Evening star., 1915-02-28
DRAWS IT'S PATIENTS
FROM ALL COUNTRIES
Work of Hospital for All Ma
tions." Ellis Island, Described
by DR.. Foster.

The conduct of a hospital for all ma
tions, drawing it's patients from a
population three times the size OF
Washington. and made up of the out
pourings from all other nations. is de-
scribed by Dr. Milton H. Foster. sur
geon of the United States public health
service, is an exclusive article for the
survey press service
This is summary of the principal
difficulties experienced during Uncle
Sans care of sick immigrants by the
medical service at Ellis Island The
survey is an association whose pur-
pose is to find out and interpret the
facts of living and working conditions
and to promote intelligent effort for
social advance.
Dr. Fosters Statement.
Dr. Fosters article. in part. is as fol-
lows:
"Over million immigrants arrived
at the port of New York last year-a
total about equal to the population OF
Boston and Washington combined.
''Of these million immigrants, about
one out of every hundred was sent 70
the hospital. In actual figures, l0,lis
were treated in the institution, which
has been aptly called "a general hos
pital for all nations
The medical inspection of those ar
irving is made chiefly for two purposes:
First. to see that they are strong, we'll
and bright enough to be able to earn a
living and get along in this country,
and. second, to ascertain that they DO
not have certain diseases which they
might transmit to their new neighbors
in America.
Hospital on Modern Lines.
The immigrant hospitals are modern
in every respect, and well equipped
The wards are light. airy and comfort
able, and there are a few private rooms
for cases which especially need them
The food is abundant and of the best
quality The attending physicians are
commissioned officers of the United
States public health service. All the
nurses are graduates of approved in
stitutions. Excellent facilities for the
scientific treatment of patients are
available, including an X-ray plant.
four operating rooms and complete
laboratory, where all the complex and
difficult examinations required by MOD
ern medicine are daily made.
There are no interpreters employed
especially for the hospital. Some of
the physicians and employees can speak
one or more foreign languages, and all
on the staff have picked up few use
full words in several tongues. When it
becomes absolutely necessary. an in
terpreter is borrowed from the regu-
lar corps employed by the immigration
service.
Religion and Diet.
Not only custom, but also religion,
enters into the problem of diet. The
orthodox Jew asks for kosher food; !;
the Hindoo loses caste if the hands of
any stranger touches what he is to
eat. Fortunately, most of these creeds
permit the devotee to ignore diet re-
strictions when sick, but the problem
is constantly coming up. and has to be
met in one way or another
AN Intelligent study of the diseases
treated at Ellis Island gives a pretty
good idea of just what maladies trav-
elers at sea are especially liable to
contract. Pneumonia, sore throats.
bronchitis, scarlet fever, measles.
rheumatism, inf1amed eyes and minor
injuries occupy prominent place in
the islands case histories.
The crowded condition of the steer
age especially favors the spread of any
communicable disease which happens
to break out in this part of the ship.
Furthermore, vessels often arrive with
a large number of children already
sick and helpless from measles Sew
eral years ago 294 cases of measles
were taken from the steerage compart-
ment of one vessel.
THE social welfare of sick immi-
grants is looked after by missionaries
and agents of various philanthropic
societies. which have branches perma-
nently located on Ellis Island. This
assistance covers a wide field