Daily Republican., 1881-08-08
DOCTORS UNANIMOUS.
THE OLD ADAGE SADLY OFF
ITS EGGS.
City Phv s'c1ans Agree that the
Hospital is Properly Managed
-SensatIOnalism Rebuked.


: News upon the county smallpox hosp
tai have led The city physicians to tax
the matter in hand. Half-a-dozen {
our Ii ost reputable doctors visited tn
establishment on Saturday. The tr
had been arranged late on Friday nigh
SO that there was no time for the hospi
tai folks to prepare for the investigation
and cover up any abuses that Nigh
exist.
The establishment was vsry thorough
ly examined in all parts, and a complet
investigation was made. The result .
the visit is given in the following, whicl
is furnished for publication by the doc
tors, ard which may be taken as vi
tually settling the matter in contro
versy
THE DOCTORS REPORT.
WILMINGTON. DEL, Aug. 4, 1881.
To Milton Lackey, ESQ;
CHAIRMAN OF HOSPITAL COMMITTED
OF THE NEW CASTLE COUNTY Aims
House:
SIR Having heard through the pub
lie press that charges had heen made o
Encouragement and gross carelesnes
in the conduct of the hospital Tor con
tagious diseases in this city which wer,
likely to be injurious to the welfare o
this community, Drs. Bullock, Grim
shaw, johnson, Wales, Kane, Draper
Shortlidge, Ogle and Springer met las
evening for the purpose of d proper in
veStiFa ion of the matter. The follow
ing gentlemen were appointed to visi
| tnl n fhnrnJt.l IA |,
! the condition and management OF til,
| institution, provided there were 10 OBJ
iertipns from the Ruard of Trustees %
the poyr, to wit :-Drs. W aIes, Bullock
Grimshaw, johnson, Kane AID Snort.
iidse
An nv;taiion was Immediately .x-
tended from yourself and this morning
the Gentlemen met at the institution
and made II careful examination, and
this evening made the following re-
port
"The committee appointed to inves.
tiga e the condition of the county small
pox HOSPITAL visited that institution to-
day. 1t found all the rooms, including
the clothing, drug, provision and dl.
ming rooms, c!onn and in good order III
the sick wards the beds, Hallsa and floors
We're in excellent condition, and no bad
odors were detected in any part of II,
b,tiluing; 5hc provisions were examined
aud found to be sufficient i'll quantity
AID of good quality.
The inmates, both sick and cOnvaieS'
cent, we interogaIed in the abSeuce OF
The attending physicians anu nurses, Il,
10 the treatment received, ana one ana
III declared that they had no com
plants to make, that in food, medicine,
baths and nursing, there was nothing
tacking and they Indignantly denied
hat the whites and black took thelr
meals together.
The tents were visited and found well
kept aud cleaned. The inmates, all
black, expressed themselves well cared
for in all respects, and no one had sut'
tered or complained OF too much eX
posure II dampneSs.
The only recommendation tho com
mit.ee cuuld make in regard to the tents
is that i canvass Hy be extended over
each, which would make them coole'.
While it undoubtedly is the duty OF
the press to ferret out and expose that
which is amiss in our pubic institu-
lions, yet it is equally its duty to be
sure of the accuracy OF It's Information,
not to take reports of irresponsible and
unw orthy parties, especially when they
tend to neutralize the usefulness OF il
GOOD hospit,. and bring our community
into disrepute.
While by no means satisfied that a
community 50 large as ours should not
be provided with larger and mort
commolious hospital, the committe,
have no hesitation i'll saying that they
think he present arrangements are wei
calculated TO prouute the recovery o
the patients, and do recommend the III
siitutiun to any OF our citizens, who
NAY bo SO unfortunate as to be attacked
oy smallpox.
In regard to the mortality in the hos
pital, tie conmittee states that it doe
no, consider the death rate greater thai
i, usual from that disease
(Sigutd,) JOHN J. WALES,
WIN. II. BULLOCK,
A. IL. GRIMSnAw,
II. p. JOHNSON,
JOHN X. KANE,
Z. q. SHokLii",E.
l.. =. BUSH, President.
+. G. SHoRTLlDGE, Secretary.
| TIE MORTALITY.
Some interesting facts concerning th'
mortaIily OF the small poX in the hos
pital us compared with the city at large
we're gathered to-day. DR.. % e mad,
the following report to the visiting
committee about admissions and death
in the hospital ior the three months
ending July %, 1881.
Admittcd-White adults, 20 white
minors, 9; black adults, -; black
minors, 4S Total. l5S
Diel-Whii adu)tS,6: white minors
.; black adults, lO black minors, 8
Total, ~.
Tnis >howS a death rate of about II
per cent, a ID IL will be uoticed more
whites dl'd than blacks, although The
disease is mora fatal wi. the latter ~
! general thing, and there were more
black tients. 1t shoulI also be re-
menbered that the blacks were con
fined in tue tents, which have been ST
roundly attacked.
Now as to the death rate III the city
for the same time. The figures at the
Office of f. b. Frazer, i,si., Register o
Deaths and Secretary ot the Board OF
Health, shows that during the past
three months the total number Ol
cases in the city was 23S, and the mum.
ber OF deaths GO. This includes the
number in tke hospital. Therefore il
will be seen that 20 cases were treated
in town, 80 of which resulted in death,
and shows a death rate in town OF
abou, 80 per cent. against II per cent.
in the hospital.
War veternns' Sons.
Delaware Division, Sons of Veterans,
has elected the following officers
Col. John H. Harkins.
4