The Placer herald., 1857-04-04
Our County Hospital.

Our County Hospital.
At the next meeting of the Board of Supervis
ors of this county, it will become necessary to
make further provision for the INDECENT sick and
il may we'll be taken into consideration in time.
Tbe expenses of supporting our unfortunate breth-
rem for the caFrent year have been heavier than
the county can bear, and some system must be
adopted which will produce different result. If
there is any one to blame for the present and
past expenses of the Hospital, are inclined to
think it is the members composing the Board of
Supervisors.
Doctors Hubbard and Hawthorne are the agents
for the county in the care of the sick, and the
contract between them and the Supervisors is
about follows: Those gentlemen agreed for
one year, commencing on the 18th of May 1856,
to furnish all convenences, medicines, surgical
and medical skill, &c, necessary for all persons
that the Supervisors may ussh to maintain at
the public expense, except in cases of contagious
diseases, and 10 those the Board must furnish
house room and other necessafies near Auburn,
and to attend upon such sick persons as the Tailor
may designate.
The Board agreed to pay at the rate of $50 per
week for each patient so cared for, provided,
however, the average of patients for the year
shall be ten or upwards per week, then in that
case the county was to pay at the rate of SIS per
week for each patient. Under the workings of
this contract the expenses of quarter, audited
in March last was 81 249
This, we understand, is about an average quar-
ter which would make the cost for the entire
year ending next 18th of May, S16.992-raher
too heavy a figure. So far the contract goes
the physicians had no right to take any one into
the hospital who not sent there by one of the
Supervisors, and are under the impression
that such has been the practice.
The blame if any exists Of sending to the hos
pitat patients. must be borne by the Board, who
have been too lavish under the circumstances of
public charity. We know both the contractors to
be gentlemen, and are bound to say for them that
they have comfortable quarters and have taken
the best of care of those patients who have been
entrusted to their care and skill
Whether they have retained patients in their
hospital longer than the necessities of the case
required, of course we are not competent to Judge
but from our acquaintance with Doctors Hubbard
and Hawthorne. should be very far from i'm
putting any design of that kind, to them. Neither
can we say that the rates charged are more than
should be charged for the services rendered.
Those gentlemen had right to make their own
terms and if the Board agreed to them it was
fair square transaction. AS system we are op-
posed to it, because it gives the opportunity to
impose upon the county, but we wish it expressly
understood that we make no such charge against
the contractors. or mean to intimate that such
probably has been the case.
Prudence dictates that all kinds of public ser
vice shall be divided out in such a way that one
interest shall become check upon the other
This idea of cheeks and balances, by way of in
terests obtains throughout our entire system of
government. The assessor of property is not
made the collector of tax upon it, the collector
has not the keeping of the public purse. the trea
surer has nothing to do with the auditing of ac-
counts, and the auditing Office has no necessary
connection with any of the other departments.
Then we have the Executive power, whilst the
judiciary rises above all and interprets the rule of
right between them A combination of any two of
hese branches. if it does not produce corrupt ac-
tion it gives ground for suspicion because Of the
opportunity which the alliance presents.
Apply this system to the hospital department,
and we shall have the immediate care of the sick
In the hands OF one party, and the professional
care in the charge of another 1t will become
the interest of the physician who is paid at a
salary per year, to have as few patients under
his charge as the necessity of the case will admit
to cure those under his control and discharge
them as soon as he can safely do so.
To effect this he must have them we'll housed
lodged proper food furnished, and good nursing
and this will ensuye good watch upon that
branch of the concern. II the Board think pro-
per to hold the same power over the question as
TO who shall be admitted to the Hospital that they
have under the existing contract this would
operate as check and supervisory power over
the surgeon and the nurses.
1t might be well to provide for medical adj
vice and issuing medicines to such destitute per-
sons. were not bedriddcn and had lodgings of
their own The of the sick should be given
out after advertisement to the lowest responsible
bidder II does appear that we ought to discharge
this much of our duty TO our unfortunate breth-
ren for one-haf the sum that it now costs, and we
throw out our suggestions, with hope that, some
practical mode may be established by which we
shall arrive at this end