The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-25
NEW ACCOUNTS ARE OPENED.
Stewards Records for Years Are
Lost.
SOMEBODY SHOULD EXPLAIN.
No Telling What Amount or Kind
of Supplies Were Bought or
the Prices Paid.

wv hen L took charge OF the City and
| County Hospital" said DR.. Titus. the
present superintendent. 10 a CALL re-
porter yesterday. "my first inquiries were
for the accounts of my predecessors in or
der that from their books and accounts l
might gain information concerning the
amounts of supplies used and prices paid.
You can judge of my astonishment when l
was told that except the books of the
steward then in Office there were no &C.
counts or books to be found. Where the
books went to. II any were kept, l do not
pretend to even hazard a guess. The
Health Department has none of them,
and outside of the reports OF suDerinten-
dents to the city officials. which contain
only grand totals. we are without figures.
''Since taking charge | have endeavored
TO systematic everything and at last, after
months of hard work, l am beginning to
get Strengthened out. l have opened a
complete set of double entry books, started
a system of supply reports and orders un-
til now l can tell not only how many eggs,
chops, steaks, plnts OF milk, ETC., are
brought and delivered and the prices paid,
but can tell where the eggs, etc, 60, to
what patient they are fed ana what doctor
ordered them for him.
THE attacks made upon me are some
times amusing. Not long ago the health
committee of the Board of Supervisors
questioned me sharply upon my alleged
eXtravagan in milk and egg purchases,
but no one would take the responsibility
off my shoulders in denying TO furnish a
patient with either milk, eggs, chops or
anything else when the phys clan having
the case in hand ordered it for them, and,
as the rules, which must otherwise obey,
say that hall exercise no power in the
nramig6S hnt mnSt furnish mi
the kind, quantity and quality ordered for
them, L have continued to DO so. On top
of this charge of giving patients too many
eggs and too much milk now comes an
evening paper and censures me because L
do not give them enough of these things
well. all l have to say is this: Until
ordered to do otherwise by those in au-
thOrity | snail continue to fill the orders of
the staff physicians Tor patients food.
This hospital is miserably equipped in
the matter of instruments and modern
appliances" continued DR.. Titus. ''The
instruments we have are not only few in
number, but old. worn out and many OF
them long since obsolete with modern
surgeons. There is not an operation of
any magnitude ever performed here that
the surgeons do not have 10 bring their
own instruments. The hospital does not
even own microscope. and until pur-
chased, Tor the use OF patient with
broken back, an air-cushion bed there was
no such thing In the place. while we
should have dozen air and water beds. |
am perfectly satisfied that the patient re-
TERED to, who is now slowly improving.
would have died had she been compelledt
remain on an ordinary bed.
What can / do? Nothing. These
things, as well as many others, are needed,
but there Is no money TO buy them. The
appropria ton of $4,000 year must now
care for upwards of an average CT 400 pa
re nd nj
few years ago the same amount was de-
clared insufficient to properly care for $50
people per month.
THE taxpayers must not forget that the
great majority of people out here are sick.
and we cannot say to them if we want
them TO get well that you cannot be given
this or that you need because we have no
money. They must have the proper food.
medicine, attendance and comforts which
well people could. on pinch, do without.
IF any one thinks my position here is a
sinecure they make mistake. This year
the hospital will cost the city and county
between $1,000 and $4,000 more than has
| been appropriated, but it cannot be
| helped"
The system which DR.. Titus is introduc-
ing in every department., if properly car
ried out. should prevent not only waste
ana extravaganza. but render misappro-
priaton impossible. The system even
extends to the handful OF old surgical in
| struments. and the superin tendent himself
cannot get the Use of al instrument from
he case wltho out its being charged to him.
AS raIidly as possible the walls of the
wards are being recoiored light cream
tint, replacing the dark grays and greens
that have heretofore made the wards look
so cherries. All in all the hospital seems
TO be running smoothly and improving in
its service. but it is very. very far yet
from what such an institution in a great
city like San Francisco should be-