BUILDINGS. To warrants from Auditor of State on account of cottages and hospitals..... .$ 10,000.00 To warrants from Auditor of State on account of dining hall... 1,500.00 $11,500.00 CREDIT. By amount paid on account of building cottages and hospital.... By amount paid for completing dining hall. . Total... Respectfully submitted, .$ 10,000.00 $11,500.00 C. ORCUTT, Treasurer. June 30, 1883. PHYSICIAN'S REPORT. DAVENPORT, Iowa, November 1, 1883. To the Honorable Board of Trustees of the Iowa Orphans' Home: In conforming to the established requirement of your Board, I herewith submit a statement of the medical and surgical management of the Institution since my last report. While the health of the Home may be stated to have been generally good, it will be noticed that an unusual number of deaths has occurred. The explanation of this increased mortality is mainly due to the impaired constitutions of those sent by county authority. Upon examining the subjoined table, it will be observed that there have been in all seven deaths, and out of this number six were in children who were sent by Boards of Supervisors. In the remaining case the early history shows that the child was originally a county charge, but for good cause the case was transferred to the State (soldiers) account. It is safe to predict that in the future medical management of the Institution the cases of chronic sickness and resulting deaths will be more numerous than in the past, because of the operation of hereditary influences in developing and perpetuating disease. Much may be done to alleviate and improve such constitutions, but the best efforts will, in many cases, be confronted by obstacles difficult if not impossible to overcome. In the early winter of 1882 there occurred an epidemic of scarlet fever, which was no doubt limited in the number of cases by reason of the hospital facilities for isolation. In all there were six cases, none of them dying. One case of malarial fever developed in June, 1883. During the same month there occurred one case of severe ulcerative inflamma tion of the throat and tonsils, in many respects looking not unlike diptheria, although no such opinion was warranted. In September, 1883, there appeared one case of severe bronchitis. There have been numerous cases of mumps and chicken-pox, all of which recovered without entailing any unpleasant consequences. For an extreme case of phimosis I performed the operation of circumcision. The hygiene of the Institution has been good. The food and clothing have been such as to receive the commendation of the medical officer. It affords me pleasure to comment in unreserved 'terms of the remarkable efficiency of the Superintendent and Matron, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce. On all occasions they have been judiciously watchful of the children's interests, and on every occasion they have faithfully co-operated with the surgeon to made the suffering of the inmates less and their health better. It is hoped that an appropriation will be obtained sufficient in amount to permit the entire hospital to be used for the specific purpose for which it was originally intended. Nettie Shultz...... Marion 3 April 6, '83. Consumption. Inflammation of membranes before coming to Home). 6 May 28, '83. In the cases of membraneous croup the operation of tracheotomy was performed for relief purposes only. Very respectfully, W. F. PECK, Medical Officer. |
