The Shasta courier., 1859-11-26
Shasta County Hospital.

We are informed by the last Grand Jury that
for FIVE months past the County Physician has
been prevented by sickness from giving the
County Hospital proper attenton-that during
this period its management derolved upon the
Steward, under whose charge, it has become ia
disgrace to civilized community" "The FL
thiness OF the rooms and bedding occupied by
the sick, continues the Report, is " indescriba-
ble," and the evidence is conclusive that % the
inmates have been treated in an inhuman and
beastly manner" 1t is very natural that, in
the face of snch monstrous abuses, perpetrated
in the name of Humanity, the Jury, filed with
just indignation, should exclaim:
Humanity and justice to the sick and un-
fortunate alike demand an immediate change
in this institution"
If the conclusions of the Jury be founded on
fact then we, and every other man, will in re-
ponse, cry, "Amenr' We agree with the Jury
that change in this institution" is demanded,
not only because under the present manage
ment it has become a disgrace to civilized
community BY treating the inmates in an " in
human and beastly manner for abuses may
occur under any system-but for the reason that
under the present system the Hospital is enor-
mously expensive.
We are inclined to the opinion that few coun-
ty Hospitals of this State cost so much per year
as that of Shasta county
We believe the county might make great
saving by having her INDECENT sick boarded and
nursed in a respectable and well conducted Ho-
tel, instead of keeping them at the County Hos
pital at the current ratesl
These opinions are based upon data which
we deem reliable, as we propose to show.
By the report of the Superintendent just made
to the Board of Supervisors, which may be found
on our fourth page, it will be seen that the ex-
penses of the institution for the quarter ending
the lst of November, reach the enormous aggre-
gate of Sl360 SO. During this period there
were "a patients treated. The aggregate of all
the days oftheir treatment is given at All. Thus
each patients daily cost was 81 80, or $40
% per week We have before us report of
the Resident Physician of the County Hospital
ofSierra, for the year ending November 5th, by
which we are informed that the average num-
Der of patients were ten, and the expense of each
patient 81 40 per week. Contrast this with the
weekly expense of patient in the Shasta Hos
pital, to wit: $50 %, and we find difference
of SIS SO in favor of the economy of the Sierra
County Hospital
The total expense of the Sierra Hospital for
the year was S4,9s5. The County Hospital of
Siskiyou cost but $500 per year. While the
expense of the Shasta Hospital rises above the
sum of $4,000 per year. The aggregate num-
Der of patients treated in the Sierra and Siski-
you Hospitals is doubtless greater than that OF
the Shasta Hospital, and yet the Shasta Hospi-
tai is the most expensive. We are at loss to
perceive why this should necessarily be so. The
cost of living is certainly not greater in Shasta
than in Siskiyou and Sierra. A sick man can
be boarded and cared for, exclusive Of medical
attendance, even at the Empire Hotel in this
place at cost of $50 per week. Indeed that is
the highest sum the proprietors think of charg-
ing. Hence our astonishment that average cost
of a patient at the County Hospital should be
$50 % per week. But to make the matter per-
fectly plain, let us up thus:
Expense of each patient per week in
Sierra County Hospital, S4 40
Expense of each patient per week in
Shasta County Hospital, including
medical attendance, 20 %
Expense of a sick man per week at the
Empire Hotel, not including medi-
cal attendance, 20 90
Annual expense of Sierra Hospital, 4,9s5
OF Siskiyou Hospital, $500
81 - ofShasta Hospital, about 6, 900
The fault is evidently in the system. 1t de-
wolves upon the Board of Supervisors to adopt
a remedy. In the mean time it may not be
deemed impertinent in us to make a suggestion.
1t appears from the Report of the Physician.
that very large per centage of the patients
treated have been cured This is undoubted
evidence of the Physicians professional skill.
Let his salary be raised to 81 500 per year, the
same as that Of the Resident Physician of the