The Placer herald., 1857-08-01
Tho County Hospital.

Tho County Hospital.
Our cotemporary Of the Placer Press lives
next door to the County Hospital, and has
done SO for long time, but it was only
until last week that he realized the necessity
for the pruning knife Of reformation to be in.
troduced in that institution BY looking
over the fence We suppose, be has discovered
that some Of the patients are stout fellows,
so far convalescent as to pitch quoits smoke
pipes and consume "beef, mutton and other
provender," in quantities not surpassed by
men in full health.
Having a desire that the health Of opr
county finances should be restored, our friend
Of the Press has no idea that the good coun-
ty Of Placer should be feeding men at the
public crib who are able to use the pick and
shovel, and therefore calls upon the County
Supervisors to "visit the Hospital occasion
ally, and discharge those whom they find on
the lazy instead Of the sick list" as DR..
Thomas keeps them at low rate and may
feel delicacy in sending them away when
they have recovered
This is all very fine and quite ingenious;
but We will take few steps backward in the
past and examine this matter little. Last
season, Drs. Hawthorne & Hubbard, clever
gentlemen and staunch Known othings, had
the Hospital contract, and received from the
county the comfortable sum Of $ls per week
for each patient and their bill against the
county, as we are informed, amounted, for
the year, to $4,000. Our readers will agree
with us, that this was an enormous sum-
The editor Of the Press lived in as close
proximity to the Hospital then as be does
now, but he did not inform the public of the
presence Of those stalwart beefeaters and
robust patients. Some people thought then,
from the appearance Of a number of the sick
men, that Hawthorne & Hubbard catered
we'll for their table.
At the last session Of the Board Of Super.
visors, they let the contract for the Hospital
to DR.. Thomas, at IS per week board for each
patient, and $4,000 per annum for furnishing
medical and other attendance, and suitable
building, and in no event was he to receive
more than the amount of the Hospital Fund,
which cannot exceed $1,000 per annu,n.
The County Supervisors we're not called
upon by the editor Of the Press, to visit the
Hospital and discharge the "beefeaters"
when Know Nothing administration was
paying $le per week for their keeping. but
he is fearful that under the Democratic con.
tract for IS per week. these stout fellows
may eat the county poor.
The editor Of the Press is we'll aware tha:
it is the duty of the County Physician to
discharge patients when they are in condi-
tion to leave the Hospital, and it is not pre-.
sumabe, from the nature of bis con ract that
DR.. Thomas will retain patients beyond the
period they are restored to health.
We suppose DR.. Thomas has no desire to
shun an Investigation as to the manner in
which he conducts the Hospital, and would
be pleased TO have the editor Of tho Press
accompany the Supervisors when they make
the proposed visit.
The Press also states that it has been
charged against the Supervisors, that at their
last session they removed bid for the Hos
pital contract, after it's contents were ascer-
tanned, and substituted another in its stead,
and gave the contrac: to the bid thus substi-
ted, and they have remained silent under the
charge. The Press concludes from the
silence Of the Board that they virtually plead
guilty Of the accusation as to the truth
or fasity Of the charge we have no means of
knowing--if true we would condemn an act
Of the kind as soon as the Press, but the
conclusion we draw from the premises as
laid down by our cotemporary is, simply, that
tho charge is too silly to require an answer.
1t is beyond contradiction that the county
will save some $4,000 by the present contract
over the old one, and that is substitution
o: contracts that the taxpayers will appre-
ciate.
AMERICAN STATE EoMINArIoNs.-The al.
most lifeless remains Of Nothingism,
assembled at Sacramento on Tuesday Of this
week to enact solemn farce, by putting for
ward State ticket, in the hope to impress
the people that some vitality yet existed in