The Oskaloosa herald., 1893-02-02
An Uroent Need.

An Urgent Need.
Editor Herald One of the sharpl.
defined lines between civilization anC
barbarism is, that civilization cares for
or is supposed to care for the sick ac
cordlng to its latest enlightenment
And yet with all our boasted philan
thropy, there is not a physician in tnii
town who has not some time thought
as he has signed a death certificate, there
was patient who might have recovered
with proper care and surroundings. Tc
understand fully what that thought
means, you should visit with the ply
sician some fever patient i'll the poor
tenement houses. Enter small, low
untidy room and stand still moment
until your eyes become accustomed to
the semi-darkness; note how quilts and
old pieces of carpet are hung over the
rafting windows to keep the cold and
perhaps snow from pouring in; in one
corner is the bed and in the center of
the room red-hot stove is emitting gas
enough to suffocate a strong man. The
scorched, germ-laden, fetid air Is
breathed over and over again by the
poor sufferer under that pile of un'
washed ,microbe- e-saturated, cotton quilts.
There are no facilities for the proper
preparation of food, even if good food
were to be had. The physician knows
what would save that life, and he also
knows it cannot be had, and so another
death is said to be an act of Providence,
the physician alone philOsophizing
over the fact that if the child could dhaVe
been properly nursed in a light, well
ventilated room of even temperature,
where good nourishment and cleanliness
were not even second to godliness, the
"act of Providence" would have been
reversed. Unfortunately the above is
not an imaginary sketch.
Again, accidents are constantly Oc-
curing in the numerous mines sur
rounding our town. Ask the surgeons
what results they get in the innumerable
cases of fracture and other severe injur
les they are called on to treat. In the
little, cramped, red-hOt or freezing-cOld
rooms thoroughly ,asceptic conditions
are impossible, modern appliance can
not be had, and if at hand could not be
used; care and nourishment are usually
bad, and the miracle is that recoVeries
do take place. These people are, as a
rule, able and willing to pay for better
if they could be had.
Again, grave surgical operations are
often necessary, and even in the homes
of the affluent it is often impossible to
make the surroundings convenient and
safe, so these cases are sent away or Ia
boriOusly and unsatisfactory treated
at their homes.
Again, picture to yourself a knight
of the grip sick at hotel. There's a
whole picture gallery that l need not
describe; ;and although bonifaceis usual
ly the most attentive of men, he doesn't
like running a hospital, especially if
there is suspicion of ContagiOn in the
The i'll traveller recognizes this
and usually applies for something to
enable him to reach home, or the next
town at least, and so goes on being
boosted from one town to another until
he reaches home or finds some friendly
hospital.
The great need is this: We should
have hospital. 1t need not be an ex-
pensive affair,-mOst good things have
small beginnings. A house could be
rented in healthful part of town and
fitted up at small cost. It should be
made thoroughly sanitary at the start,
and improvements in the line of modern
appliances added as means augmented.
1t should be so conducted that any rep
utable physician could bring his patients
there and be assured that they would
receive proper care and food under his
medical supervision. a good, compe'
tent nurse and hOusekeeper would be
lll the resident help needed at first and
in short time the institution would be |
Then if the churches
would set aside enough from their char |
Ity contributions to support few free
beds, the little white hearSe need not be |
seen so often, and fewer diseased. Grip
pied children would be seen on our
streets. Can charity be devoted to a |
more noble purpose?