Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-25
A RECEIVING HOSPITAL.
1t Is Greatly Needed at the City
Prison.

1t STeatEy NeGueu at tine lily
Prison.
One OF the most urgent needs of the
city at the present time in the Police
Department is receiving hospital. The
subject has been frequently adverted to
and vigorous effort was made during
the last municipal administration to have
it established; but the Police Commits
sion, knowing that they were soon to
be superseded by another organization,
did not see fit to take active steps in the
matter.
The present condition of things is
rather appalling, and if it were not the
case that only few citizens at rare inter-
walls have had occasion to take notice of
the matter, such an uproar would have
been raised long since that the needed
improvement would have been brought
about.
The police books show an average of
two or three medical treatment" entries
a day. 1t is mistake to suppose that
these are all vagrants, or people who
have not the means to pay for medical
attendance. Many of them are, it is true,
but the rest are citizens aud taxpayers
and their wives and children. Suppose
some one meets with an accident on the
street, and, for the time, is insensible
and unable to give his name and resi-
dence. If medical attendance of some
sort is necessary at once, as is usually
the case, the patrol wagon or an ambul-
ance is ordered by telephone. and the
person is taken to the Police Station.
In the Station there is not even a cell
set apart for use on such an occasion, but
the patient is carried into the main hall,
which is crowded full of miscreants, for
at this season of the year the number of
prisoners is usually large. The jail is
small for the amount of criminal busi-
ness done by the city.
The wounded and suffering patient is
carried into the crowded and smoky room
and laid upon a bench or a dirty cot.
There are no conveniences of any kind,
such as a surgeon must have at hand.
Very little can be done for the patients
comfort, Those who are conveyed there
are often in a critical condition, when
much depends upon their having prompt
medical attendance to consider that end
of the question, and as human beings
they were certainly entitled to more de-
cent quarters to die in.
Not infrequently women are brought to
the station, and if it happens to be a. a
time when it is unusually crowded, the
state of affairs becomes very compli-
eated, and the jailor may be seen wan
dering round on the outside Of the
station declaring in savage tones that the
whole thing is an outrage and dis
grace-a view of the case entertained
quite unanimously by the police force
and by the newspaper men, who know
the real state of the case.
In the last three months nine men
have died in this inner room, surrounded
by gang of smoking, swearing vsgrants
and toughs. These have been, for the
most part, respectable laboring men who
have met with fatal injuries at their
work or on the streets. Some of them
were men who could pay for hospital
treatment-if it is necessary.
The matter OF a receiving hospital has
come up several times in the Council for
discussion, but the question of expense
has caused it to be postponed. One OF
two rooms and single attendant would
for the present supply all the needs Of
the city, and there is no conceivable rea-
son why there should be longer delay in
organizing such an establishment.