Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-22
CARE OF TUBERCULOUS CHILDREN
REAL PROBLEM FOR THE DISTRICT

over IL years old may be admitted N
the tuberculosis Hospital. there Is no
children's ward there and 1t Ii ques-
tionable whether the resulting contact
With adults does not do more harm
than good. For this reason the Asso-
ciation for the Prevention Of Tubercu-
Iosis has advocated the establishment
Of . preventorium. or sanatorium, FOR
the treatment Of tuberculous children
IN the District. One proposal has bean
tnat the Health Department take over
the white health school on Allison
street ano make OF 1t preventorium
children who need it and at the same
time supply the education of such chill
dren who now attend the health school
ana live at home. Although the need
OF such an institution has been repeat
edly brought 70 the attention OF the
public authorities. nothing has come
OF It,
1t must be remembered that. az pres
emily constituted. the health schools
under the public school system are not
institutions for the treatment Of tuber-
culous children. They are merely
schools which provide the proper en-
Tronment for their education. The
school system Is confronted with an
SNN~oSROidA 0hQ AtUb q Iic&lbu DrOOeM.
Inc school system cannot be expected
TO maintain sanatoriums. But II the
present health schools were removed
from the Jurisdiction Of the schools and
USED as nucleus for the establishment
OF pfeventoriuns or sanatorfuns, the
scnooi system could still be called upon
70 provide the educational facilities.
The good that has resulted from MAIN
tenance OF the health schools Is not %
be discounted. The health schools are
doing excellent work. They reflect
nothing but credit upon the school Of
Metals. But it remains. as demon
strated BY the experience Of the SUM
mer health camps conducted by the
tuberculosis Association. that 24-hour
care OF children accomplishes much
more than Is possible in health schools
That have the children in charge for
only S OF the days "a hours. Con-
disions are not what they should be IN
the health schools. But this il due
either to savage Slashing of estimates
or to the failure Of officials properly 70
anticipate the demands upon the ap-
preparations. The system Is all right as
lar rs It goes. But it may be q short
siented system in not going the limit
and Undertaking to provide every IA
City possible for tn. treatment as well
as the education Of tuberculous chill
dren-
Inc Health Department has recentIv
submitted 70 the school Authorities =
nst Of 20 additional children for the
white and colored health schools, The
scnool authorities are decidedly IN
against II 70 provide Adequately for
sn.s aooisionai children But more
mseIestng sian Is the reason for the
SUBMISSION OF these names in such a
.aIge group. Il results from . conro-
versy at the District Building over the
law OF 1908 regarding the REPORTING Of
tuberculosis In the District. without
gong INTO the situation which brought
ABOUT this controversy, the uoshoe OF
the matter has been that the corpora
tfon counsel has interpreted the law 20
mean that unless q positive surt,,r,
TEST Is obtained by the Health Derart-
mens nom person suspected OF riber-
culoSis. that person cannot Be rerar6ed
legally as having tuberculosis. II Is rec
osnized that while an X-ray and a phy-
sicians observation may dese .-asne ,he
presence OF tuberculosis beyond q doub.
positive spurum test is always DIM
Suit ano often impossible 70 OBTAIN
iIom enid But lacking this positive
spotum test the child cannot now be
kasHy regarded rs having tuberculosis
unoer the laws Interpretation. Tine
heaNn DEPARTMENT for nearly 20 years
mas read the Law 70 mean that a Su,,-
tum test Is 70 be furnished on applica-
! 0on OF physician but whether II :
positive or negative has been rersrued
rs OF minor importance. The Ess OF
70 names accumulated while the Health
department debated what 70 do undrr
inc new Interpretation Of the law. It's
LA oestsson vas 20 transfer children
70 the health school. as in the nae
regardless Of the test. To DO ctherwise
would have been 70 bring contus,on
worse eonfounded In the ussnt.rne
me Interpretation Of the hw rerrsf-,x
II IS ridiculous 70 believe that :Ae pss-
nict WI allow il 70 remain without