The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-02
Heroism of DR.. Frank II. Parker and
His Wife in Isolating Themselves
With Eleven Patients

A few minutes more and we were
shaking hands with Or. Frank II.
Parker, superintendent OF Penikese.
and walking up the hill 10 the big
square administration building.
Great Dane following at our heels and
another eagerly watching us from the
piazza roof. Then Mrs. Parker swung
open tho broad door and In CHEEKY
tones babe us welcome to penikese.
We dropped our wraps IN the hall and
| looked about me. SO this was the
lcpcr colony.
I was standing in the doorway "
the parlor. II was a wide white room
with tiled floor and soft green rugs.
There were brass andirons In the fire.
place and on the mantcl stood pic
ture Of John Burroughs. In the cor
ner was Il mahog any phonograph and
over the centre table hung hand
some electric light. Yellow daffod.,s
blossomed on the window sill and
through the wide panes could see the
sun glittering on the bay and the
Islands beyond. This was a spacious
summer home we had stumbled into.
was bit disconnected at my first
impressions Of Penikese.
A little later came TO better real
ization OF what we were to see. DR..
Parker showed us over the admin!stra-
ton building. 1t Is a huge concrete
structure. flreproof and immac ulately
clean. with living apartments above
and surprising series Of rooms below
stairs. In the storeroom the shelves
we're piled high with supplies OF all
binds. There were dishpans. stacks Of
electric light bulbs, axes, dish mops,
Co rtons Of tobacco-everything that Is
70 Ind In country store. There is
need OF the variety OF supplies
DR.. Parker carries little book around
with him to jot down needed supplies
and the lepers have caught on to the
fact They are always wanting some
thing and they Invariably demand that
book whether the demand can be eat1s-
fed at the house or not.
From the storeroom we went through
the preserve closet the grocery store
and the vegetable room. We saw rowv
upon rows OF jellies and preserves,
shelves stacked high with cooking sup
plies and big bins OF vegetables raised
on Penikese. We saw the dynamos
that supply the island with electric
light. the pumps that furnish drinking
water and sea water for the modern
plumbing system.
I learned with surprise that the
water problem is a serious one at PEN
ikese. On Good Friday there was but
| three feet Of water IN the reservoir
and we were told that the nurses were
dispensing with as many baths IN
treating their patients as possible. that
the doctor never took anything but q
sponge bath. The only water on the
island comes from surface drainage
and with a dry spell there is str.n-
gency at once. II cost the State 500
to import water a few years ago.
There is cold storage plant. an zee
making plant--there is everything at
Penikese except water.
We went upstairs into the labora-
tory and DR.. Parker tried to SHOW US
some cultures that were developing
IN his oven. He was looking for a
mouldl!ke growth, but there was none
to be found.
I'VE have been unusually lucky
Lately" he explained. but II won't
keep up"
In other words, the last few patches
OF cultures had not shown the lep-
ROSY bacilt, but no one thought that
the patients were getting well. A
baking or .wo more and the gray
mould was sure TO reappear.
Running madiy around In little