The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-10
MONEY FOR THE HOSPITAL
State Board of Charities Will Rec
Ommend That 1t Receive $4,000.
NEW BUILDING TO BE ERECTED
Present Women's Ward Altogether Unfit
for purpose-It VIII Be Replaced and
Later an Administration Build.
ing Is TO BE Erected.

The State Board of Charities at It's
recent session decided to recommend
that the Legislature of this state appro-
pirate $4,000 to the Lackawanna hos
pital. If this amount is allowed by the
law makers, and it is altogether prob
able that it will be, an addition to the
hospital will be constructed as soon as
the appropriation is received. Speak
ing of the plans of the hospital authori
ties with regard to a new building
James Dickson, president Of the board
of directors, said yesterday:
"The new building will be a women's
ward and will be erected on the north
erly side of the present old building,
after which the old building will be de-
molished and an administration wing
erected on the site between the two
wards of the hospital" Speaking of
the present state of the hospital, Mr..
Dickson pointed out that the women's
ward had been overcrowded for two
years, and that twenty-seven appli
cants for ADMISSION had to be refused
last month. AT present two cots are
used rather than refuse the cases. The
present women's ward is one of the
Oldest buildings in the city and en-
tirely unsuited for the purpose, as it is
continually getting out of repair, rem
dering the place uncomfortable for pa
tients and nurses.
No Accommodations for Nurses.
There is no accommodation for
nurses in the building" continued Mr..
Dickson, "and we are compelled to send
them elsewhere. Thankstothe llberality
of the Delaware and Hudson company
they are quartered at present in the old
office building at the foot of Franklin
avenue. The arrangement is detri-
mental to the success of the hospital
as the nurses should always be at hand
Not only are we in want of an ad-
ministration building, but we have no
ward for contagious diseases, cases of
delirium tremens and others for which
an isolated ward is essential. The hos
pital also needs suitable place for
stabling horses, as at present we are
compelled to pay 81 each time the am
bulance is called out. Citizens of Scran-
ton can from this estimate to some eX-
tent the disadvantages we are working
under and the difficulties that have to
| be encountered daily"
| Incidentally Mr.. Dickson remarked
that the general public is not aware Of
the enormous amount of work accom-
plished in the hospital.
During the past twelve months pa
| tients had been treated on a total of
| $4,000 days, adding together the number
of days devoted to each patient. This
had been accomplished at cost of less
than 81 per day per patient. In addi-
tion to this a large number of outdoor
| patients had been attended to. Taking
the number of in-patients the ration of
cost, he believed, would be found lower
than any other similar institution in
| the state.
Needs of the Hospital.
The management of the hospital, he
said, had been endeavoring to impress
upon the citizens that they We're con-
stantly in need of articles of every
description. such as old clothing, linen
furniture and, added the president, 'In
fact, there is hardly anything but
would be thankfully received. Any arti-
Gle we receive is acceptable and can be
utilized. When the time comes to carry
out the alterations, we have figured the
matter so moderately that we must ask
the aid of our friends in completing the
structure, and Scranton will then, we