The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-02-01
DR.. Steele Writes Of
Hoopers Island "FIue"
Editor of The Banner:

at Hooper's Island, and still more
ing in print, having always taken the
stand that it was absolutely repug-
nant to medical ethics for a physi-
clan to laud or advertise himself, OF
to allow another to laud him public
ly, if in his power to prevent. My
excuse now for asking space in your
columns is the very complimentary
notice of the services which DR..
Meade. in his letter published yester-
day, so kindly thinks 1 have render
ed the people of Hooper's Island. l
appreciate most deeply any express
sion of approval or esteem from DR..
Meade, and know that what he has
written was prompted by his friend
ship for me.
Never in my professional career
have 1 pictured myself as a medical
hero or medical philanthropist, and
knowing the situation on Hooper's
Island as thoroughly as 1 do, I can
not allow my friend, DR.. Meade, to
make me either. 1 went to Hoopers
Island in answer to a call for my
services, just as l would nave gone
to any other section of the county,
had disease been rampant and doc
tors scarce. What services / render
ed We're purely professional, and l
want the people of Dorchester coun-
ty and the State of Maryland to
know that the people of Hooper's Is
land were not asking charity or ex-
pecting charity, but that they expec-
ted to pay, and did pay, most liber-
ally-I may say, almost extravaganza
ly-for all medical service rendered.
The physicians of Cambridge struck
a medical bonanza; no gold mine OF
California was ever more thoroughly
and Systematically worked. 1t is all
good and we'll to talk of the time and
the nights the physicians Of. Cam
bridge spent on the Island. 1 spent
some myself, but when a man comes
home with S20G or $500 POSSIBLY
more) in his pocket, in cash, for his
nights work, he can afford to lose
a little sleep; at least, 1 felt that 1
could, and l suppose the other ply
sicians were like me in this respect.
1t is certainly wrong for the im-.
preston to get abroad (and this i'm
preston certainly is broadly about)
that the H. X. milford Co. furnished
serum free to the people of Hooper's
Island. The people of the Island
paid for each and every dose of the
serum and package of vaccine, unless
| have been very enormously in
formed Personally, l have no re-
port to make on its use, Or who paid
for it, as 1 used only two doses, each
time at the request of the family,
once with no effect at all on pulse,
and lung condition. and
once with such an immediate and
profound collapse of the patient, that
[ did not use it again. In this con-
nection, however, l may say that l
don't believe in any section were con-
ditions more desperate, or pneumo-;
MIA more severe than on the Ridge
of the Middle Island. In this sec-'
ton of the Island saw twenty-three
cases OF pneumonia. When T say
pneumonia, I mean pneumonia, and
not the two, three, or four-day
type, SO frequently reported.
Of these patients, one died and
twenty-five recovered, record which
will compare favorably with the
serum therapy cases. The sum OF
the whole situation is this-the mild,
moderately severe. and some Of the
severe cases recovered, just as they
always have done The very severe
cases died just as they always have
done, either with or without serum.
1 am making no discussion of the
serum treatment of pneumonia;
simply stating conditions as they ex-
listed and results as they occurred on
Hooper's Island.
There is one part of DR.. Meade's
letter which 1 can most heartily en-
dorse, and that is the beautiful and
well merited tribute which he pays
to the ladies of this town, who. with
no expectation Of compensation and
no hope of reward beyond the salts
faction of feeling that they had re-
sponded to the cry of distress from
stricken people, gave their time,
their strength, and jeopardized their
lives in doing 6. noble work of pure
love and charity. DR.. Meade has
mentioned Mrs. Gould, Mrs. Wolff,
Mrs. Steele, and he only refrained
from mentioning Mrs. DR.. Lowe,
Mrs. Edgar B. Simmons, Mrs. John
Jackson, Mrs. Harry Brannock, Mrs.
Mary Mills, Miss Blanche Brinsfield,
and Mrs. Hoffman, because he did
not know their names. These noble
VI SOlllO VI thCul, Jay oASO1
day visited the Island, carrying
cheer, comfort and skilled and gentle
ministration to the sick and needy.
The only assistance not well paid
for by the people of the Island were
the free offered ministrations of the
noble women, and the supplies furn-
ished by the citizens Relief Com
mittee. and the Red Cross.
In conclusion, let me emphasize
the fact that the people of Hooper's
Island have been grateful and appre-
ciative, and insistently anxious to
pay for any service and every supply.
GUY STEELE.
Notice To Stockholders of The Dor
chester Water Company.
The annual meeting of the Stock
holders of The Dorchester Water Co.
for the election of Directors, and the