DTI A MI I 1cAkN D i Y
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'Maternit HEospital Called 'Disgrace to U
he State
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2. UNIVERSITY MATERNITY HOSPITAL'S single, narrow,
winding stairway (above) is a traffic problem for staff members.
According to State fire marshal's officers, two more stairways
are needed if the building is to continue in use as a maternity
hospital.
3. ALTHOUGH PATIENTS AND GARBAGE do not ride at the same time, this elevator (above) is
used for both--because it's the only elevator the University Maternity Hospital has.
i
1. THIS IS THE ONLY ENTRANCE to the University Maternity Hospital. Built in 1904 as an
eye, ear, nose and throat clinic, this structure h s served for the past 15 years as the University's
maternity center and training ground for medical students.
SIGLER WILL APPRAISE:
Poor Facilities Harass Staff, atients
f
By ART HIGBEE
As one student nurse said, "It's
a poor place to show off a new
baby."
Or as Prof. Norman F. Miller of
the Medical School told Governor
Kim Sigler this week,1 "the Uni-
versity's present maternity hospi-
tal is a disgrace to the State."
The governor has promised to
come and take a look at it.
And the State Legislature is
now-considering whether or not
funds to complete the new ma-
ternity hospital should be in-
cluded in the appropriation re-
quested by the University for
construction purposes.
Meanwhile, we went over yester-
day to take a look at the old ma-
ternity hospital,.and it didn't look
too good.
The building is 54 years old and
was never constructed as a ma-
ternity hospital in the first place.
It has been used as such for the
past 15 years because special ac-
commodations have always been
contemplated-but never, com-
pleted.
Construction on the Univer-
siiy's new maternity hospital,
part of the state-approved "Vic-
tory Building Program," was
halted at the foundation stage
a year ago so that State appro-
priations could be used to fin-
ish construction of classroom
buildings. The new hospital, at
an estimated cost of $1,725,000
would include 75 beds for moth-
ers.
The old hospital has 35 beds-
which makes it, on this basis alone,
just about half big enough. Re-
sult: the Medical School has a
makeshift arrangement with a De-
troit hospital whereby students are
"farmed out" there for their ob-
stetrical training.
A look at the old hospital's other
facilities is even more enlighten-
ing: They include only one en-
trance, one stairway, one elevator,
one bathtub-and no kitchen.
This means that the entrance
and elevator used by patients are
also used for bringing supplies in
and carrying garbage out.
The garbage cans are steril-
ized, of course. The whole hos-
pital is up to standard in sani-
tation, but it's a tough job keep-
ing it that way.
Lack of a kitchen means that
patients' meals must be brought
by truck from the University hos-
pital two blocks away.
The single stairway is a terrific
problem and a fire hazard. More
than a year ago, State fire mar-
shal's officials inspected the hos-
pital and ruled that if the build-
ing were to continue to be used as
a maternity hospital, two new
stairwells must be constructed at
either end of the building.
The stairwells have not been
built. Meanwhile, the only fire
escapes are of the antiquated
metal tube variety, hardly suita-
ble for bed patients.
Rooms for these ° bed patients
aren't exactly spacious. Some ofr
them have been constructed
around entrances to the fire es-
capes, and are so small that if a
patient sits up in bed she strikes
her head on a steel roof support.
The amphitheatre isn't very
popular wtih medical students
and nurses. Pointing out that
the seats are uncomiortably
small and that only about four
people can view the proceedings
at any one time, they say "it's no
fun to be jerked out of bed in
the middle of the night to watch
a delivery if you can't se any-
thing anyway."
They deplore the lack of facili-
ties for movies or slide demonstra-
tions, and the inadequate class-
room space.
4
5. THE MATERNITY HOSPITAL has beds for 35 mothers, but
only one bathtub (below)-a pretty small one, at that. It is used
for special heat treatments.
4. THIS IS A SAMPLE ROOM (below) at the maternity hospital. If the patient sits up straight
she'll bump her head on the steel roof support. If the bed were moved to the other side of the
room it world block the entrance to the fire escape.
'U' Doctors Seek Cancer Cause by Research on Anima
ls
C
Scientists Trace Spread of Virus Through Mice
By HERB MADALIN
Cancer, killer of one out of
every ten persons and second in
the cause of death in the United
States today, is very much in the
spotlight now at the University.
immunolog
little of whi
As in all
mals playt
cer resear
ones being
As a result of work done here mice are us
and elsewhere, cancer may some areofsc
day be put low down on the list of of cancer, b
mortality much as diphtheria, thir work1
whooping-cough, smallpox and breeding ra
other notorious killers have been certain stra
in the past. ease with w
At the University cancer re- dled.
search laboratory, a team under Rabbits a
the direction of Dr. Reuben Kahn ducing anti
and Dr. Albert Wheeler, is slowly studied in
moving ahead in animal experi- velopmenti
mentation, transmitting cancer not be use
from one animal to another, mak- tion, becau
ing observations, collecting data-1 produce an
seeking the basic facts about the awn species.
y of cancer, relatively
ich is known at present.
medical research, ani-
the main role in can-
ch, the most suitable
mice and rabbits. The
ed in the actual growth
being highly suitable for
because of their rapid
te, the suspectibility of
ains to cancer, and the
hich they may be han-
are chiefly used in pro-
bodies, whose action is
relation to cancer de-
in the mice. Mice can
d in antibody produc-
se an animal can not
tibodies effective in its
To date cancer research has fol-
lowed three lines of investigation
-chemical, virus, and genetic. In-
vestigators tend to look with dis-
favor on the genetic theory be-
cause it would make the whole
problem hopeless if cancer were
hereditary. Research has definite-
ly established, however, that cer-
tain types of cancer are transmit-
ted by virus. It is also known that
certain types of cancer may be
caused by chemical substances,
similar to sex hormones produced
by the body.
One approach to the cancer
problem which Dr. Kahn and Dr.
Wheeler are using is the investi-
gation of tests for detecting
changes in the blood pattern
which may occur in cancer. This
"serological pattern" which is
found by a series of precipitation
tests on the blood may be deter-
mined for every person as well as
in animals, and is found to vary in
different diseases. It is on this
principle that the well-known
Kahn test for syphilis operates.
As in all other types of research,
cancer research advances con-
stant experimentation, checking
and rechecking of experiments,
and slowly gathering more and
more facts until some day the
facts may be fitted together like a
jigsaw puzzle and a solution to
the cause of cancer found.
Affiliated Men
Approve Rule
Reactions of fraternity men to
the IFC resolution outlawing haz-
ing were generally favorable.
4
DR. WHEELER and one of his assistants, Frank Nakamura are
here (left) shown injecting human tissue into a rabbit.
1.: MICE PLAY a prime role in cancer research. Here are shown
some of the mice housed in a recently built annex to the labora-
tory. Mrs. Ella Brandon is removing with typical feminine reluct-
ance one of the rodents previous to its use in an experiment.
Since the University lost a large source of its mice supply when
the Cancer Research Institute in Bar Harbor, Maine, burned
down, a large number of the mice are now bred at the University
laboratory.
Afflm