The Dependent Child 175 



vation of obscure cases requiring much labora- 

 tory study. Children, and especially infants, 

 do not respond well to prolonged hospital care. 

 As soon as acute symptoms of disease have 

 passed, they should be promptly discharged. 

 Otherwise, there is liable to be recurrence of the 

 original disease or a succumbing to some com- 

 municable infection. Convalescence should 

 take place elsewhere. 



Recognizing this fact, in 1890 I started Hos- 

 pital Social Service in connection with the 

 children's division of the New York Post-Grad- 

 uate Hospital. After a quick discharge, the 

 necessary medical, surgical and social after- 

 care takes place in the home. I believe this 

 represents the first activity of the kind to be 

 started and kept up as a routine proceeding.^ 

 In this connection it is interesting to note that 

 the nurses of the Henry Street Settlement 

 of New York got better results with certain 

 diseases of childhood, notably pneumonia, 

 treated at home than do any of the hospitals. 



1 "The Relation Between the Child and Hospital Social 

 Service" — Journal of the American Medical Association, 

 July 23, 1921. 



