifth day DR.. Batkins at
tended her for me, but could find no
membrane, and none was discovered
afterwards. The doctor fully agreed
with DR.. Leonard and myself that
she was getting on splendidly. in per
Iect health; no functional or organ
&c disorder was apparent, and that
IN ten or twelve days she could be
released from quarantine. None Of
US, though, expressed this opinion To
the woman, and when asked by her
when we would allow her to leave
we would always refer her to DR.. Le-
Wy, TO whom I sent cultures as reg
ulariy as l deemed it necessary.
BECAME FESTIVE FINALLY.
The woman made a good tracta-
Die patient, was regarded as an ex-
cellent servant by those from whom
she rented a room and those for
whom she worked, and stood the con
fnement nicely for some two weeks.
when she and her white friends be-
came exceedingly restive. Mild re-
quests at first from her white frients
for her release soon became Impor-
tune demands. Not content with
their applications to me at her nome
they visited me at my house
and my Office, and ridiculed me
when told that / could not re-
lease her until Doctor Levy gave
me orders. DR.. Oppenhimer's aid
was even invoked to order me to re-
lease her. Falling in all other en-
deavors, they finally induced the wo-
man to return TO her service place,
and i had some difficulty in getting