, 1874-05-04
NEW YORK HOSPITALS.
How Poor Patients Are Neglected
and Abused.


Brutalitv of tbo Nnrscs,, ,Woman3a Tnhu.
- - 1r.....,.
n'anAt5 " "o""n'
Spse;a, cor,<.pondtues Of 7,he cn,caoo Tribune.
NEW Yonx, April 7s, 1874.
Since my last lottor have boon Waiting aome
Of
oun CITY HOSPITALS, g.
and forming my own opinion on thoir nsrita
aud dotnorits. bolioye that all public errors
can DO exposed through tho medium Of tho
press bettor than In any other way; and that
many an institution TINT profoasos to bo fair and
true, and hides all sorts Of miadeeds, can DO
made to tottert ut aoeing It's history given IN
. trnthfulnosB and Ita hYpoorlsy unveiled In =
nromIucnt novananor. THO Nom York Herald
ssas ra,,;,,,~ +,,o embellishments
uaa dono gooa oeoa Iuul's suo -"
of our "aonp-k'tcnehB, apu WIN aao~.1ulAs '4o
sho holding up to light Of somo Of our so-callod
,bn1itab.o sooiotios. vhero. tho Manager Board
~ 1)irootora and President. voro In reality only
~, 49, 49, so ao..n T.. $50 -
JUS posaou' "na "aoAe' Ao4 =. soete ~; e
spoor person, tito Society claimed sou In salass
tud oxpo11soB.
In tho hoanitala TINT viaitcd. / found all tho
.rtcrna, autronnfnra c,oan and neat tho nursea
Htc;r.. md ,t.o,nvo aud thn ,,t,vsicinns MON
'onsng anu a.soh.ave, ano '4o pnse,a.aas .. 44sA
ABILITY ana scontfho aklll. shougnt 'ne pa
dolts that had no noans to pay their lodgings
zero treated kindly, aud had really comfortable
nome; and had no fault to Bnd but experience
w s.eas oo". - " .,'sn na,a -. Nv seao.a.
tnanakemohs u sn'nEs' Anon "ent " see
four different women who had boon In aome OF
theae hospitals within the past year and thoy
told mo that, in city HOSPITALS. tho actual hoing
s.,oro s,ol. nd hotn,oss -,t,,n,,t ,,asna -as
.D'A'' "A'A ~0 ,p'es, ,., ".snou' 'A'0"n'' "A'
sEAf olffhHEsG
from tho imagined mo tnoy haa expected to
an. eapno rosn LOT tue u.h OF a that
.,ot ~. ,.,,;as aroLo +r,s 1,r,,,r, ~, ~.,s,~, -
sna. sno Pas"oa M npoAo tiay' n@,.ns ao fea1on ~
falalty' They all agreed IN telling mo certain
thnga and: as one g, did t not q. know that lad
Anyc made q false statement. And this iH whAt
ono told me.
II WAS aont to - Hospital, and was tf,oro
Hese erno md nd halsh. mn and S that til tho X food vas
ofton half.cooked or cold, aud tho tea uold
and, Il no over demonstrated, tho nurses would
saY. tOht YOU toll tho doctor. aud III make iE
bud for YOU Something's we did toll tho DOG
and would neyer hcnr . word against the
nutces."
Another woman told nc that in tho uext bod
to her WA a woman vho wns brong1,t In far
drunkenucsg. Tho second nurao uas rome that
night, and tho head nurso would mover let nnv
In tie eyentnr. tiis moor drunkon woman
kent talking and I e@roanipr. @ DC IAN and nut. nut
tering, and dBtu,beds oil tho ward,
The nurso told tbo Doctor. and hc eatd.
"Giyc her q morpllino unwGor." md nasaed on.
Tho nurso gave her one, aud. Is sic still nut.
tayod, in q few minutes she gaye hor auother,
not to daro to call hor IN. But Tho drunken
woman still tossed and moaued. and finally tho
purso rottinr up In anrer. aaid.
"i11 FIX you THIS r1nE;"
Of morphine or iaud@apum. @ aud forced It down a
tho unconscious womnn's throat, Then eho
won't to bed. THO moor drunken woman waa
now very stili, nnd tossed no mora. 1t enrIy
d4ybreak her 1aco WAS purple, her eyes
ut .. M. Wit Gu tho doc or made lis rounds, he
did you give hor 2" ho sskcd OF the nurse !; and,
wllen aho said; four or five spoonfuls, ho said,
you've done for ber" He ordered Ice put to
her hoad and mustard to her feot; but. in an
other hour. the drunken woman had ceased to
broathe. and word was not sent Of her death
All the while, after tho doctor found hcr in thia
comatosu ut,to, ho aud his asaiatauta worked
over llor but tho nurso seomod in no wayH
alarmed, and
Yot who shall soy that she was not tho direct
cauao Of tho doath Of TINT poor woman by oyor-
dosing her7 And is sho NOT answerablo for her
death7
Another ono told NC this: IT mas living in nv
bed, opposite to pt.or Irish .uomau. who had 4
little family OF chilaren, and hard-worklng
husband, who camo daily to SEQ her aud brought
her auah little delicacios as ho could afford, Sic
was good, patient creature, dying with oon-
sumption,-youne and 80 kind. Quo rainy day
ahe lad failed very fast. aud no all snv II. and
she aail she was not Fc:.ss to live and would
like to sond word 10 1Eef husband. But tie
hletron told her, ,.'Nouaonso! you are not near
not Bena word to tie doctor for hor> as she
pleadotl. That night lie poor woman wandered in
her a!eep, and called out for Water! water! lam
water to dying woman? 1was fyinr il nv bad
with broken ankle aud could not stir: and.
after she had uoaned several times I called out
aloud to wake tile nurBe and said, Mrs. "
not got up ana give it to horf Up she jumped