, 1876-08-02
LOCAL LETTERS.
THE HOSPITAL AMpitlTnEATRE,


CHICAGO, July 30.-1n your Issue Of this {Snr-
day) morning is a letter concerning tho Hospital
Amph!thcatrc, which furnishes SO conspicuous
an example Of that pcnny-wtse pound-foofsh
" economy u which impoycrishcs so many lndi-
viduals md communities, TINT feel constrair-
ed to call the attention OF your correspondent
To few facts which seem to hayc been qutto
forgotten by people Of his class. Hc suggests
that the amphithcatro should be constructed
by the medical colleges, assuming it as
a fact that II Is designed Eolcly
for their advantage. Now, have no doubt
that tic far-scctng gentlemen who control our
medical colleges would gladly build the amphi-
q The ices wlii!ch would ho collected from stu
dents for It's uso; but there arc other interests
besides these OF medical colleges which must bo
taken into consideration. No hospital can bo
efficiently conducted wtoat for easy
dtvlsions,-lcnco the absolute necessity for cor
rilors which arc the streets Of this "clty Of tho
a!ck." Nor eau. any hospital properly
care for its patients, without an 9part-
nnco OF those numerous surgical operations
which are a. any moment ltablo to be required
hence the absoiute necessity for M operRttng-
room. The public, wll!cl. pays for all these
conveniences, has right to demand some re-
turn be moro easily secured than by tho expan-
sion Of tic opcratlt!g-room to tho dimensions ot
Nh amphithcatrc, in which medical students Will
their studies by observation Of practical n'edL,
tjue and surgery. There arc not less than 600
medical students in our city every winter,
and every man Of them s,. Sho en4sra thu
9sPa eF Pta p2yyers pyi - hs quo qaeson a " doars
cents alone, itia, therefore, clearly for tic in
tcrcBt OF tho public to mako tho hospital as at-
| tractIyc aa possible to all medical students. 1t
tt.sn. Hrnfn
phithcatrs should not be handed over to any,
one medical college or association Of medical
| colleges, aB "EeotDnlyh sngcly cunnscls. Ev-
cry medical student, without regard to sor or
"pathy," Is now, and always should be, on a,,n a.
could not bu II the alnphitllcatro were owned by
one or two Of the medical colleges:
| That tho building Of an nmbhitheatro would
DO All advantage to nll tho colleges ln tho city IL
tratton viii not ignore tic lact tat our medical
ec]lpuls-Alx III tiuMber-aro not tho lcast ol
tho instrlmcnta1itics that nre milking Chicago
tho metropolitan city Of tho Northwest: Even
least 100 young mon annually 10 tho city, whc
leave am0nc our citizens not less than auar
ter Of million dollars each winter To THIS 4
will DO no reply to utter the sncer that our cpl
lcgcs turn out s,cl, miserable doctors that the
fewer Of them tho better for the world, Tlt
fuct Ia, that our medical students aru eager Il
provide tlIcnrclrua with tho best cd!lcattot
Whlcll is within their reach, and every etyuize'
community takes pains to Afford 70 them ths
largest possible opportunity for clinical atu!l!
In tic charitable institutions. In Nuw York IN
h,spitais were thrown opcn to students, wl,t
arc Invited 10 walk their wards and throng thet
consequently, students Hook into that city b.,
tho tllu1sa,id. When our own public slal
recognize tho fact that It's most practical rewats
Tor Tie grrat outlay annually 1naue In behalf Q
thorough education thus put within the reach
the men to whom It must look fur the relief o
It's own private lnctllsal wants, we shall lca
very iittle objection to thecomraratlvc'yt trainI
crnrntlIturc Wltrh alone IL needed to mako III
new jlospItal QUO OF tho most brilliant example
Of what q wisely-orlcretl publlt charity shNul
become, Let III hayo the emphthcatro. y.