"The idea of infection began to be taken far more seriously than it ever had before. Hospitals transformed themselves in response to the new plague - sometimes for the better, but often for the worse, as when, in fear, they cast their ulcerated patients out into the streets"

In the quote by Peter Lewis Allen, the focus is on the progressing understanding and response toward contagious diseases, particularly throughout times of epidemic or afflict. The statement highlights a critical shift in how society, and specifically medical organizations like hospitals, viewed and handled the threat of infection. This change in mindset shows a historical minute when the worry of contagion intensified, substantially modifying hospital practices and policies.

Historically, medical facilities, which were frequently overcrowded and doing not have in health, ended up being hotbeds for infection. As the understanding of infection grew-- most likely influenced by emerging scientific discoveries-- the need to control and avoid the spread became immediate. This shift marked the beginning of more rigorous hygienic practices and preventative measures, though not always executed sensibly or humanely.

Allen's observation that health centers "changed themselves in reaction to the new plague" recommends a duration of experimentation in medical practices and responses. For the much better, some hospitals may have embraced stricter hygiene protocols and enhanced patient care requirements. Such changes might include much better isolation techniques, antiseptic procedures, and basic cleanliness, laying structures for modern-day infection control.

On the other hand, the negative response to this newfound fear is highlighted by hospitals casting "ulcerated clients out into the streets". This illustrates a regrettable trend where worry bypassed empathy, resulting in inhumane treatment of clients. This reaction might reflect a lack of resources, understanding, or infrastructure to deal with the crisis sufficiently. Maybe in many cases, clients were so feared as sources of contagion that they were ostracized instead of looked after successfully. This technique, while intending to protect the higher population, frequently left the most susceptible without care.

Allen's quote, therefore, catches both the advancement and the ethical risks in the history of public health and hospital care throughout upsurges. It is a tip of the intricacies and ethical dilemmas that develop when fear and survival instincts encounter responsibility and compassion.