New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-26
PUBLIC HOSPITALS.
.... SOME NEW FACTS
HOW BELLEVUE, CHARITY, AND CoNvALEsCENT HOS



70 the Editor Of The Trsbune.
SIR: Perhaps the truth should not always be
spoken. but assuredly heavily taxed and long
suffering people have right to know how the char
tiles supported by them arc administered. Thanks
to my own investigation and 10 recent report made
by the Local Visiting Committee, composed OF
conscientious, influential women, am enabled to
enlighten New-York on this subject.
First then, be it said, that Bellevue Hospital.
thOurh without soap during two weeks in January;
though at times three patients have slept on two
beds, five patients on three beds, and many have
slcpt on the floor without blankets and pillows;
though in the lying-in wards during January there
were towels, and not sufficient supply Of clothing
to keep babies and mothers clean; though all these
things have been Bellevue Hospital is in q more
seemly condition than ever before. and thanks to
the Training School for Nurses takes better care of
its sick. SO radically has it been reformed that In
spite of official opposition, it promises to be reformed
altogether Originally built for almsbouse, its
arrangements are extremely defective, its ventla-
ton is entirely dependent upon open windows, and
its walls are saturated with the poison of thirty
years accumulation of disease When, in two years,
1S8 patients die of this poison; when 4s per cent OF
all amputations made, from January 1879 to
June 1873, proves fatal, half the deaths
being due to hospital poison; when Bellevue
physicians us that puerperal fever Is much
frequent than ii ought to be, surely no amount
Of red tape should stand In the way OF erecting
pavilions to take the place of an old, contaminated
hospital. According to the report Of Dr. Wood
worth, Supervising Surgeon Of the United States
Marine Hospital Service. the seamen were removed
from Bellevue two years since, on account of the
large percentage of mortality among them How
necessary are reception hospitals for downtown
IN he If nynfn iaSi
Stern, who states that in their absence police
stations are temporarily used.
"In of the sudden ACCOMPLISHMENT OF poor women
says Commissioner Stern, the treatment TO WHEN
they must be subjected greatly rGyo1g TO our sense
any furniture whatever the resting place OF her VINO
Herself but poorly clad there is little nothing where
with to cover the infant Upon the cold rough 9oaIds
We surgeon knees and performs ms %
He has very little means at hand to alay te PAINS Of
labor. aud II the birth should be accompanied Dy any
ments are found there to arrest the aeeng life. An
ambulance might be sent for before actual connnemens
plcate seriously still the embarrassments OF the
situation. woman thus confined at station
house cannot well be moved Tor several days,
yet there Is no provision at q station-house for
her accommodation. Cases OF delirum tremens OF cpl
lepc commissions disease OF contagious character are
ali taken to- the station house. be transferred from
there to the houses OF the patient or TO the hospital
police force There is probably city OF equal size
where such deficient ARRANGEMENT exists TO Afford
dent, which naturally must be numerous, and
it seems to me that it does not require
evils as they exist at present. number of reception
hospitals could located in such parts of the city that
are far removed Bellevue Hospital or private hos
pitfalls uptown and when accidents do occur near those
hospitals 1t Is unquestionabe that the injured would be
received therein then such disposition made OF them
as would accord with the dictates OF humanity aud
genuine benevoenee Similar service TO thst now rem
number Of reception hospitals conveniently located
Is there not an official Bergh needed for the pre-
vention of cruelty to sick and dying men, women
and children
Turning to Charity Hospitals the Blackwels Island
institution finished four years ago. is very imposing
as to granite but very defective as to ventilation
and drainage. and though in the hands OF compe-
tent medical staff sadly deficient IN tho vital mat
ters of good nursing and good housekeeping. From
an observant intelligent woman OF excellent charac-
ter who was recently patient of the Charity Hos
ptal for nearly two months, have obtained certain
facts which believe should be made public Upon
arrival at the hospital, this woman, being in the
early stages of scarlet fever directed at to
90 TO bed but did so uuwillingy the cot assigned
to her was in a positively filthy condition. She
learned afterward that an old woman with sores on
her body had been removed from the cot and that
the sheets had not been changed The Helper" a
woman from the workhouse who takes the place Of
nurse in the women's ward, was under six months
sentence for drunkenness vice which had made her
a prison habtue At times, when she considered her
self beyond detection, she would smoke her pipe,
even in the middle of the night. Kind to the person
from whom l have obtained this story; kind be-
cause of money, the Helper" neglected less for
tunate patients, would tfully administer medicines,
emitting them entirely, or giving teaspoon where
three or four drops had been ordered This woman
reports the medical staff very attentive The
nr
daily and seemed to be interested in the
patients and the physician IN charge, DR..
Fset devoted himself to bis profession. The matron
came into the ward twice during the two months
and spoke kindly to the sick. colored girl having
been brought in very i'll. was asked just before
dying whether she were Protestant or Catholic.
Replying that she did not know anything whatever
about religion, Catholic priest was sent for, who,
ON looking at the card hung above her bed which
was labeled Protestant" went away without
saving a word, leaving the wretched girl to die in
ignorance of her God. 1t was customary for the
Helper" to wash the faces of the dead before pnt-
ting on the shroud provided for them but this coored
girl was sent to paupers grave unwashed as
well "a unshriyen. With regard to diet
nv informant had much to say. The
bread was always good and fresh, the
butter bad The tea was merely brown water, but
the beef tea was good. Sugar was conspicuous by
its absence. The ordinary soup was made in great
quanti,es, and apparently without washing the
vegetables put into it, for it was often seasoned
with insects. The bathroom never used except
by the Helper" who violated rules by washing
clothes there The pavilion for scarlet fever stands
by the waters edge, and the water-closet projects
over the water that it is too cold to be used by
patients during six months of the year, and there
can be no privacy in the ward. which may be visited
at any moment by physicians and strangers.
One of the chief objects of hospitals is good nurs-
ing; but how can this be accomplished where one
man OF woman, without the necessary appliances,
.ol,oa cbaroa An natIentag Hospitais should he