The Shasta courier., 1863-05-16
The County Hospital

EDITOR tcCRfkR:@l regret very iuuSn
that am obliged, in justice to myself, 10 ask
space in your paper to reply, in part, 10 an
article that appeared in your issue of the I'd
inst, headed .sThe Shasta County HOSPITAL y
think it is very evident, from the perusal Of
the article, that the author had quite diff
ferent object in writing it than the enc set
forth in lis first paragraph, namely "A
brief notice of the hospital affairs of this coun-
ty.n He condemns my action in introducing
into the Legislature, last winter, bill enti-
tied ga bill for the better maintenance Of
the INDECENT Sick of Shasta county" and JUS
tifes the course of the honorable gentleman
who represented this district in the Senate.
ir opposing its passage.
There are many things in the article tkat
does not concern me, and to which IdShot
intend to refer. My only object in this CON-
munieation is to briefly state the reason that
influenced me in introducing the bill referred
to into the Legislature; also to give its his
tory.
After my election last fall, it was suggest
ed to me that something should be done in
regard to the County Hospital. l made it
my duty to examine the reports of the Hos
pital Physician for the past two years before
introducing any bill for such purpose, and
found. according to these reports, that our
INDECENT sick, for the year commencing Feb
ruary, 1861, and ending February, 1862,
cost the county sll Q5 per week each, ire
spective of repairs of building or interest on
hospital debt; for year commencing Februa-
ry lst, 1862, to February 1st, 1868, the cost
was SD 90 per week. Board and lodging,
at the most prominent hotel at the county
seat, cost but 50 per week allowing $500 for
medical aid, which is the amount named as
fair compensation in the article referred to,
l find, by having our sick kept in one of the
best hotels of the county, and have medical
advice separate. for the year 1851 We would
have saved $3.50, in round numbers, and for
1862, 500. Now, submit to every tax payer
if the figures do not show that the institution
has not been conducted economically.
In the annual report of the Hospital Phys
ician for February, 1868, find the cost of
keeping the hospital for the previons year
was reduced from the amount of 1861, $3.50 !;
but making the calculation irrespective of
repairs of building, | find only saving of
$500. l also find, by the same report,
the aggregate number of days of all the patti
ents for this year to be 600--less than for
mer year. Multiply this by the amount of
cost per week for 1861, and we have S943,
which should have been the amount reduced.
| But | have further evidence than the figures
| that this reduction is not owing to the I'M
proved and economical manner in which said
| institution has been conducted for the last
year | quote from his annual report " 1t
is due to the Tax Collector and his assistants
that the present improved condition of the
hospital finances is mainly owing" The en-
ergy and efficiency in collecting the per cap
ita for hospital purposes is doubtless true, for
it is evident to every one that the amount Of
taxes placed to said fund is no eyiaenee of
its benin conducted economically.
! find | have extended my C, mmnnicat.on
much longer than intended, and will only
say in regard to the history of the bill, that
it passed the Assembly without dissenting
| VOICE, anu WAS ueledteu III INC SSli-E py OIL }
one yqte-those who understood the nature
of the bill best being its warmest supporters.
The bill did not take all discretionary pow
ers from the Board of Supervisors, as has
been stated by its opponents, but left them
with full power to discharge any physician
employed by them, at any time, for failing
to perform any of the duties assigned him by
the Board, or wilfully negleeting the same,
exactly as it is now in the present law. hav-
ing simply for its object to create competi-
ton among aspirants for the position of Hos
pital Physician, and thereby reduce the ex-
pense Of maintaing the institution.
j. n. CHAPEL.