New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-16
PLEA FOR THE HOSPITALS
CHALLENGING DR. LOoMIs's OPINION.


following editorial comment: -,
One statement made by DIR. Loomis IN his aadt t,
before the Acsd srs ct OF Which IS pub
Mshcd, is calculated to create some SUI res .o far
exceed the needs OF the city that there Is aetuarS
premium patients TO fli snear ma' n,ea for
oon yorson Of the gifts OF liberal minded citizens
70 the establishment OF educational Institutions
The wide publicity given to this extraordinary s'a,e
rent Of Dr. Iooms by OF its appearance IN 'ne
o,,ups Of The Tribune has made 1t the subject
NJ general comment, and unless the pubho Is niaoo
TO see that the doctor spoke upon m'shioin'a''on'
or directed whatever information he may Poss.Ss oP
IN, subject OF the cy's hospitals to faise CON
clusicn, IL Is PAIN that an incsicuiaoio injury '
result &c our entire hospital service
In h1rring IN the notice of the public The HOS
,.,, Co,,cction for Isss-'s9 those authorized 10
sneak for thc Hospital Saturday ana SUNDAY Asso.
citation laid special emphasis upon ~. p, ISL
necessities OF most Of the Institutions uer''ns oe"e
tbcrefrom and announced IN terms ui'qu"Ae
x r,cit that these necessities were the direct result
- on ,rrent demand TO provide relief, not only IN
xcoss of the financial abilities of these msutu'iohs'
I'M, also OF their normal or comior'aoe capA0'"oS'
Now however, comes Dr. hhico !"
1oomis president of the New-York Academy
'oo"'' -, and gives the public
vary different picture. Which is the true one
o,,o,s,v ~ what DE- LOOMS says about our hos
ntals IS anywhere the mark, there not only
1, no reason for the existence OF any such an
taity for hospital support as the Hospna oa.''u's
and Sunday Association, but II Is even Poi"'''
70 charge with seeking the gifts OF the puoc unue'
false pretences And IT IS because the "hoie SUI
,.ct NJ hosnI,a support is thus opened up ana caeu
In Question by one to whom the public has Hgh'
70 look up TO as an 1" authority" upon 'he n'a''oi
at issue that trust The Tribune VIII aiio" mt 'io
snacc 10 present few facts and figures bearing
directly upon this subject
ABILITY TO RECEIVE PATIENTS.
SATURDAY and Sunday Association bring re INTO IN
innate relations with at least tWenty-egh, Vi no
(about forty hospitals and homes LOT COW dies
and incurablcs Of the city, and, ihasmuch aS PAM
are admitted TO them in certain contingencies VI
nv recommendation it is very necessary TO proper
discharge of my duties that Keep aul'S.u q" !
their ability TO receive ps"cn,S ~
recommended at any given time "hat Is
,rue now has not always been so, Out uu'ihs
the last year although had, I'm an almost heiai
sense twenty-eight hospitals at my ser'Ice' nav
frcouentlv found great difficulty 10 place pauen.'
irving first here and then there, and ms 100 WIN
cases falling into ordinary medical or surgical prsccc
However, not wishing that the case OF the hospnas'
I'm ? matter of such supreme lmPor'"ioe'
~ their future welfare should rest upon the s'ae
ment of any single individual however Uus'"or'"s
and weIl-informed have been to the pains OF pro-
curing the evidence of the responsible heads of six or
seven of the leading hospitals Of the city, ana their
statements are herewith appended:
Superintendent George p. Ludam, of the New YORK
Hospital said This hospital was built 10 accom-
MEDIATE $50 patients. Lately We have run as high as
1872 Our average during the last year was 10', ana
we had 500 more days Of hospital treatment than the
rear before Ten years ago the average length OF
stay per patient twenty three DAYS Inc average
IS now reduced to fourteen DAYS ms Is
much less than it should be, but when IL becomes
a question between able 10 be about aithoueh
not vet in condition to work. and another
l.
hospital treatment, the choice IS clearly made Tor US
by compelling circumstances"
NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS
superintendent Theodore Hadet, OF Mt. sinai HOS
pital said We had 3,012 applications last year. We
were able to admit only 500, less than one'hah VI
those unable obtain admission ass were ATTENDED,
al their homes by district physicians Altogether
we notified 494 OF the urgent cases. when re-
fused that they would be admitted as soon as room
could be found. or this number, only 116 were IN
course Of time admitted, while the remaining 49,
when notified after lapse OF from one TO three
weeks had either recovered secured service In some
other hospital died. We have lately crowded
four extra beds into each of our wards
Superintendent c. Witt, OF the German Hospital
said The last year compelled TO refuse
admission to 500 proper hospital cases. 1t
nearly breaks my heart to sick people away, but
what can We do The Rev. George S. Baker. superin-
tendent and pastor of st. Lukes Hospital, said
ave have about 200 beds for public use. In 1850
our daily average 147. Last year it was 100,
and the average for 1888 would have been much
greater but for outbreak of contagious disease in
our children's ward, which made necessary the va
eating of the ward for considerable period. Our
general medical and surgical wards now nearly
always full and during the last year we were COM
PEELED to refuse fory-one proper hospital cases Tor
lack of room. besides ISL incurable cases.
superintendent j. Il. Lathron Of Roosevelt HOS
initial said "1hi, hos ital opened I'm 1871 with
itc In 1872 took care
of $50 patients in 1880 of 1882. In 1885 Of $3.50.
and our last printed report gives tho number Tor the
preceding year at 1883. With 40 beds our average
last month was I62. and the maximum 115, by means
OF emergency beds. Owing TO the pressure we can
not keep patients long we ought, and there Is
pressing need for homes for convalescents. or con
siderable extension of the cy's hospital service We
have reached extreme Of capacity and further
orowding would be injurious to sound hospital prac-
tice.,
BEDS ALWAYS FULL.
The sIperoress of st. Francis Hospital 1.-THE largest
IN the city, Bellevue excepted said: Our $50 beds
are always full. We turn away frequently ten or
dozen applicants in day, for lack of beds. Here
tcfore we have kept account OF the number OF
applicants refused, but because they have become SO
numerous of late we have begun TO do so az
necessary part of proper hospital record Often When
We refuse people they think We are making an e1-
cep,ion in their case, and it makes bad feeling. But
when we can show them from our books that We arc
compelled to turn away hundreds ana even thouSshos
I'm the course OF year tuey Will accept their lot IN
a better frame Of mind.'
Superintendent 5. II. lie Rov. Of the Woman's
Hospital said I'VE $50 beds. OF this number
limited income from endowments and the ghs
OF the benevolent public enable US 10 maintain about
thirty-fve for the benefit OF free patients. list for
admission only the most urgent applications. say one
Of every three. ! have now on my list. awaiting
admission over 100 names. enough To supply us for
months. the average stay OF patients Is about
forty days cOnh easily fill another hospital like
this with worthy and needy cases inside week. one
of patrons talked 10 about Or. LoOmiS's stale
mon
quite excited over IL. What could he have been think
ing about y
The above OF the situation considerable
more than half Of the entire field In of service
with three four exceptions all the rest hospitals
land most of them of limited capacity devoted to
speciality and / speak from a wide experience when
affirm that Il Is far difficult 10 admission
these than TO the large general hospitals. In one
Of these specially hospitals homes, know 10 a