The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-07-06
THE CITY HOSPITAL.
.EPoRT TO THE BOARD OF HEALTH

aEPORT TO THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
Proposed EnIarBements and Improve-
ments-EIplanatory Kemarks OF DIR.
Geddtngs.
The following report was submitted at the
last meeting of the Board of Health:
The committee on hospitals and dispense
ries, to whom was referred the commnnica-
tion of DR.. ]. 8. Bulst, surgeon In charge of
the City Hospital, In relation to Increased ac-
commodations for the sick and insane at said
institution, beg leave respectfully to report:
That having carefully considered the SUBJ
jecL referred to them, and after consultations
among themselves and with The Board of
Health at several of their meetings, as also
comforting with similar committee from the
board of trustees IF the Roper Hospital, they
are fully prepared to recommend the plans
drawn by Mr.. Barbot aud designed for im-
DrOvemeDts and alterations to the building
known as the "Old Work House," or "House
of Correction" to be used as permanent hos
pital establishment In connection with the
present buildings now In use for such purpose,
be adopted. aud that, inasmuch as the de-
mand Tor hospital accommodations is urgent,
and 1t is necessary 10 supply the same with.
out delay, your cnmmllee would also ask
that Immediate action be taken 80 that the
sick aud insane sufferers be promptly proVld-
ed for.
Your committee, desirous of presenting this
subject In proper form before the public, as
well as the City Council, to whom IL must
flnally be referred for approval and confrma-
lIon. cannot do 30 In more appropriate Ian
ho
that employed by our distinguished colleague,
DR.. E. Geddings, when addressing you on
this subject ut the last meeting OF tile
board. We, therefore, endorsing the Views
and recommendations expressed In said ad-
dress, would Incorporate The same In this re-
port and present Them to you for adoption
and approval. DR.. Geddings said:
"CHARLEsToN, July 3, 1872.
"Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen Of The Board Of
"Yon have heard the report of the city reg
istrar as chairman Of The committee on hospl-
tails and dispensarles, TO which was referred,
at q previous meeting Of the board, 10 Inquire
into the best means OF providing for increased
hospital modati0n-especially for the &C.
commodalion OF the unfortunate lunatics and
lmbeciles OF the County of Charleston, recently
thrown back upon the city by the State LII
natlc Asylum OF Columbia, unGer the pretext
~ rise 10 make few remarks, supplement
tory TO- and mainly conf1rmaLory of, what the
reporter has said. The committee, and az
one of its members, have anxOusly, and l
trust honestly and dislnterestedly, considered
the gravity Of the subject referred 10 Us un-
der the two-fOld relations Of the interests OF
the city, and the more than paramount claims
of the transient poor and afflicted.
81 wish TO speak, sir, In this connection,
tol for m uoaIf. hnf I'm dnfnu haVn the
heartfelt satisfaction to believe that what am
about 10 say ls concurred In, in the main. by
nv colleagues of the committee. l stand
here, Mr.. Mayor, TO consider the best inter-
ests-not the mere transltory, but the perma.
nent interests and duties we owe to the poor,
The sick, The afflicted and the destitute
amongst uS-the homeless and the sorroWed;
the desolate-only to be rescued from DE:
spsr by the saving hand OF heaYen-born
charity.
"In the discharge of the duty referred to
them, the committee, after due reflection, as
has been represented by the chairman, re-
slricts their deliberations 10 two plans as the
most likely to lead to the objects to be accom-
# possible s,4y t. lease ..ssss,n' tss Roper
term of years y You heard that
with the view of carrying out this arrange
ment, we were cordially met by committee
of that hospital, by which the following lloeral
propositions were made: lst To lease the hos
piLal to the city for term OF ten years, In
Guiding the ordinary attached fixtures, but re-
serving for the use of the Medical Society lts
lIorary and meeting hall, as well as all NOV
able furniture, beddiDg, bedsteads. &C., at The
rate OF I've hundred dollars per annum. ID.
To allow TOR necessary repairs, out OF tnat
sum. two thousand dollars.
.'Such an: arrangement, while 1t would be
advantageous 10 meet pressing emergency,
feel. would prove very different IN It's final
results. Iu the altered conuition OF our popu-
latIon, with its sLeady increase OF pauperism,
a d consequent steady augmentalins demand
for hospital accommodation, should raliouhlly
admonish us not to quietly content ourselves
with temporizIng expedieDts, but to meet OF
once. permanently aud efficiently. pro vision
for the door, the suffering and the amlcted,
weighed down by disease and destilution.
"Let us view the question IN It's true llgnt.
Uod.r the management proposed, 30 far as
lhe Roper Hospital is concerned, In ten years
The city would have paid, In rent, five tnou-
sand dollars, and doubtless great deal more,
over and above The Lwo thousand dollars OIL
fered for repairs, to preserve u ouliulnS a.
ready dilapIdated, with progressive tenden-
cy to further decay, from utter unntness Tor
the purposes 1t was designed 10 iulnl-tnls,
too, tor mere walls, root and floors, with en-
closures, &C., and at the end OF the ten years,
with the thousands expended, for the city In
teres,s to tind themselves turned out In the
cold, and the authorities finally driven by ne
c.sslty to do what I conceive sound policy
should have prompted them to have done in
the Inception.
"Under on important collateral view of the
subject, it should BIZ borne In mind, to say no.
thif1p of fixtures and hospital appliances, such
an arrangement would involve the necessity
of an additi onal medical officer, hospital stew
ard atewardeBs, attendants nurses, runners,
&C.. DC so that the burdens on the 1nances
of the city, and consequently npon the already
oyerburdened Taxpayers, would Do augmented
for a temporary expedtent, without any per-
manent benefit.
-. Anotuer plan was considered by the COM
mi, TIE, to which now propose to advert. 1t
Is well saown to your Honor that appended
to our PRESENT hospital arrangements-a part
aud parcel OF what was formerly called the
Workhouse-a portion OF our present hospltal,
and portion of the same building remains
yacaut and unappropriated, except that 1t Is
nomInally In charge OF the commissioners OF
public lands.
snow, sir, as Ihsve The conviction that as
corporstIons are bound to take care Of the
poor under their charge-that the sick and
destitute should be humanely provided iOr by
their more fortunate and aff1nent tellow-cit-
zrns lhink that the laws OF justice and hn-
manityclearly dictate that these great ends
can never be properly carried out by mere
nigsardly temporary expedienis. The calls
of Charity are eternal the cries OF the sick
and destitute are never ceasing, and the
measures designed for their relief should have
similar slate of perpetulty:
"Thls is especially true o! nospltals lot inc