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FOL DOORS Carlane Decorating Co. 13th and EYE STREETS, N.W • May We Estimate? • Phone District 7 -0488 Painling • The Shade Shop Linoleum - Formica 830 13TH ST., N.W. anJ Rubber Tile - Asphalt Tile AVAILABLE AT YOUR REpublic 7-6262 Vinyl Plastic Floors and Walls ';J)ecoraling Canlracfo,.~ MEL VERN DEALER! • IJl\llFORMS WASHINGTON 2315 L Street, N.W. for DOCTORS • NURSES UNITED PAINTERS FISH EXCHANGE HOSPITALS • INSTITUTIONS NAtional 8-2594 MAIDS and DECORATORS "Operating Our Own Shrimp Fleet" WOodley 6-1983 • • WHOLESALE SEAFOODS • l\IJ\ TIOl\ll\L 3118 Dogwood Street N.W . "Direct Fram the Fishing Ground to You" UNIFORM COMPANY Washington 15, D. C. STerling 3-7500 • 3-7501 • 3-7502 - 3-7503 Allan A. Carney 20th & K Streets, N.W. • NA. 8-0320 OWNER DISCOUNT TO STUDENTS Telephone KEllog 7-0049 1011 E STREET, S.W. Special: lab Coals. $4.99 [2] [ 3] We Also Serve -in seven Compliments important mays • of a Laura B. Davis, Owner & Manager Your finance11, too, require the 16th & IRVING STS. 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Hom• Builders Association • Commercial Printing 30 Years' Experience as REALTOR - BUILDER Frosted Foods • • Stationers Developer af Crestwoad Hawthorn 1480 Okie St. N.E. • Legal Printing Hillcrest Heights 1508 L St., N.W. 1015 15th Street N.W. LAwrence 6-8350 RE. 7-4848 (New Modem Equipment) NA. 8-7379 Established For Over 95 Years NATIONAL 8-3317 Guy. Curran IE Co.. Inc:. Our Coal and Service Must Be Good J. LEE DONNELLY • Associate: Joseph L. Donnelly 313-319 9th Street N.W . Washington 4, D. C. THE MARLOW COAL CO. REALTOR • INVESTMENT BUILDING Institutional LJn1'ns 811 E STREET, N. W. NAtional 8-0311 Washington 5, D. C. (4] [ 5 J HOSPITAL AMBULANCE, KLOMJ\1\1 ll\ISTRUMEl\IT CO. OXYGEN AND EQUIPMENT OP THB GBORGB WASHINGTON 1822 Eye Street N.W. UNIVBRSITY MBDICAL CENTER CO., INC. PubRshed quarterly by the Women's Board of Ambulances - Oxygen Washington 6, D. C. The George Washington University Hospital, Washington Circle, Washington 7, D. C. Oxygen Tents Vol. 5 SEPTEMBER 1953 No. 3 Wheel Chairs • Walkers CONTENTS Hospital Beds Commodes HOSPITAL, PHYSICIANS AND SICK ROOM PAGE Hospital Emphasizes Safety. 8 Bedside Tables and other invalid equipment SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT Better Health for Your Children . 10 JOHN P. McGOVERN, M.D. Rentals-Sales-Service All That Wheezes Is Not Asthma .... 12 • }AMES J. FEFFER, M.D• 24 Hour Service About Our Authors. .. .. .. 17 MEtropolitan 8-3900 Grants ............................ 19 Office and Showroom NAtional 8-6566 REpublic 7-4600 Cat Scratch Disease (Greece) . 20 1823 L St. N.W. DR. A. FLOROS Answers You Should Know. 22 Our Doctors Say. 25 Staff Reports on Research. 29 TELEVISION In Memoriam ..................... 31 COVER- The Hospital's first set of triplets pose for a first picture as they snuggle in arms of Nurse Jane F.M. RADIOS Smith. The babies are Debby, Wendy, and Harry Pressman. (See story, page 9. ) RENTAL Editorial Staff Editar _________Darothy Botts Marvin cocktails and dinner Associate Editor William Bagwell in the lounge Editorial Board of Review fro~ 5 to 9 for PATIENTS Dr. Cloyd H. Marvin, President of the University with delightful dinner music Dr. Walter A. Blaedom, Medical Director of the Hospital dancing from 7 p.m. • • • Mr. Victor F. Ludewig, Superintendent of the Hospital • to the music of i Dr. Winfred Overholser, Superintendent of St. Eliza· bath's Hospital your favorite Circulation and Advertising-Betsy Winter Padgett Call GIFT · SHOP orchestras Sustaining Subscriptions THE COURIER is being published by the Women's GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, Ext. 531 Board af the Hospital to tell the story of Tho George Washington University Medical Center. Persons may assist this purpose as sustaining subscribers at $1.SO for one year and $2.75 for two years. Checks For Home Rentals-Llncoln 7-7600 should be mode ta THE COURIER and mailed ta tho treasurer of The Woman's Board, Mrs. W. D. Terrell, Jr., 5082 Lawall St. N.W., Washington 16, D. C. Entertainment tax after 7 p.m. [6] (7] Hospital Emphasizes Safety Gov't Leader Greets JN a hospital as large as The