The morning call., 1894-04-30
DR.. TITUS TALKS.
Is Tired of Being Found
Fault With.
He, Would Resign Rather Than Run
the City and County Hospital
on $4,000 Year.

eff the Board of Health should say TO me,
Here is 49, 0O take it and run the City and
County Hospital for year, would simply
saw. Gentlemen, here Is my resignation. please
accept it,
The speaker was DR.. +. 81. Titus, superln-
tepdent of the City and County Hospital, and
he seemed to feel little bit out OF humor with
committees and Supervisors and the world IN
general. As he closed the sentence quoted ne
closed his lips with an emphatic snap.
IL have stood the annoyances OF The Board OF
Supervisors and its Finance Committee about
as long as l intend TO without talking back.
All sorts of absurd complaints are brought up
by the committee and given 10 The newspapers.
The entire city Is given to understand that
am unfit TO superlntend this institution, and
that the widest kind OF extravaganza Is carried
on here. Now, simply ask Supervisors, COM
mitteeS and the public 10 come and inspect the
books; that's all
In answer to the reporters inquiries concern
ing the $4,000 overdraft on the APPROPRIATION
during the last nine mouths, DIR. Titus said:
when ! submitted my estimate FOR the
present fiscal year. put the figures al SOS. 900.
This was 10 include the salaries and mante-
nance of the proposed extra nurses. WIhout
them l should have placed nv estimate at
$751; 900. The board granted $4,000. or
course there is deficiency-it is $4,000 now,
and will be $4,000 more before the close OF the
fiscal year. My estimates were made on basis
on all average, during the last nine months
"The alleged exorbtant charges for certain
supplies and the consumption OF eggs ana put
Ter, which have worried the committee" The
doctor continued, "are all bOsh. We have used
more milk and eggs than was absolutely neces-
sary, but that was due to the neglect OF the at
tending physicians. When patient Was
placed on diet of milk and eggs one day, the
ordering physician would neglect TO counter
mand The orders on the following days, and
thus 1t happend that patients were given milk
tI,axr had ri 80,
and eggs for week after they Dad ceased 10 re-
quire such diet. But have put a stop to that.
l nave complied and lad printed new diet
tlble, and IL cont aths Specal order tnat all ex-
Iraordnary diets must be stopped with the day
on which they are prescribed, unless the order
is repeated by the physician The following day."
"How about that dozen brooms al SCI ?'' The
reporter asked.
DR. Titus laughed and rang for the book.
keeper. That functionary appeared, received
an order disappeared and reappeared again
win long stabber filled with bills. Among
these he showed one which called for an item
of S21 for Russia Drislle broOms, one doZen."
They COS. little more than the average
straw broom" observed the doctor. They are
also more dui able.''
az have some figures here showing what it cost
to run this institution under former superin.
tendents My immediate predecessor, DR..
Lefevre, had daily average OF 29S patients
In 1892. His total expenditure was $76.4S6.
In 1928 had an average of 31S patients
and the expenditures were SIS, $50.
"Superlnrendents Bryan and IS. Titus spoiled
this hospital, so far as reasonable cost esti-
mates for maintenance are concerned Both
were Democrats and at the same time bitter
opponents. They alternated as Superintend-
EMS here from 1876 TO 1884 Each made II
special point TO show how much cheaper he
could run the hospital than the other fellow
had done. The result was the institution be-
came practically a sweatingshop. Compare
tive figures show that his hospital is Iun cheap
enough. Last year tile daily per capita eX-
pense for patients was 60 cents. In the Boston
City Hospital it was 81 46, Bellevue IA cents,
Chicago hospital 80 cents. Cincinnati 80 cents,
Massachusetts General Hospital 81 II. For
the minimum Of time IL requires TO cure man
of his sickness. Ii makes me sick and weary
of soul to read and hear about charges of eX-
travagance in this institution.
.'By the way" he continued, taking up a new
thread in the yarn, "a couple of years ago,
shortly after was Installed as superintendent.
the hospital committee decided 10 put III gas
engine and ell ctric plant for the purpose OF
lighting the Almshouse and tie hospital. There
was 10 be a great saving OF gas-s0 said the
electrical manipulatOrs. Well, they put in two
eight-norse power gas engines and dynamos.
work to Illuminate, aud then began TO observe
the gas meter. l did so at regular intervals for
several weeks. What do you suppose |
learned? / found that for The making of cleo
trio light to take Iba place OF 100 cubic feet OF
gas per hour it took 300 feet OF gas TO run lie
gas 10 get The equivalent OF 100 feet in electric
lights."
When asked If he thought sthe Board of
Health would comply with the committees re-
quest and put another man III his place DR..
Titus said:
men of The Board OF Health have some sense In
these matfers.o