The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-13
TIE CITY HOSPITAL QUESTION.
A Tart Letter from the Surgeon In
Charge-The Present Accommodations
mot SO Bad Us they might be.
TO TIE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.


An article In your paper Of yesterdays issue,
and signed oy "Observer,' contains 80 many
allegations that are manIfestly groundless and
incorrect, and at the same time calculated to
mlslead and create excitement among the sick
poor, as to the internal management of the
City Hospital now under my care, that feel it
incumbent upon myself 10 refnte them, and
give, the emphatic denaat TO The charges as
there specified, as ground fOS the city author.
tiles 10 lease the Roper Hospital. With the
controversy now existing between the Medical
Society of South Carolina and the Board OF
Health, as to the ad7lsabillty of renting that
Ipstitution, have no concern; but when ''Ob-
server" attempts to use as an argument an ap-
peal to the passions of the "poor Masses" Ii Is
manifest that he feels the ground upon which
he is standing slipping from under him, and Is
compelled to resort to other means to build up
q failing aud obnoxious cause.
"Observerr charges that the buildings In
present use are inadequate, because their eX-
terior appearance is not as superb as the Or
phapho,ise that strikes The eye OF the beholder
in ils truly palatial oLtline, and then asks why
we have not O hospital that looks less like a
fortified castle In the middle ages. The an-
swer is. that in this civllizeo RGe external ap-
pearances speak for naught; and howsoever q
''magniacent institution" externally, may be
desired, vet, that 1t is not essential and abso-
Iutely necessary to the proper conduct Of o
hospital. The present buildings are large,
strong and cemmodlou6, easy Of access divided
into inuumeraole wards, we'll ventilated, and
amply sufficient to meet oil the requirements
that have hitherto been made upon them.
And If 'Observer" would recollect the maxim
that external appearances are very often the
most treacherous, he would, perhaps, extend
- nd tolyo q nnnro hrnod 1tou, ta
what the excellency OF hospital consists in.
MObseryern next charges that the present
City Hospital is more OF ''pest-house than o
hospIlal,n place to contract, rather than re-
peI disease; where the sick are promlscuonsly
hnddIed together, and where the respectable
female /. made the unwilling companion OF
The very dregs Of society This is so mani
festly absurd, and bears upon its face such@
utter ignorance OF the iacls, that but for lts
tendency to mlslead and convey to the public
an erroneous idea as to what the City OF
Charleston Is, and has been, doing for Its dis
tressed honorable poor, and at the same time
reflects 90 strongly upon the medical manage
ment of the past aud present years, that II
would never bear passing notice. n
The City Hospital has been in exlstencen Us
a separate institution for near eight years.
During that period near ten thousand patients
of ali classes, nationslties, races, from the
llrncSL W Iu6 lOWColt now poooOu uhoSh AVG
control. The utmost care has been taken as
to the management. Races have been kept
entirely distinct-male separated from female;
no excessive budding OF disease has ever
been known. The respectable poor have
ALWAYS been treated with kindness, considera-
tIou and never been forced to be the unwilling
companions Of the dregs OF society, but, on
the contrary, have had every opportunity 20
cultivate the moral as we'll as the physical.
The institution Is constantly under the super
vision OF those in authority subject 10
the Inspection and direction OF those who
are qnallAed from age and experience 10 dlrecl
and control. It has borne the test OF mnnl
fIRsa G2aH f2Hrs ststs and mssdrWaS W
commendation. BY Its adaptabllity TO meel
the wants of the poor, and It's increasing reptl'
taIIon. it has drawn to it's gates hundreds lrou
adiacent States, who have been only too glad
tn avail themselves Of Its benefits; and at thif
late date, when Its success Is assured
when its pay department s relieving the
hundreds of taxpayers" OF thousands Of dol
lara. HObserver" finds out that the Internal ar
ran1ements are no arrangements ct all, anC
thai forsooth, the Roper Hospital is In every
wnv suited to meet the requirements OF thu
civ The best test of the availability OF al
inslitutiou Ia its success, and II the presen'
nItv hnsniial contained but 1.-THE OF the nor
rid snecIra which "Observer" attempts te
nIcture. lis doom would long ago have beel
sealed by the Indignant demands oil On OUT
RACED community. The puollc, MT. Euitor
is rapidly becoming aware Oh lhe sIaGe NC !,
ore 5erfecty satisfied and have every conf
dence that Inc Board OF 8calth have keen
eve TO The needs aud wants of the sick poor
and Wonld soon check any attempt to degrade
the respectable female and make her q com
panion of .lhe drega." In conclusion,
would say to "Observern that II ne exlend
his observations Roper HospltalWards ne VII
soon fnd good reasons why the Board o
Health do not lease 1t.
am, very respectfully,
J. 8. BUST, M, D.,
Surgeon iu charge City aud Marine Hospitals