Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1876-03-30

gate OF items In tne1r summary OF
Hospital Expenses" and Liquor
Bills" correct, except it be the num-
ber OF patients.
And the mystery is that their mis-
takes (?) are all one side; are all ar
rayed against Il judicions and eco
nom'cal hospital management for
the last two years.
Whether the gentlemen who
made the report have committed SO
many mistakes (s) or not, we leave
to yon and a. intelligent and dis
criinina:ing public to determine.
Our agere gates Of figures are cor
rect. and certified to be such by our
County Auditor.
Our table shows that in 1872, 273
patients were treated at per capita
cost Of $42 80, aud that the per
capita has gradually decreased since
that time, until IN 1875. 538 patients
were treated at a per capita cost of
S37 0S, or at a reduction of 10 per
cent. in three years, while the
patients treated during the last year
averaged much severer cases than
any previous year and more small
pox patients than ever before; amt,
consequently. ought to cost more
per capita. other things h"ing equal.
On the other hand, the CIR nd Jury
report SHOWS Il per capita III 1872 of
S35 04, which rapi'il. increased to
$56 rs in 1875. showing IN three
years an increased per capita OF 62
per cent. against an actual reduction
OF 10 per cent. in The same period,
a. per our statemeat. Their report
further says: Hospital expense tor
the month Of Jan uary, 1876, was
S34l8 76." while We SHOW the total
Tor that month to be 50 33i 2l. IN
which latter sum Is iHclndei
S257 so for the yearly hospital in
sursnce, and 81 ,225 80. amount Of
Hatch grocery bill AS per contract
awarded ON the hest sealed proposal
for Hospital supplies, a sufficient
quantity to supply the Hospital
with certain articles for SIX luouths,
aud which was delivered at the
Hospital on the last days OF Jan
nary, and conseq ueptly no part Of
it was Justly ehargeable to that
month 1he total thas overcharged
to January account is 81, ,4S2 80,
which leaves the actual January ex-
pense Sl,848 l6 instead Of 80. .4lS 76
as reported.
II is proper to say that the Com
missioners called the attention OF
the Grand Jury Expert to the above
facts while making his search.
That these errors were known to
more than the Hospital Commit
tee," or = portion OF them. we Can
not believe. But. nevert eless.
they have been adopted by that
body of gentlemen and published
to the world AS facts, which reflect
severely and unjustly on our Board
as sworn officers. while as we con
slider and believe) faithfully per-
forming our duty to the public.
They certainly cannot complain of
our insufficient allowance to their
Expert, for their request was that
we allow him $50. and Immediately
our Board made it 500. with the
understanding that tnelr examina-
tion be full and complete, correctly
showing all facts connected with
hospital affairs. 1t is hut just to
state that they accepted the 500 );
but behold the complete and cor
rect statement.
The actual cost to Storey county
of treating pay patients is $22 %,
while the county receives for such
service 81 so per day, and no indi-
gent sick person has been refused
admission for want of room.
In regard to Lyon county patients,
If we refused tn admit them rs pay
patients. many of them would natu-
rally find their way into our hospita'
as from our own county, and from
such we could collect nothing; and
this fact explains many of the appar-
ent irregularities in the hospital reg
lister, as il is often ascertained long
after the patient has entered the hos
pital that he belongs to another coun-
ty, and is then treated rs such.
Our hospital is now in better con-
lition than ever before in its history.
The treatment, executive ability and
discipline are excellent, and the
buildings are not likely to need any
more repairs for years.
We thank the Grand Jury for
showing us that the county paid for
200 cigars, and shall make it our
business to prevent such unnecessary
extravaganza in the future. We pre-
sent herewith II number of aftidavits
in connection with the discourtesies'
named in the Grand Jury report,
winch will explain themselves we
think that that member Of the COM
mittee ought not to complain OF "tis-
courtesies" under the circumstances.
Il will be seen by reference to one or
two Of the accompanying afiidsyits
that u grand juror on the Hospital
Committee seriously objected to the
economy practiced under the rules OF
the hospital, to utilize the available
convalescents in doing various light
works.
In conclusion we will state that II
is painful duty for US tn correct II
report coming from such n respecta-
BILE body Of gentlemen, with the au-
thority Of law.
But se!f-preservation is the first
law Of nature, and whether 10y mis-
take or otherwise, the statement is
wrong, and it certainly becomes US to
shield ourselves from its dangerous
effects by refuting all Of the report
that is wrong and calculated 20 mis-