Evening star., 1923-08-31
Death of Baby
Starts Moue HerefOr
Contagious Hospital

Continued from First Page.)
the health department that the case is
tfere. We maintain an ambulance
service for the removal Of such cases
during the day and until II o'clock at
night"
Plan Separate Building.
Inquiry at the District building to-
few years the city will have a munici-
pal building for the exclusive treat
ment of contagious diseases.
Capt. John E. Wood, assistant engi-
neer commissioner. said that 1t is
the plan of the Commissioners to de-
sign one unit of the new Gallinger
Hospital for contagious patients.
Thus far the city heads have only
completed the psychopathic wards,
but additional appropriations for the.
completion of the project are expected
from Congress at regular intervals.
DR.. Fowler said he made the sug
gestion some time ago to other Dis
trict officials that one building at
Gallinger should be designed and set
aside for the treatment Of contagious
diseases. and his thought has been
accepted.
DkSa
Testimony of DR.. Herbert E. Mar
tyn, deputy coroner, who performed
an autopsy on the baby, indicated
Pneumonia as the cause of death. He
said that the ride from two other
hospitals to get finally to Garfield
Hospital was not in his opinion a con-
tributary cause Of death.
Mrs. Ernest Mothershead. mother
of the baby. and physicians and at
taches of the three hospitals were
placed on the stand as witnesses. Mrs.
Mothershead detailed her experiences
at the various hospitals. while the
piTnh physicians to, told & of the Treatment treatment
prescribing action in case of con-
tagious diseases at the respective
institutions.
DR.. Henry G. Hadley of 1852 9Th
street southwest. the family physi-
clan. arrived late. and testified that
he had treated the baby for cough
with the symptoms of whooping
cough and for dysentery, but that on
last Sunday the baby had shown signs
of great Improvement. He added that
he reported the case to the health de-
partment as whooping cough on the
night of the death Of the baby.
Among physicians on the stand
were: DR.. Fl. S. Hoffman of Emergency
Hospital. DR.. Sanchez of Garfield Hos
pital. DR.. Maurice Grozin and Dr..
q
James r. Mays, superintendent of
Children's Hospital, also testified.
Four Contagious Wards.
Only four of the eleven larger hos
pitfalls in Washington have isolated
wards where patients suffering from
or infectious diseases
might be admitted were they to ap-
ply.
A census of the city's hospitals
nh hoA An1l
mans, Founding and Providence are
the only hospitals boasting such a
ward. In the case of Freedman's and
the Founding hospitals the wards are
very small.
The following hospitals, according
to the statements of their superin-
tendents, have no isolation wards:
Casualty. Childrens. Emergency CAL
linger, Memorial, George Washington
Columbia and Sibley Me-
mortal.
1t was pointed out that all of the
or two beds where patients who &C.
velop contagious or infectious dis
eases after they have been admitted
may be placed until II is possible to
remove them to a regular ward in
another hospital. Patients applying
for admission, however. would be
denied.
"OuIQ rake Paftent.
The chief resident physician of
Hospital said his isola-
ton ward Is very small. He said he
would not, however. permit patient
applying for admission to go back into
the streets. but would put the person
in the ward. If it were then possi-
BILE to transfer the sufferer to one of
the regularly equipped contagious
disease wards, he would do so. but If
necessary would keep the unfortunate
victim until recuperation.
At Emergency Hospital the super
intendent declared Congress has never
made an appropriation which would
enable the city's hospitals to maintain
a contagious disease ward. Other
asserted 1t would be dan
gerous to other patients to admit per-
sons suffering from contagious dis
eases.
"A person in a hospital is so weak
that he Is subject to almost any germ
that comes around" one said. Were
we to let contagious disease sufferers
In we might soon find ourselves facing
an epidemic with persons already in
valided as the victims. Ordinarily IL
is not dangerous to a person suffering
from contagious disease to postpone
their treatment long enough to send
them to a hospital adequately equip
ped for such treatment"
The chief resident physician of CO.
1umbia Hospital pointed out that his
institution is devoted to the treatment
OF obstetrical cases. which are al
ways subject to contagious and in
fectious diseases. He said there Is a
room for the treatment of persons
have been admitted. but he admitted
1t would be necessary to refuse ad-
mittance to such a sufferer from the
outside.