The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-20
THE OLD CITY HOSPITAL.
DIR. NEELEY MAKES ANSWER TO
DIR. BLACK,
And Still Claims That He Is Right in
His Criticisms and in His Asser.
ton OF Needed Reform.
To the Editors Of the Appeal

Medical Monthly, OF publishing to the
world statistics OF my own maks which
are not correct" Of "misrepresent
ing the condition OF the Hospital" O.
perver,ing facts "to suit the end in
view" p and OF "mskiug stateme MT;
that cannot be verified" AS one o.
the editors Of the Monthly, and as the
writer of the article in question, beC
space 10 defend the Monthly from the
odium which DR.. Black undertakes tC
heap upon it A casual reader OF DR.
Blacks letter would gather the ides
that my purpose in discussing the
condition Of the Hospital ives not an
honorable one and was influenced by
personal motives. When l penned the
editorials my only hope was the com.
mendable one Of exhibiting the ex.
ceedingly miserable and unsanit nv
condition of our Hospital as compared
with those elsewhere, and Of pointing
out the neCessi y, if we want to p O.
tect our pr de OF humanity from the
jibes of others, of improving its condl-
tion and it's facilities Throughout
this scuss;on," as he chooses to put
it, have carefully avoided engaging
in persor alities, and rave more THAI
once disclalmed such intentiots !
regret, therefore, that DR.. Black still
persists in viewing my course in a pei :
sonal light, as he, if l NAV Judge by
the tenor OF bis letter, ev de tly does.
In ventilating and urg ng the in
provement Cfsour Hospital / have but
done my duty as medical journalist,
a duty due my resders and the p ople
of this city, and in its perfsim-
snce / enjoy the consciousness
of being seI onded by the pub
lie pres and the good citizsns OF
Memphis. could not do less. As to
the statement that | have misrepre
scented the condition OF the Hospital,
DIR. Black has advan ed no reason 10
induce me to change my opinion Of
the institution, as expressed in the
editorials alluded to, AID which have
been Ieprodu ed in all the daily pa
pers of the city. Indeed, be makes it
unnecessary, fer he admits all that
have claimed when he says: 81 am In
favor of improving the c)i dition of
our Hospital, and recommended an
increase in the appropriation in my
biannual report in 1884. =
Memphis should have new Hospital,
with all N odern improvements in
heating, ventilation, &c, built outside
the city limits, in order to avoid EN-.
bracing its morIuary reports in that
of Memphis, a I'D an increase in the
of $4,000 to $15 900.
With this amount the comforts of the
Hospital could be increased, its eff.
cheney augmented and its death rate
lowered" He acknowledge (D thst
the condi ion Of the Hos pital needs
improving; aye, that We should even
have Q reW Hospital; ~ that the vent-
lsting, heating and sanitary arrange.
ments are imperfect; (3) that an in
crease in appropriation OF from $10,-
900 TO $4,000 double the prese mt
amount collected for its use) is need
ed; (4) that its comforts could be in
creased; (5) that its efficiency cnu'd
bs augmented, and (6) that its death
rate could be loweied. He cont5s'es
all that 1 have charged against tbs
Hospital aud admits the Impor auce
Of the improvement ] have urged.
Where, then, are the misstatements?
Possibly may have d ne the hes.
pital anu lis administration an injus-
lice in the figures of its mortuary re-
ports, which | ueed in my last edi.
oral to compare with mortality per-
,entages from other hospitals If l
have done &c it has been through no
iault OF mine, for after the appear Ance
If my first editorial in The September
number Of the Monthly l ADDRESSED
DR.. Black, ss the executive officer of
he Hospital, tbs following polite re-
quest, aud ore which / as a citizen
lad iiQht TO make:
OFFICE OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY !
MEDICAL MONTHLY, l26 fernando street.
MEMPHIS. TENN. Sept. II, 1856. }
Dr.. j. E. Black, City Hospitals
DEAR DoCToR-To prepare an edito-
isl for the October issue OF the Monthly
will need soma statistics regarding
he morality percentage and cost Of
support in your Hospital. II l can
,btain the figures from records at
he Hospital, will you kindly place
hem at my disposal? II not, will you
indy tell me where they can be CD
aimed? Very sincerely and uly,
our friend, &. A NERLY, MD.
In reply l received the following:
TAXING DISTRICT Hospital,
MEMPHIS, TENN, september Il, 1885.
)r. Il. A. Nicely.
DEAR DocToR--I don't propose to
urnish you with any statistics, or any
ther facilities or favore, unless / was
ssured that you would make legid-
nate use of the tame. Your last arti-
le was so exaggerated and unfair to
ne that | don't think myself under
ny obligations to assist you in any
vay. If you were fair minded enough |
o discuss the Hospital impsrially, l
you'd cooperate with you cheeriully. |
[ you are determined to break down |
be only charity we have in the city |
on mutt do 80 without my assistance.
think, moreover, as matttr OF |
ruth and justice, you should corr; C! |
be errors and misstAtements in your
sst article. Yours truly, &c,
]. Z. BLACK, NJ d.
II then my figures were not CoTrecs
he fault ia principally bis. After his
etusal o furnish me statistics l ap-
lied to DIR. Gray, then Secretary OF
ne B oard OF Health, who referred me
} tho printed annual reports Of the
ard of Health of the Taxing Dis
,ict. La each OF these reports is an
xhibit showing the number of pa.
en,s sent to the hospi al each year
nd The number of deaths 10 the nos
ital each year. By dividing the
lumber of deaths by the number Of
atients 1 Obtained my percentages.
hese certainly should be "official fig
res" if they are not. DR.. Black in
is letter shows much greater num-
er of patients than is sho wn in these
Where this surpluI comes
ON d. not know, for l was always
nder the imprt ssion that all patients
Omitted to the hospital were sent
lere by the Board of Health or their
1miltant was reported to the secrs-
NY Of that body for record.
Now as to the fact that there can be
o comparison between the City Hos
fol ~ 81 Tonia and our Nity II C