Four years later, in June, 1914, the Contagious Hospital was opened to the public for inspection. The new building with its new aseptic method for the care of contagious diseases, the second in America to adopt this plan, became the show place of the University Hospital group. Very pleasant quarters for nurses were fitted up on the second floor of the building, but as in all divisions of the departmental work, it was not long before more space was needed, and the second floor had to be used for patients. Again the nurses had to be moved. The size of this clinic, like that of all the others, rapidly increased after the opening of the new Hospital, and the building soon became, as it is today, entirely too small for requirements. In times of epidemic, which are not infrequent, auxiliary wards have to be opened, the working of the Hospital is greatly handicapped, and the time of the staff is greatly encroached upon.
In the winter of 1909 the demands of a contagious epidemic were met by boarding up the two summer houses, heating them with stoves, and using them as three-bed scarlet fever wards. It is hard to realize that not so many years ago it was necessary, because of Board of Health regulations and lack of isolation space, to have large wards in the general Hospital under quarantine for long periods of time. Three times during the college year of 1909-10 strict quarantine had to be observed, totaling an inactivity of over three months. In 1911 Palmer Ward was under quarantine for five months, and the surgical wards were rendered inactive, except for the most urgent cases, for as long as a month at a time. The effect this had on teaching in general and on the patience of teachers and clinicians in particular can well be imagined.
Since the opening of the contagious unit (1914), the introduction of the aseptic technique plan of caring for contagious patients, and the inauguration of the present method of handling contagious cases, a general quarantine has not been necessary, and partial quarantines have been of comparatively few days' duration.
For some years the work of an infectious disease institute has been carried on. Immunizations of all kinds are made in this division of the clinic, not only for the patients but for the entire personnel of the University Hospital. These immunizations consist of vaccinations against smallpox, typhoid fever, diphtheria, and whooping cough, the giving of antitoxins, of immune serums, and of immune blood transfusions, and the carrying out of desensitizations of various kinds for those who are allergic. The Contagious Hospital laboratories employ a full-time chemist and a full-time bacteriologist.
By 1922-23 ultraviolet light had become a popular therapeutic measure. The knowledge that this modality was being used indiscriminately caused members of the profession to guard its use very carefully. Other hospitals had reported favorably on its use. More than $400 had accumulated in the Mary J. Furnum fund, and with this and an addition from the current budget a lamp was bought for the department. A technician was necessary, and finally a full-time nurse was engaged. The baggage room in Palmer Ward was released for use, better lighting was provided by a new window, and a quartz light division of the clinic was organized. Very soon the lamp was in constant use.
Sensitization clinic. — In 1910-11 Dr. Cowie became very much interested in the work von Pirquet was doing in Vienna on allergy, and he conducted observations on cowpox disease and serum disease from that point of view. Oscar Schloss in New York had demonstrated
