The New York herald., 1868-06-19
THE w0MAN's HOSPITAL.



~~~~~o~>~>~~~~~~~~~>~~~>~~~~ st.
Running Notes Of Its History, Progress and
Present Emciency.
On the date OF May /. 1867. the New York State
Woman's Hospital incorporated in 1857, occupied its
present building, corner Of Fourth avenue and
Fiftieth street. The institution, In Its inception
the offspring of a remarkable discovery in surgery by
Dr. ]. Marion Sims, afterwards 30 celebrated In that
specially In which so many eminent surgeons (as for
instance. DIR. Thomas Adds Emmett, DR.. Joseph
WOrster) nave succeeded him In New York practice.
Previous to the discovery OF DR.. Sims certain class
Of diseases had been universally given up as fatal
Surgery had no remedy at hand In Germany men
as eminent In their profession Dierenback Jaeger.
Wutzer and others had exhausted their resources In
vain; In France Dessault. Dupuytren. Lallamand,
Jobert and Vidal had been equally unsuccessful; IN
England, the COopers, Abernethys, Lawrences and
Gutheres of the medical profession had effected moth
ing, and Scotland though boastful Of her Simpson,
had yet to be enlightened. In fact tC an American
surgeon belongs the honor of having or.gi-
mated treatment IN which the danger OF
fatal result obviaed and by which the question
was reduced to the ordinary minimum OF risk. THIS
discovery prompted number OF benevolent ladies,
In 1866, to rent private house In Madison avenue
and make 1t woman's hospital. under the surgical
Of DR.. Sims who then resided In this city. In
n.
medical cross of the Legion of Honor through his
celebrated triumph in the case Of the Empress
Eugenie and where he at present resides. DR..
Thomas Adds Emmett a pupn of DR.. Sims, sue
ceeded to the care Of the hospital and has proved his
title to the mantle Of the medical prophet who pre-
ceded him; having for six years filed the position OF
operating surgeon to the hospital in manner to
render his great predecessor scarcely missed from
the circle of which he once the centre. Besides
the large private practice which his skill in his
specially has woven around MN, Dr, Emmet sun
surgeon Of the institution In Fourth avenue;
giving not only the prestige of his eminent name,
but also the benefit OF his actual services, vast
experience and exhaustless fertility Of resources.
The organization OF the medical staff is at present
Consulting Physicians, Drs John T. Met
cafe, Edward Delafeld, Thomas F. Cook, Isaac Il.
Taylor G. A: Sabine, +. Barker and I. G. Thomas;
ors,g pson BeR e Maoe T. ana A e.
Peaslee; Head Surgeon, Thomas Adds Emmett; AS
sistant Surgeons, j. G. Perry and Foster Swift; At
tending Physicians to Outdoor Patients, NJ c. ely
mer and ]. 5. Brown; House Surgeon, William l..
Barret; House Physician, James A. De Wolf.
Next to DR.. Emmett who rigtdly fu.fls his duties
In the office OF operating surgeon the services of
Drs Barrett Swift and Perry have proved Of imme.
date vaiue S 70 she parents as Wen M on account Sa oi
school OF the great master surgeon OF the Institution
as on account of untiring zeal in and devotion to
the task which the nature of the positions imposes
upon them.
The ground upon which the hospital buildings have
been erected was donated by the city OF New York,
the State having granted $4,000 be applied to
building purposes and $3.50 600 more having been
raised by subscription. 1t was at first the intention
| to erect one large building, occupying the whole
block, bounded by Fourth and Lexington avenues
and Forty-nnth and Fifteth streets but this project
was finally abandoned In favor OF the pavaion sys-
TEN, the Introduction OF which belongs to the Com
mssioners of Emigration. In large buildings ven
and out Of this mpOssibity has been developed the
system of building smaller and separate ediilces.
This improvement was first tried by the Commits
sioners OF Emigration. who early constructed BUILD
ings in which, through thorough ventilation, their
success was SO great that on an average for five
they lost only 65l per cent OF the medical and
133 per cent Of the surgical cases. while in the Hos
pital of France-the great pattern hospital OF
Europe-the mortality was 1902. per cent of the
medical and 54s per cent Of the surgical cases. In
the leading English hospitals the rates were no bet.
ter, being l4.os OF the medical and 5.ss OF
the surgical. In the armies OF the United
States more than a million OF patients were
treated in the 2o2 hospitals, with lae,ss4 beds,
with result Of eight per cent loss both medical
and surgical cases counted together The best
tlated OF thesethe Lowell Hospital, near Newport,
r. l-lost only three per cent OF It's patients. This
was composed OF 2S pavions in which, out OF 9, 2S5
patients, only 27S were lost In 1868 the Royal Sani-
tary Commission OF England condemned ia hospi-
tails and 1872 military barracks, and insisted that all
hospitals should be planned TO yield d current
OF open air from opposite windows and that the
largest extent possible should be exposed to the sun
light.
The ground now occupied was originally used as
potter's field Upon this ground 1t was proposed to
erect four pavilons or separate buildings one of
which has been completed and now accommodates
IS patients. The building is composed OF four
stories. exclusive OF basement, and is built Of Lock
pert limestone. appropriately trimmed, and forming
OF the hansomest edices in the northern part Of
the city. The first floor is devoted to the use OF pa
tents OF the weather class, and Is divided into
separate rooms at s15 so per week. The second
floor accommodates second class at IS 80 per week;
the third floor another class at SO 90 per week, and
the fourth door constitutes the free ward OF the in
stitution. The introduction Of an elevator Of the
largest size relieves the patients from the
necessity OF walking up and down stairs-an
exercise which has been demonstrated to be
OF the utmost detriment to patients with
the class OF diseases treated in the institution.
Nothing-in fact, deail-has been neglected to
render the hospital one OF the most complete ever
erected. The records OF the hospital under DR.. En-
met exhibit thus far small mortality percentage.
In 1868 ll0 patients were treated in the hospital with
but death; In 1864, 151 with deaths; In lso5,
115, with three deaths and on, with average
indicated 10y the following tabe:-
Patients Deaths.
1858 Observation-Disclosures. 10
1854 NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Isl o
1866. Observation-Disclosures. 1f5 3
lS66. lOl o