Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-29
''IRREGULARITIES."
- y;ucent,s HospitaL.

\ bill Of something over 500 having
been brought before the City Council, for
the care of charity patients at st. Nmcent's
Hospital during the month O. October, the
Hospital Committee was instructed to III
vestigate the matter before the bill was
paid. This committee made report Thurs
day night. setting forth the following facts:
They found sixteen city patients under
treatment at the hospital, and upon calling
the attention of DIR. Vaughn, the Superin-
tendent. TO the fact that twenty had been
reported on the 1St of November, he stated
that it was customary to allow convalescent
patients to walk about the streets, if they
desire. The Doctor was unable at that
time to give the names Of the absent pa
tientS, but agreed to report the same IN
person to the chairman Of the committee
that day. Late in the afternoon he called
upon the chairman of the committee, ac-
counted for one of the missing patients,
said that the names of the others were
Eliza Gillaland, Jas. Flanagan, and George
Croboult, and that they were not in
the hospital at that time, but had
been during previous months, and that,
falling to get their pay from other sources,
the names of these persons had been re-
ported for October, with the approval ofthe
Mayor and cityphysic
At the request of the chairman of the
committee, DR.. Vaughn made out another
report giving only the names aud number
of those actually in the hospital during the
month of October, with a seperate bill for
Eliza Gillaland and Geo. CrobOult.
The committee reported the following
facts concerning the three cases in ques-
tiOn:
Eliza Gillaland was placed in the hOspi-
tai by the ladies ofthe Baptist church and
remained nine weeks. \ bill for her time
was presented to the church, which was not
paid. and another was then made out
against the county, but payment was again
refused. A third bill was then made out,
the city being charged with her keeping,
on the strength of an order signed by the
Mayor.
James Flannigan was in the hospital the
entire month of August, twenty days in
September and thirty days in October
eighty-one days, according to the report
made by DR.. Vaughn, but upon his being
examined by the committee, he stated that
Flanagan was admitted May 81 and was
discharged July 13-fOrty- days in all.
His leg had been broken on the Louisville
and Nashville railroad, and the bill for his
keeping was presented to the company and
upon the company refusing to pay the
amount, his time was charged to the city
on a recommendation of the Mayor and
City Physician dated July 81, 1873.
The doctors attention was called to the
discrepancy in the time charged for, and
this lie accounted for by saying it was
mistake made by his assistant during his
CDR. Vaughn's) sickness and absence, and
that the city was entitled to a credit OF
thirty-eight days.
In the case of George CrObault, charge
of twenty-seven days in July and twenty
six in October is made Oifty-hree days iii
alb. but in the Seperate bill, made later az
the request of the committee, as before
mentioned, he is charged with titty-siX
davs. Upon being questioned by the COM
mittee. DIR. Vaughn statedthat CrObault had
been admitted 10 the hospital July ., 1873,
and was discharged August 30, and that he
had been admitted to the hospital but
once. At a meeting held by the committee
at his request subsequently, the doctor pro
duced a book with the name Of CrObault
erased and another name written over 1t,
and stated that the name CrObault had
been written by mistake, and that during
the month of August the mistake had been
discovered, at which time he erased it and
wrote the other name over it. When asked
why he had given the name of George Co
bault instead of the one written over il at
the previnns examination before the com
mittee, lie replied that he was So embar-
rassed az that time that he scarcely knew
what he was doing, having never been be-
fore a committee before.
The report of the committee was re-
ferred to the Finance Committee.