The Evening critic., 1883-01-05
AT A CLINIC.
Our Curious Traveller Attends Lee.
fure and DiscOurses About - Hos
pital. -
CHICAGO, Dec. 12, 1882.

OhlNhbVy Dtt. iZy loOZs
10 ne Editoy Of The Eceain0 critic;
have Just come from the celebrated Cook
County Hospital aud the various colleges that
cluster about II. Here the allopathic lions and
peace and harmony, the students Of both
schools attending the lectures OF each, with a
community.of feeling unusual In rival claim
ants.
The hospital is the centre OF a system which
is now being generally adopted, but which
Chicago has the honor OF origlnatlng-the Ac-
cdent Patrol System. All over the city are
boxes similar to those used for nre.alarms;
these are electrically connected with Police
Headquarters, and whenever an accident oc-
ours IL Is signaled to the station, and one OF
the dozen wagons belonging to tho association
Is sent at once to the scene OF the
disaster. A. policeman and two "lifters y
accompany IL, and the mangled or matmed
person Is carried or aud put in charge OF the
best skill in the city. The rolllng-mills,
planing.mille, crowded streets, railroad CEN
tres, grain elevators Sc., keep the wards full
of patients, who are delight to the student
In search Of Information.
The building covers an area as large as the
Patent ONCE, and is built In the Norman style
of architecture; the corners are flanked by
towers OF n shape and solidity that william
the Conqueror himself might have approved
of; the wards are roomy, exquisltely noat,
well ventilated and full of sunshine. The
amphitheatre,
where the Clinics are Held.
is unusually large and furnished with all the
appliances that modern science can afford,
The aliopathists have one day and the Ho-
meopathists another, and there ts third
clinic that Is a Joint benefit. There are a
library and chapel connected with IT. and on
house, with windows and doors notlceably
high from the ground. This is the morgue,
but as there were several cadavers In It we
looked only at Its outer walls. The methods
OF preserving the inmates are by the common
refrigerating process and the ether spray,
and really would not dare say how long
they Will remain intact for fear my readers
might think L was giving an eternity Of
morgue to the poor dead.
AS we drove past saw something sklmming
along behind the fence that l thought was
locomotive and as our horses had shown pre-
ference all the way over for walking on their
hind legs, and trying .(apparently) to scratch
their backs with their oars, watched the
black object with much interest. We turned
sudden corner, and 1t developed Into one Of
the awful hearses peculiar to Chicago. There
were six plumes on 1t, each four feet long and a
foot across at the topl There were other remark
able features, but these pillars OF Woe struck
such awe to my heart that l was wheeled out
Of sight before noticed them.
The hospital and morgue are built of pressed
brick, with trimmings of Joliet stone. This
last, by the way, is q favorlto building material
here, and the effect of Its soft gray and cream
tints, with here and there broad dash of
chrome yellow, is odd and pleasing.
Away from tnis inclosure rolls the prairie In
wide, slightly undulatlng sweep and the
wind blows In from 1t laden with sweetness,
and crisp freshness We do not know in our
city.
the allopathic school. 1t Is of pressed brick,
with stained glass windows and gothic spires.
A half.square beyond is the new "Physicians'
| College," where great privileges are accorded
| the homeopathic students. 1t is a charming
| structure, and looks as II built OF snow-Cht
cago snow, mean, for 1t is slightly tinged
with gray and is O soft ash color. Above the
| entrance way coils In bas relief
| The Serpent Sacred to EscuIapius
| and through the lancet windows CLEAN white
| walls, oak stair-cases heavily carved,and wide
handsomely proportioned rooms.
Facing the south front is the Homeopathic
| College, where We spent the greater part OF
| our hour. Surgery is one of the special fea-
lures of the course, also the diseases OF child
| ron. For this last, clinics are held weekly a
| the Foundling's Home, and at the NURSERY
| Ia creche), and the "Half Orphan Asylum" al
Of which are under the charge of this school
| of medicine.
| We were politely invited to go into the clinic
| room, where u lecture was being given on the
brain. Well, we went,
Curiosity Getting the Better Of Dread
| and o, dear CRITIC, all l could think of wa:
the last half of "Jacques'" favorlte speech:
| @"First we ripe and ripe, and them
The lecturer, however, was 80 full OF hi:
| subject that listened In spite of myself, anG
found that DR.. Pratt could wreathe with the
| flowers of faith and poesy evon such grlsly
| thing as skull and its very ugly contents
| He is imbued with profound respect for the
human frame, and he teaches his students
| great deal more than the mere mechanical
| part OF anatomy. Among the two hundred
| present were u nulnDeE Oh anu DOIlcBO
| that their answers compared very favorably
| with those given by the men.
| cannot say that, on the surface, anatomy
| seems pleasant study, for the lecturers desl
was apparently covered with-tripe, and II
| was
| So Disagreeable 10 Think
| that the only difference between us and "tht
| brute beasts" was n lot of unpleasant-looking
| stun that goes by the technical name o
| 'aehes."
''Dust and ashes" thought, and left as rap
| Idly as possible, with a little knowledge, anC
a profound regret that my backbone is moth
| ing better than sword1sh. We went from
this room into the amphitheatre, where tn,
| greatest neatness and ingenuity prevail. TIL,
| is made to fold Into desk, so little cumber
some as to make It surprise when IT doe:
| Its tail unfold" The electrical apparatus 1.
one OF the most complete in Chicago, ant
| above the doorway hangs picture said by
| medical connoisseurs TO be q remarkable
| work Of art.
1t is a man who has carried Into execution
Sidney Smiths hot-weather threat-"to go
| out OF his flesh and sit In his bones" II,
stands revealed in all his abrous and muscu
| lar hideousness. His eyes are shut with sly
look, as II he enjoys the scare he gives t
people, and his
"Fleshless hands
Stretch as II asking aims"
1t is the work OF one OF the students, and 1
used frequently to illustrate the lectures.
At every landing hangs portrait Of som
one OF the faculty. Conspicuous among then
l lS lne NeuerdDlei lovely ldCe Ol aHnueHlhnu
the founder OF the homeopathic school; ais
the fine head of Delamater, the professor o
mental and nervous diseases, and DR.. Mitchell
the president OF the institution.
AS we quilted the college We met DR.. Wood
ward, relative OF our DR.. Woodward. He 1
young man, but his face is lined with strang
creases and wrinkles, which thought not re
| markable when told he devotes himself to ex
| perimenting in poisons. He takes them, note
the effects, and applies the remedies; then q
soon as he RECEIVERS from the effects, he write
| q franfiaa the auhtapt. and 1Apturaa Inf
| classes from actual experience. He is an oh
ject OF awe, an admiration to the students
and Justly so, for at every experiment h
takes his life In his hands. He Is Of middl
height, with large gray eyes, fair hair an
beard, strange pallld complexion, and
voice that, while 1t Is pleasant, sounds fa
| away and still.
But 1t is now 10 o'clock, and l have to cate
| the IL o'clock train for Rock Island, whenc
you shall have long letter from your
CURIOUS TRAVELLER.
A PeDniless Archbishop.
Archbishop Purcell has sent the foilowln