The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-07-30

MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE AIMS AoUsE
There has been bill for the Improvement Of
this department of our city government tor some
time before the Common Council, and we be-
lieve il is as yet under consideration, though as
we are now at the end of July, and the report
of the committee on charity and aims house,
recommending this bill, is dated the LIST June,
we do not see why it could not have been acted
on before this.
The aims house government, that is, the medi-
cal part of it, has, for many years past, been the
opprobrium of our city-though, by saying this,
we would not wish to cast any reflection on the
medical gentlemen who have occupied the station
OF resident physician there: they have all done
their utmost, and kept things in as much order
as the nature of the case allowed-but the idea
of one man, unaided by any, save assistants who
take no share in the responsibility idea, we
say, Of expecting him to be able to manage an
institution containing always some 1900 or l4O0
patients, occupying buildings several miles
apart, is perfectly preposterous. The conse-
quence has been much confusion, and waste OF
the city property, not to speak of the detriment
to the interests of the unfortunate patients there
assembled.
Again, another disadvantage they have labored
|
pointment; scarcely have they got their i'm
mensely onerous duties suitably arranged and
mapped out, when change of party In the city
government has dismissed them, and again all
seems confusion and anarchy to the next conner,
and party rancor has not failed 10 exaggerate
and magnify the defects of the previous occu-
pants.
The present Common Council came into power
at a period when there was mucn excitement
abroad regarding ship fever; and in accordance
with the old adage "New brooms, &c" one OF
their first acts was to remedy this lamentable
condition of things, and special committee
was appointed to reorganize these departments,
and they adopted the plan of laying the affair
before committee of the medical faculty OF the
city, and asking their counsel as to the best plan
to be adopted.
These gentlemen took the matter into consi-
deration, and drew up an admirable plan for the
future management of the hospitals, OF which
the following is an outlines
LIST AL. arrangements and appointments to be
made irrespective of any political considera-
tons
81. The hospital department to be divided into
two distinct and independent sections,viz Belle.
vue Hospital and Blackwell's Island Hospital,
the latter comprising the Lunatic Asylum, and
the cases of disease among the children and con-
victs on Blackwell's Island.
They then 90 on to recommend the appoint
ment of the following officers, by the Common
Council, viz two physicians and two surgeons,
of age, experience, and eminence, to be styled
the consulting physicians and surgeons, whose
duty it will be to visit the establishments for pur-
poses of consultation with the other members
These gentlemen are to be considered as attach
ed to both sections of the hospital department,
the appointments to be honorary, their services
gratuitous, and to hold their office at the plea
sure Of the Common Council.
Fer Bellevue Hospital, they recommended the
appointment of the following officers, viz: re-
sident physician, six visiting physicians, and
six visiting surgeons, together with eight AS
sistant resident physicians, and one apotheca-
ry; in all twenty-five officers.
For Blackwell's Island Hospital, they recon-
mended the appointment of resident physician,
four visiting physicians, four deputy resident
and two assistant resident physl-
clans; in all eleven officers.
Thus, in all, there would be appointed, by this
plan, thirty-seven medical officers, whose sole
and especial charge would be to Iattend to the
business of the hospitals.
The present cost for medical services to the
city is, believe, two thousand dollars year,
living and perquisites TO the resident physician;
and six hundred dollars year and living to the
physician at the Lunatic Asylum. The physi-
clan at the Children's Hospital is also salaried.
In all, the expense amounts to about three thou
sand three hundred dollars, besides the board
and lodging, granted free of cost to the assistant
who pay fee to the resident for the
privilege of being assistants. The number OF
these assistants varies; some years they are more
than others, but we believe, there are never less
than eight or ten. The apothecaries at Bellevue
and Blackwel's Island have also small salaries.
The proposed plal would be quite as econo- |
mical for the city, as the only salaried officers
W ould be the residents at the two hospitals-the
one at Bellevue to be paid $500 per annum, and
the on e at Backwell's Island $1,000; the apothe-
cary at Bellevue $3.50 per year, and the one at
Island $3.50. The board and lodg-
ing of these officers are also to be furnished
them, as well as that of the eight assistants at
Bellevue, and the six at BlackwelPs Island, four
of whom are to receive 800 per annum-thus
making the sum total Of salaries to be paid
amount to 81, 800, or the same as is now paid
We have here merely given an outline OF the
proposed organisation. The limits of newspa-
per like ours forbid us here entering into detail
of the further specifications of this plan. We
shall, however, pursue the subject another day.
In the meantime, we will conclude with hoping
that the Common Council will not allow the
time to pass by without acting on this bill,
which is 30 important to the city in many ways.
The hest medical talent in the city is freely at
their service; and having taken the first step,
we trust they will not retrogade; and now that
the excit ment of obtaining office has cooled
down, let their good deeds all evaporate in talk,
talk talk.
The MoRMoNs IN CALIFORNIA The Washing
ton Union denies the report which has been cur
rent for few days, that the Mormon regiment
J &C d. In 6,aliEa<a.a