, 1881-05-29
THE FREE DISPENSARY,
What a Reporter Saw During an
Afternoons Visit.
Appearance and Actions OF Those Who
Visit the Institution.

| Visit the Institution.
There are few places in Il large city which can
make as direct an appeal to the sympathles of
] humanity Us the Free Dspcnsary,-the place
where medical advice and medicine are given
| without price to the destitute sick. To those
| who, when sickness strikes the home, simply
have to call in the family doctor, hire profess
sional NURSE anu leave the fate of relative TO
their joint skill and care, without any mlsgiy-
tngs over the expense incurred. the trouble
which disease brings when it enters Il homo
already occupied by poverty will be apparent
Even in the former case, where every means OF
salvation of life and allcviuron of pain
are readily available, the serious cuso
Ut sickness brings Il worl Of love: how
much more Is this the case when the
equally loviug-tho&sh poorcr-parents find
themselves with sick child on their hands and
no means with which TO provide the necessary
medical attendance. For the relief Of such tho
hospital and dspensary are available, Mt which
tho more or less seriously stricken by casualty
Or disease can take Eratuitous advantage OF the
services of the best physicians in the city.
There is only one serious drawback to the
great usefulness Of these institutions. and that
lies In the foolish pride which prcJuaiccs many
poor people against them. Notwithstanding
this they urc generally very we'll patronizcl;
such was the case yesterday afternoon at tho
Central Free Dispensary Of West Chicago,
where Il TRIBUNE reporter passed three hours Ia
watching tho workings Of tho institution
md III studying tho characteristics OF
tho patients The first thing which
struck him in their appearance was
that specifically, they did not, rs q rule, pre-
Vent anything like the abjecty pov erty-srEfckcu
alr he had expected to meet. The report err re-
marked the fact to Mr. II. Frsch, tho upothec cary
or tho establishment, who, hawevc-. reminded
him that an unfaiimg characteristic OF tho
American people was thc:r nratncss OF dress,
fcnaics, made il very dlliicuii TO form, from tho
appearance Of their toilet correct Judgment
us to their worldly condiuon.
old boy" Mr Frisc6 said Vow you would not
judge her tO be II paupcr, would you? and yet to
n nten1s ] and M Sne s suea she Is a"ae Lone
self and child from Saat, and yet both are neatly
and cleanty apparelcd- So 1t Is ull through With
sticks out all over with poverty. ,.nd Is pr.ny
with It's altogether unnecessary companion
dirt"
Closer observation revealed the fuct that the
npothocary'5 Judgment In this respect was cur
rect. 4 mddie-aSed Gcrmau-hc said he had
III American wife-appearcd in the surgical de-
pnrtnlcnt to
HAVE HIS ribs EXAMINED,
he having recently fallen and hurt himself
seriously. At II careless glance he seemed quite
aunirisd ] Cd Will Viii, exusit care, and it was only On
close Inspection Of his gray sutr that its patched
condition became apparent. There WAS no
the neatuess Of bis clothes and the somewhat
1acongruous elaboratencss Of hts snirt-froaE
were simply the result OF tho decent pride
characteristic Of the nation.
We sometimes get fooled: though, Mr.
Frisch explained, by people who are well able
to puy, but when we lind it OUT We shut right
down upon them, and, general rule, tney
show their appreciation OF the treatment they
hive received by & call,nE in tbs doctor who has
BY: O'clock in the afternoon the dispensnry
WAS we'll filled with patients. They sat down
upou benches 50 nrrangcd that ench set OF pa
tients was located opposit the door OF the de-
partmcnt devoted to the nature OF their disease
The doors Of these departments were inscribed
diseases OF tho children, OF tho eye and cnr, OF
the skin. Of the chest, to dentistry surgery, and
to gc7esn and persous diseases; Aboos this
Of tho day went round among the patients, some
eighty in number, 'ascertained the nature OF
had not plnced themselves In tho proper
seats, effected read}ustment, after which :
tho regular business OF tho afternoon hegnn. and
nounced BY the cail ~next dropped into tho
nnte-chambers and received tho medical ut
teutlnnce there awaittng then-
It WIS easy when this moment arrived to dis
tinguish between the newcomer and tho patient
who bad already become familiar with the place,
and huu fenrned that treatment by q doctor In
side a little room, with couple Of medical stu
dents to assist him, Is not whit more trying
home home. The newcomers-tho Indies especially
grew pale and trembed " The door flung open
and the quietly ly-spokeu next" indicated that
themselves for the ordeal and went In bravclH
bur on more than Que occasion the re-
porter noesd that hsn ar the 'Gs
next In order, s,lt stock still. anxious to post
ponc still further the dreaded interview, md
. There was really no necessity for this trepIda-
tion. the fatal door being passed, the patient
simply found himself in Il comfortable room
aul i'll company with un urhAnc physician and
nne more NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. it, the first
term Of college, ASH preliminary to treatment.
record was s1la'lc Of the putients name, natly-
dence. ald disease, after which the case was
diagnosed md Treatment applied as &C, c,nrsfuliy
and with IT'S much regard to her feelings us
thuugh she we're pny-patfcnt OF
THE MOST PROFITABLE ORDER
Thon 4 ticket was given her to be produced upon
her subsequent visits. which ticket, BY the way,
the reporter was informed. tho put1euts lose
The interviews between doctor and patient are
NOT always devoid OF humorous Incidents. Yes
tcsday afternoon. after IL patient hud received
treatment for a serious case, he very nuxfous1y
inquired whether he could be Informed whether
the drug stores kept pruirtc thistle On hand
"Nhy tlO you wish to know 1hi5I tho doctor
asked.
1--WE had the rhcumatics lately" tho patient
replied, and an old Indy tells me she spent
s1null fortune on doctors that did her NO good;
that If eau ret some prairie thistle and soak It
IL. brandy and drink three tAblcspt'0nlul5 thrc6
times II siuy it IL cure me right up.
:. l:ut tell you that you must not drink any
thing"
:. hut that's medicine doctor. Oh. IT'S great
for the rncunuticst'
g Then there s millions in It, and you had bet
ter 70 and make your fortune"
Tho nun retired, delighted Mt the prospect OF
hecumipy second C0l. Sellers.
The next Pnticnt was u Rarrulous old woman
of Se, who, when askcd wnut good tue ol,.tmens
tuu douc her Icy, cooly replied that she had
not applied it. 1t was such small boz shy did
not think there WIS any use In using It. so ''she
Just threw it out into tho ie!d.' The box wns
M s,lncc one, sufficiently large to last for IL
week more.
At n few minutes nfter 3 o'clock the last OF
The patients was sent oil, and resume Ut tho
work Ut the my showed that LII patients hu1
received medical attention, OF whom lU3 had
n:ll prescriptions grAtuitouslT prepared in a<'-
lition to the free consultation. The avcruxs
an1nter Of visits to this dispensary Of late years
aus been about 70 G0U, which vii! give idea OF
he extent of tho work which IS hero carried on.
SPRlNGTlME.
Frf