The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-20
THE BABY AED THE
 MEDICAL MACHINE
Oregon Sunday Journal.)


 Last June (1911) I was delivering a series of lectures to a group of wo- men at Mount Tabor. To these came a young woman of Swiss birth, who suggested, in Ter graceful form and delicate coloring, some flower from her native Alps. Ever at her side an inseparable companion, was her little 2-year-old son, rosy, robust and in the presence of strangers, solemn lY meditative, Ills combination of shy ness and healthy nerves made him a striking contrast to the average fidgety American child At different times out, but in vain; he ciung to his mother and refused all commerce with strangers. His mother said he had never been i'll a day in his life. and as we all grew better acquainted she told us of the plan of her hus- band and herself to make visit to duce their boy to his paternal grand mother and other relatives. The trip was to begin when the lectures were over.
 Accordingly, late in June the young couple with their child began the long journey. From Denver east ward they found the weather extreme | ly hot, and when they reached New York, after nine days on the road the heat was intense.
 They arrived in the city on a Satur- day. and booked their passage for the they would look about the city and establish themselves in a room at Eighth aveneue and Forty-third street. Coming from the cool climate of Portland, all felt the heat greatly, and l the baby complained so much of be- ing tired that his father purchased l a go-cart in which to convey him about through the streets and parks. | Finally, on Friday, the day before that on which they were to sail, little Oi- | iver was unweu that his parents | took him to a doctor.
 Now this step was the most natural | thing in the world to do; fve-sixths of the parents of this country. would l have done the same thing in like | circumstances. But, mark this was the fatal step. In that city the pri- vate physician no longer exists. Ev- cry doctor there has become a cog in the medical machine, and once the machine gets its grip upon you, you cannot escape; you are drawn in and ground through the machine.
 To the parents of the little sick Ore gon child, the New York doctor said | "He has the measles, and have no 1 recourse but to report the case t. the health department"
 Observe, that when the doctor re ports a case of measles he has vir- tualy relinquished the case Conta- gious diseases are under the care o1 the health department, and the doctor is merely the first small cog.
 A doctor from the health department soon put in an appearance and ar ranged to have the child removed tc
 the quarantine hospital. Next day 1T
 the afternoon along came ore of thoet
 rickety ho-se-drawn conveyanceS
 which New York city still uti izes fol
 the conveyance of her sick, and witt
 it, in addition to the driver, a, young
 spring of near-doctor.
 In consenting to have their sicl l child placed in a hospital these parents
 had not, dreamed that his mo he
 would be separated from him for
 moment. And when they saw tha,
 she could not go in the ambulanc' 1 fhaIy sir nacifV -t h7
 child with promises that she was com ing right after him, and that it wa only for a little while For they de cided to follow in a car, and though to reach the hospital nearly as sool as the ancient ambulance
 The young doctor wasted no time | The child was placed on a mattres : on the floor of the conveyance an handing the hospital card to the pa
 rents. the doctor entered the ambu lance, ordered the driver to drive or p ly. crying for his mother, from whom . he was now torn for the first time ; just when in all his little life h f could bear it the least
 ! Anxious to rejoin her sick baby, tn r mother hastily examined the card an 5 | hurried to a telephone to learn hoN a she was to get to the hospital, whic t she now learned was on North Broth = CT Island
 V Imagine her dismay on learning tha = she would not be permitted to b n with the baby, nor even to go to SC 0 l where he had been taken. She wa d told that visiting day was Friday, wa l coolly informed that she could go t - see him next Friday.
 But the card says Sunday and Fri
 day." phoned the ansuished mothet | Cant I go to see him tomorrow
 NO" was the rep'y, ''the regulation 3, have 'heen cbanged since the card Wa e printed. Friday is the only day i 1t the week we admit visitors
 1T The wheels of the machine wer 1f grinding! They had her and thos G. she loved fast in their grip. Friday! whole week, and baby sick and cry