, 1864-03-04
4 CITY HOSPITAL NEEDED.
Our Sanitary psaeien!i s-Advantsses to The
fhe usy Of such an lastttutten.

Thc establishment Of strictly city hospital Ia
f,hic.c, Is among tho absolute necessities OF the
r;,v II Is uot-as many other institutions agree
able rcso,tA convenient appendagcs; luxurious su-
pcranitics, 1t je an imperative want. Any one who
has studied the sanitary history Of city during
the past ten years cannot fail to be painfully i'm
pressed with the belief that while the commercial
advancement the educational welfare the religious
interests Of the city an receive q ahnrc Of
attention, the health Of our citizens ts shamcfully
neglected By the city authorities. It seems to be
taken ~ q matter Of course that VIC hsvo no aEck
men among us, that We Ill coming out from more
Eastern quarter with tho fire Of youth tlngiing in
our veins hare neither the time to be sick tho
inclination to provide for such contingency. Or
1t mag be that with the least charitable still hsrsh-
er conclusion will be reached; 1t may be thought
TINT amid the general rush Of businesa the full tide
OF commcrcial prosperity. VIC value only those who
arc capable Of aiding In the general advancement,
and resemble partially pacE OF wolves, the mcm-
bers Of which although content to fight and hunt In
concert never fail to make their 1rst' meal of
wounded fellow.
Our common humanity rcvolts against such ns-
sumption, and the action Of society In other dircc
tions forblds us to entertain 1t but the fact re-
mains painfully appatent-there 10 no provisions
made for the treatment Of infections diseases, Of
dangerous accidents or for caring for the sick poor
none will deny that our pcst-house Ia mockeEy,
an insult 10 the humanity vhosc members are
taken there. None among us Aze ignorant Of the
fact TINT the Mercy Hospital Is totally inadequate
to the purpose Of providing an as,lum for the
numerous subjects Of accident, and while no one
wishes to under1ate the efforts OF tho many who
arc willing to do their share towards alternating
suffering nt home by g7atuitous prescription or BY
c1acting the LADY BountIfnl," these efforts
being disconnected are partial and inadequate, and
oitcn fail tn produce the intended result.
Ofcourse this Ia uot because the human breast Il
etocacd against the euaedngs of its feows and thu
| best proof of this is shown In the
fact-aticsted BY the experience Of all communities
where the contrast has been instituted-that hal
measures taken desuitotily are more expensive
than complete fyetematic once. 1t Is safe TO haz
ard the Insertion that we've Ill that is now given II
charity yearly In Chicago properly massed and eys
tcnatically used every case Of dcatiutton and sui
ftaing might be alleviated and handsome surplu
| remain.
We want city hospital, place where peopl
would feel that they had right to go under prope
restrictions. place properly lifted up for the com
fort and careful treatment OF patients and well sur
piled with the requisite surgical and medical staf
There private establishments Of this kind In th
city, but all Of them for the well to do only, III
majority arc committed to some special mode q
treatment, and collectively they offer brt littl
Of the accommodation really demanded.
Suppose an infectious atscase hou1d suddcnl
show itself in our midst. what preparation hav
VIC thcrefors Positively none And what woul
be the resultf Deaths By hundreds, where score
would satisfy the rapacity Of tho grim visage
monster. One member oi the family is taken SIC
with the disease, he remains at home, giving th
infection TO each one Of mis- relatives, even to th
whole neighboEhood; necessarily 50, for no on
possessing n epark Of humanity would think
sending an Acquaintance to our pert house, muc
less an immediate relative And II sent, whe1
would they live Down by the waters Of the lax,
breathing out their souls to the music Of the wAye
for they could never he csammed insldc that nu
shell ofa structure, Or the little better than 81
by nine box which our authorities seem to thin
sufficient to replace It. We are positively dest
tute- We wnnt Il place where ns I
other cities the patient eau be t
ken AID treated like a human bring, an
stand some chance Of recovery. Equally bad fc
himself not for society, Is the case Of the ms
who In the pursuit of his daily ayocations meet
with an ncc1dent. It is seldom that he can pa
the fcee demanded In private practice, and II h
belong to that large class among us known 1
"boarders" his chances for proper attention Al
exceedingly small. He dies, or perchance is cure
impeecty, in either care entailing loss On soce.
! VI L4uAE N4AA Lie QlAG6 VI 0uSpIthi. 1ast
might he multiplied and argued On indednitel.
but 1t Is not needed. Our medical men arc nlread
convinced Of the crying necessity Of such an inst
tuition. The thinking portion Of the public nee
no argument to prove ite necessity; hut the spr
| is wautinp. Somebody must make the move; VII
will do itf
Thc1 think Of the immense advantages whie
such hospital would present to the student In mex
iclne and surgery. He can never learn too mucl
and as 4 rule, he learns much too little. Seldom
indeed is it possible to retain in nenaoria the d,
details Of theorec ru1es unless the knowledge col
yeyed In books or orally be verified by practical c,
cnpltdcatiou Of their efficacy, and fixed in tho min
by reference to their workings. And the rapidlt
with which our medical Students are rushed throug
materially foeters ttat indfetincveness of recniet
ton which IL 20 fruitful OF mistakes In atte
practice. .-
1t needs not to suggest plan for hospital
that can Be furnished By the men whose duly II
to esre for the SICK and who hare oheu deplore
its abeence. Only one hint Is necessary: let 1t
1sree enough 10 be capab!e Of adorains the mean
c1 ueztnen: for al who may Feed 1t, and cooducte
50 II TO be baeee1nE to the patient, instead OF
mere burden 10 the taxpayer.