George Washington University Hospital the care Large Freshman Class of hundreds of sick and helpless patients makes the problem of safety a vitally The largest freshman class in the his­ important one. As a result, the University Hospital has studied carefully its working tory of the Medical School-102 students routine and has established new practices for the increased safety of patients, personnel -was welcomed to the School's BOth and visitors. session this month by University officials Two hospital committees meet regularly each month to carry forward this work. and Assistant Secretary of Defense One group, headed by the Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and in­ (Health and Medical) Melvin A. Cas­ cluding representatives from the nursing department and the chief resident physicians berg. of the various medical and surgical services, is responsible for developing safe prac­ Dr. Casberg, speaking to the freshmen tices for patients and hospital visitors. The other committee, headed by the Hospital's and to others of the Medical School's 350 Assistant Superintendent and including the heads of such service departments as students, stressed the need for reconsider­ laundry, dietary, engineering and housekeeping, is in charge of employee safety ing the "Art of Medicine." He pointed HONOR SCOUT-Sarah Jane Colglazier problems. serves meal to a patient during her round out that whereas 100 years ago the em­ of duties as a Girl Scout aide at the Hos­ phasis was almost entirely on the art of pital. Since she became an aide two years medical practice, today the scales have Patient Care Improved ago, the 16-year-old Wilson Senior High tipped until science is stressed as the chief School student has served 369 hours, the Recommendations from the first of these committees have already brought various top record among 72 Girl Scout aides in the factor in medicine. A balance between improvements, including better methods of administering medications-a big prob­ D. C. hospitals. the two is necessary if the medical pro­ lem in a hospital where thousands of dosages of medicine are administered weekly. fession is to continue to minister effec­ Other improvements include the addition of a permanent safety strap to every tively to the needs of the public, he em­ stretcher in the building to prevent any chance of a patient falling from one, the .find­ First Triplets Born phasized. ing of a better way to maintain waxed floors in safe walking condition, and the addi­ Other speakers at the opening assem­ tion of a new handrail at the main entrance for the convenience of all who enter there. At G. W. Hospital bly were University President Cloyd H. Patients have been asked to cooperate by obeying safety rules established for Wendy, Debby and Harry Pressman Marvin and Medical School Dean Walter their protection by never attempting to leave their beds until advised to do so by a arrived at the Hospital on Sept. 3, the A. Bloedorn. Medical leaders from the physician, by never reaching for anything not within convenient distance, and by first triplets to be born in the new build­ government, the armed services, and pri­ asking for bedside rails, which are always available, if there is any reason to feel a ing since its opening in early 1948. vate organizations were guests at the need for them. Parents of the two girls and one boy meeting. are Mr. and Mrs. Irving R. Pressman of Employee Problems Solved Arlington, Va. The Pressmans have two Heart Diseases Emphasized other children, Alan, 10 and Marlene, 7. In Postgraduate Course From the second committee's work many protective procedures for employees have According to national statistics, triple evolved. Wooden mop handles have been replaced by metal ones, thus eliminating births occur about once in every 8000 Heart disease-the nation's No. 1 fatal accidents from wooden slivers. Steel wool has given place to plastic scouring pads cases. At the Hospital, 15,750 babies illness-will be the subject of the Medical for pots and pans to avoid injury from steel slivers, and smaller garbage cans are now were born during the five and one-half School's postgraduate course for Wash­ used to prevent back strains or injuries.