Much more vital, however, is the care patients receive in the hospital, for rigid adherence to surgical cleanliness is exemplified in the hospital as it can be nowhere else. Infections rarely develop there. Formerly these accidents were more common in the hospital than in the home, but conditions are now reversed and fatalities predominate among those delivered in private houses. The modern theory of asepsis has, to be sure, been widely accepted and is practiced so far as possible wherever obstetrical patients are attended, but only in the hospital can the underlying principles be applied with complete thoroughness and persistence. The hospital is constantly alert, whereas in private houses carelessness or ignorance, or both, often lead to lax technique. As a result, statistical evidence indicates that two to three infections occur among those delivered at home for one at the hospital. In the event of an emergency during labor, the hospital affords another distinct advantage in its staff of trained attendants. Of course they may be brought to one's home, yet not without some delay and extra expense; whereas in the hospital their assistance is instantly available. In institutions charity patients are often delivered under more favorable auspices than are the wealthy at their homes. Convalescence likewise is favored at the hospital, since the rules which control the admission of visitors guard the mother from exhaustion and annoyance. Moreover, isolation such as can only be secured in a hospital is conducive to a well-trained baby. Patients debating what course to follow often ask when they must leave home, what they should take with them, and how long they ought to remain at the hospital. The attending circumstances will alter the answers to these questions, but in a general way the following directions will serve as a guide. Ordinarily, the patient may remain at home until the first warning of labor. Departure from this rule is justified if the patient becomes unduly anxious about reaching the hospital in time, especially when she lives some distance from the institution, or if there is any doubt of securing accommodations. In either event, she should go to the hospital at least one week before the confinement is expected. There is no danger in riding to the hospital after labor has begun; frequently, the ride exerts a helpful influence and shortens the labor.