Evening star., 1923-08-30


Gus condition this morning.
Will Hold Inquest.
Records at Emergency Hospital and
at Garfield Hospital, however, show
that there was less than an hours
interval between departure of the
child with its frantic mother from
Emergency Hospital and entry at
Garfield, which is at variance with
the estimate of the wait at Childrens s
Hospital made by the mother.
The body was taken to the District
morgue. Cause of death will be de-
termined al an inquest at the morgue
tomorrow morning at 1880 o'clock.
Health Officer Fowler stated today
that there is rule under which
hospitals are not supposed TO take
contagious cases except those in
stitutionS where special arrangements
are made to handle them.
Isolation Rooms Required.
He explained, however, that there
is an act Of Congress for the regula-
tion of contagious diseases in Wash
ington, one section of which provides.
that in every hospital and dispen-
sary in said District there shall be
maintained suitable room or rooms
for the isolation Of persons infected
with any contagious disease aforesaid
or any other disease ordinarily rec
oSnized as contagious; such persons
shall, Immediately upon the discov-
cry of the nature of their sickness,
be separated from other persons and
other patients at such diSpenSary or
hospital"
DIR. Fowler said the health depart
ment has an Understanding with two
hospitals for the treatment of con-
tagious cases regularly. But all of
the hospitals. he said. maintain emer-
gency isolation rooms referred to
above.
At Emergency Hospital, it was
stated by Supt. b. b. Sandidge today
| every possible attention was given
the case: Despite the assertion of
Mrs Mothershead, to the effect that
| the child was in commissions on ar
rival. DR.. II. S. Hoffman. on duty at
the time. declared that there was only
local spaSms indicated. He said that
| hrst-aid measures would not aid the
case. He diagnosed the case as
meningitis complicated by whoopfng
cough.
Deny First Aid Needed.
After careful investigation" Mr..
Sandidge said. Eve are inclined to
believe that this was no emergency
case. We learned that the child had
peer under treatment by physician
for two months. We are not al
which might imperil the safety of
other patients. / find that the child
arrived here at 3:20 o'clock, was ex-
amined, and the case given full and
immediate attention. The mother
the child here and it was sent to
Chifdren's Hospital. DR. Hoffman
then called UP ChiIdren's HOSPITAL
after the child had been taken away
from here in the patrol-our ambu-
lance was out-and he told Children's
Hospital that the case was en- route"
DIR. Hoffman's diagnosis showed no
COMMISSIONS but localized spasms on
the right side, caused he believed. by
the cerebral irritation of the menin-
gifts. This condition did not call for
first aid.'
Saved Time, Say officials.
At Children's Hospital II was stated
that fifteen minutes was approxi-
| mately the interval of the wait there.
This time was taken up, according to
the superintendent, in making ar
| rangements for admission in Garfield
Hospital, which is three blocks away.
| pltal that the child would have been
| accepted there and placed in an iso-
lated room, except for the fact that
| TINS would have necessitated more
| Time IN making arrangements than
| immediate placement of the child at
! Garheld Hospital would.
! II was SAID that a room would
| have to be vacated and necessary
sa;rrangements made before the pa
| which would have taken longer
than sending the child to GARFIELD,
| Where there is an annex for Isolation
cases. An isolation ward, it was ad
mitted at Children's Hospital. is one
I q nf = \
and its lack, 1t was said, has severely
! Handicapped the hospital in handling
cases at various times. 1t was
whooping cough. because of its con-
tagion, would have imperiled ninty-
six children who are patients at
Children,s Hospital. many of whom
ditions and malnutrition. An cpl
demic of whooping cough, it was said,
among such cases would take a
heavy toll in lives, and it was to pre-
! vent any such possibility that the
child was not admitted.
| Waived All Preliminaries.
The records at Garfield Hospital
show that a telephone call was re-
ceived about 4 o'clock from Children MS
Hospital with reference to the case
and that the case was officially en-
| tered fifteen minutes after 4 o'clock,
or exactly forty-nine minutes after
the departure from Emergency Hos
pita1 at 1925 o'clock.
when the telephone call was re-
ceived," the superintendent of Gar
| field Hospital said, instructions were
given Immediately to admit the pa
tient upon arrival.
A few minutes later the parent, bring
| ing the fchild, applied at the office
| for admission. Admission was grant
| ed to the contagious disease annex
| at 4:15 O'Clock, by the physician in
| charge. who waived preliminary ex-
| amipation-seeing that the child was