New-York tribune., 1874-09-16
BELLEVUE UNDER NEW AUSPICES.


MR. BERGHs CHARGES.
The Medical Board of Bellevue Hospital met
yesterday afternoon their in the hospital 1t
WAS voted that the Board of Attending Physicians and
Surgeons be made to consist sixteen Instead OF nine
teen members, as at first proposed. There are
therefore only eight members to be appointed Dy
the Commissioners of Charities and Correction The
nominations were made by the Board yes
terday, and sent to the Commissioners for
ratification The nominations are: Bellevue Col
iege Drs Janeway and Frank ii. Hamilton;
University College Drs. W. II. Thompson and Erskne
Mason College Of Physicians and Surgeons Drs Francis
Deaheld and Thomas NJ Markol. and from the medical
profession at large, Drs j. W. Gouay and Gouverneur
M Smith. No changes to be made in the House
staff until Oct The service OF the attending stan TO
be for six months be made continuous at the op
tion of the Board Drs Wood and Clark have been ap
pointed Inspectors for September.
Extensive inquiries were made in regard TO the fol-
lowing assertion by Mr.. Bergh:
Ihave been called by person, whose official duty
IL is 70 visit this hospital BY this person assured,
positive and solemn terms, that strong pa
tIenIs are continually from the wards who
to-day for example. are convaleseent and tomorrow,
inquiry the report is deadl Boys, moreover, l
am informed-mere tyros in the Professionalism
frendless aud women assigned TO them 10 practice
The question was also put TO some Of the leading
physicians and surgeons whether experiments were
made upon patients Bellevue Hospital as had also
been asserted, that caused great suffering ana often
death The answer was promptly made that the entire
assertion utterly and unqualihedly false. case
was cited OF a boy that operated upon yesterday.
The patient had caught his elbow in buz
saw and the bones had been badly shattered
The taken to the hospital and cared for. He
wac quietly put under the influence OF an an@sthetc
and the operation OF resection of the elbow joint was
performed The bones placed in opposition and
the boy will undoubtedly have a good arm. All this
WAS done without pain.
"There was once" said another gentleman Of the
Board" young girl who dying from diseased
leg She wished 10 have the member amputated, and
the surgeons believed her life TO be in great danger
The attempt twice made to perform the operation
but seeing the preparations the patient tainted One
the saH whom the Girl had never seen was Informed
Of the case and going TO the ward went quietly from
bed 10 bed like "a clergyman. When he reached this
girls bedside he spoke sympathlznRy TO the patient,
and she told her troubles, and expressed her
that she felt that should die uuless she rid OF
the Tue visitor told the r that he thought
he had some medicine In his pocket that wodld make
her feel better She anxious to try IT, aud taking
bottle Of ehlO oor from his pocket the visitor dashed
few drops upOn handkerchief and handed 1t to the
patient inhaled She soon sank into gentle slunl-
ber. Her pulse remained good and the operation was
quickly and successfully performed Tue patient sur
fered no pain and went on rapidly to recovery.
"These," continued the members OF the Board, are
ordinary The house stah are all regularly gradu
ated physicians, and must pass such crucial compet
tive examination few practitioners could before they
ere appointed TO the lowest position. AS they have
served and found competent they promoted and
after months Of service they must become skfu. All
important operations except In case OF great
emergeney are performed the attending surgeons,
and all treatment IS under the care OF the attending
saf The house stah only carry out the directions OF
The new Medical Board contains representatives from
each sc1ool, aud from the profession at large THESE
men been selected because they believed 10
be among the most competent aud learned physicians In
the country The whole Of hospital Is 10 be
brought up to the highest possible standard and the
members of all the schools TO be admitted TO the ad
vantages that may be afforded by the clinical teaching
a hospital.