The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-12-21
Sound Bodies Their Xmas Press
ent From Topeka Doctors.
AdenOidS and Their TOnSilS Re-
moved Free of Charge.
ONE MOTHER BACKED OUT
Three Operating Rooms Kept
Busy ThruOut the Morning.
Most of Little Patients Faced
the Knife Bravely.

Twelve poor children, who faced
years of suffering from bad tonsils and
adenoids are lying in st. Francis hos
pital this afternoon free from tonsils
and adenoids and enjoying the same
care the children of the wealthiest
parents in Topeka could receive. Be-
ginning at 1880 o'clock this morning,
Drs. H. l.. Alkire, J. A Crabb and
George II. Litiinger performed the
twelve operations, free of charge, is
| three separate operating rooms at St
Francis hospital. All the operations
proved successful and most of the
children will b. able 20 enjoy a good
Christmas dinner Twelve more will
undergo operations the Tuesday after
Christmas
Seated in a room on the first floor
sat eleven mothers and one father,
waiting anxiously for word from the
operating room on the third floor
above. In addition was a neighbor,
who had volunteered to come for pur-
poses of moral support.
| You can believe me-" said the
moral support. that if those were my
children Td go up in the operating
room or they wouldn't be operated
| on"
Some of the women answered. 9TH
ers did not. The lone father looked
uncomfortable, A visitor came down
and spoke of The excellent care and
quarters furnished the children.
The Moral Support
1T is no more than they should do
said the moral support. That ended
| further conversst ton among the par
Tents.
Upstairs there was a hustle in the
operating floor never before Witness
Led in a Topeka hospital. Three.
stretchersr would be seen hurryiHg
down the hall with the inert bodies
of three children returning from their
| operation. a few minutes the
stretchers would be seen rolling down
the hall with frightened looking chill
dren on them, going to the operating
room for their operations.
A nurse was furnished for each
child it came out from under the
| anaesthetic. In three instances,
brothers and sisters were undergoing
operations in adjoining operating
! rooms All were mighty sick after
the operations but this afternoon the
after effects were gone and they were
well on the road to health.
Two lads, who had never seen each
other, entered a room in the hospital
Wednesday evening to prepare for
their operations Never did two
youths have the fun that these strange
lads did prior to the operation.
An hour after the operation they
lay on the same bed, little pans held
under their chins, splitting blood and
crying as if their little hearts were
broken.
| Their fun's all over for a little
while,' said a nurse. You should
have seen them two hours ago, lying
on the same bed, laughing and jok-
ing"
One Mother Baked.
One mother refused adnittance to
the operating room while the opera
tions were in progress, demanded that
her two boys be released and dressed
! With each hand firmly grasping the
hand of each lad, the mother sailed
from the hospital, minus two free op-
erations. In one instance. a mother
of two was permitted to go with one
of the lads to the operating room.
Il won't go a step without ma NINA :"
he told the nurses and began putting
on his clothes. So the mother was
called and accompanied the child, re-
naming with him until the anaesthefir
began its work.
1t is hardly probable that anyone
could criticise the specialists for not
permitting parents to be on the oper-
ating floors while The operations were
in progress. A big task faced the
nurses and doctors and there was no
room for the parents.
Sisters Enthusiastic -
The sisters at st. Francis hospital
are enthusiastic over the plan Initiated
. by the Topeka Public Health Nursing
association. Yet. they do not wish
to be imposed on by parents who can
afford to pay for operations. Suspiciori
that such might be the case was occa-
stoned by the appearance of mothers
with children who Were better dressed
than the average housewife in To-
peka. Following are the children who
underwent operations this morning.
Roy and Edward Myers, 900 East
, Second street; Carlton Douglas 4es
Quincy street; Charles Dietrich, 1918
Central avenue; Verna Messenger, 1z0
Adams street; Jennie and Lucille
Smith, 1917 North Polk street; Aud
rey Petty, 523 jefferson street; Allen
Rugger. 1921 North Madison street
Announcement was made at the
Public Health Nursing association
that Stormont hospital was too
crowded to accommodate the children
at this time. At Christ hospital the
superintendent stated that she had not
been instructed to prepare for adenoid
operations, altho charity cases were
received in smaller patches all during
the year.
Belgium War General Ill.