The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-22
FOR THE MARINE HOSPITAL
SaVannah'S Chances for Getting Il Be-
lieVed 10 Be Good.

Marine Hospitals Already Established
at Nearly All Of the Important Ports
Except Here-The Governments Ex-
penditure for the Marine Hospital
Service at Savannah Now Between
$4,000 and $4,000 AnnuaIly-What
Uncle Sam Does for the Mariners.
Congressman Lester has introduced his
bill for the establishment OF a marine hos
pital at Savannah, as was announced in
the Morning News dispatches from Wash
ington a day or two ago. The bill calls
for an appropriation OF $4,000. which viii
be sufficient If secured TO erect a very
handsome building. equipped with an mod
ern accommodations and scientific APP
planes. II is proposed TO use the site
first purchased by the government for the
postofIice building at Ahercorn and York
streets. This location is considered "A very
convenient one and the building would be
quite an addition to the square upon which
the lot faces.
Uncle Sam exercises a very fatherly care
of the health OF the sailors employed upon
the vessels owned by his subjects. Not
only are all persons IN the naval service
and the revenue coast service cared for in
time of sickness. but all sailors employed
upon any merchant vessel flying the Uni
ted States flag. whether trading foreign or
along the coast. can, when attacked by
disease or injured in accidents. secure
treatment free Of charge by the marine
hospital service This includes all per-
sons employed on tugs in the rivers and
harbors and on inland river steamboats,
Ill sIs.r,. cd
medical treatment Of the government. but
they are entitled to the privileges of the
hospitals free of charge during their in
disposition. This is why the government
medical department is known as the
marine hospital service. it having been
first organized for the benefit OF the United
States merchant marine.
Tor this purpose hospitals have been es-
tabnshed and are maintained at nearly
all the principal ports. on the Atlantic
coast there are six hospitals. as follows:
Portland, Ne, Vineyard Haven, Boston,
New York. Baltimore and Wilmington.
There is no marine hospital on the At
lanuc coast south of Wilmington, and in
this lies the strength of SaVannah's
claim. On the Gulf there are three hos
pitfalls, at Key West, Mobile and New
Orleans. On the Pacific coast there are
hospitals at san Francisco San Diego and
Port Townsend. The inland towns having
marine hospitals are Cairo, Evansville and
St Louis on the Mississippi river, Louis
vile, Memphis and Cincinnati on the Ohio
and Chicago and Detroit on the lakes
II will be seen from this list that almost
, every city in the country having any
claim 10 importance as port has a
marine hospital Savannah is evidently a
little lite in getting into the Held. At the
ports where there are no marine hospitals
the government establishes stations with
a surgeon in charge, and contracts are
made with private hospitals for the care
of sailors and others entitled to treatment
by the government unoer the law. The
maximum limit at which such contracts
are made Is 81 per day per patient. Passed
Assistant Surgeon Nydegger Is in charge
at the Savannah station and the St.
Joseph Inhrmary has the contract for car
ing for the patients.
Or. Nydegger said yesterday that the
annual expense Of maintaining the Savan-
nah station Is between 5000 and $4,000.
This does not all go to the infirmary, but
includes the salary Of the surgeon and his
assistant and some sundry expenses. The
government patients are well cared for
at the infirmary, DR.. Nydegger said, and
there is no complaint on that score. The
only objection, so far as the iniirmary is
concerned, is that the building was not
constructed for hospital and II Is not
equipped with all the modern scientific ap-
planes for the treatment Of patients as
is the case with the marine hospitals. An
other argument in favor Of a marine hos
pital al Savannah is that the regulations
of the service do not allow a patient to
remain al a contract hospital over ninety
days, and when this limit mas expired
without the recovery of the patient he Is
compelled to be transferred to the nearest
marine hospital. The patients from Sa-
vannah in such cases are sent to VIII
mington.
There were 253 patients treat
ed by the marine hospital service
at Savannah last year and 291 the year
before. DIT. Nydegger said that while it
would cost the government about the same
amount of money to maintain the hospital
here which IL now costs to maintain the
station the saving to the government
would come by saving of expenses at
Brunswick. Darien and other neighboring
points from which patients would be trans
fered to Savannah.
Collector Of Customs Beckwith has
taken an active interest in the effort to
secure the appropriation for the hospi-
tai, and using all the means at his COM
mand to further the passage of the bill.
SET FIRE TO THE HOUSE.