The morning call., 1894-07-24
TITUS EXPLAINS.
His Version of the Management of
the County Hospital.
CITY AND COUNTY HOSPITAL.

Editor CdU-SIR: A number of articles con-
corning this hospital have appeared in print. /
trust you will allow space for this, the first
and it is to be hoped the laSt-word the super
intendent of the Institution has felt compelled
10 say TO the public in defense of the admins.
tration.
II is true that since the receipt OF the order
from the Board Of Health TO reduce the number
of patients sufficiently TO keep the expenditures
within the appropriation allowed for the hos
pital many patients have been sent away who
should have remained longer under treatment.
Ii is also undoubtedly true that some unde-
serving cases have been admitted as the Gus
tom has been 10 give the applicant the benefit
of any doubt as TO his being proper subject
for admission. t being considered preferable to
allow maliDgerer 10 defraud the city TO the eX-
tent of board and lodging for TWO or three days
rather than refuse admission TO possibly
worthy unfortunate
As 10 other cases mentioned il Is only neces-
sary TO say that chronic invaiids are admitted
only when suffering from acute symptoms sus-
ceptiDle of relief or when evidently with but a
short time to live; and that as people DO some
times die of alcoholism, morphine habit, etc..
gard TO such cases. Besides 1t should be
remembered that others than the superlntend-
cut are authorized TO admit patients.
1t has been asserted that certain city officials
believe That DIR. Titus should discharge thirty
or forty of his useless employees. Both the
gentlemen mentioned know, or should know,
for Ii has been explained 10 lDem 0IIen enough,
that the Increase in the number of employees is
apparent only
1t has formerly been the custom to retain
conva escens In the wards to assist ID the va
rious departments d the sweeping, scrubbing,
etc. still bearing Them on the roll as patients.
Under the present administration this method
has been changed, and the working people are
now discharged from the wards and counted as
employees
The reduction OF the number of employees to
former figures could be accomplished with
stroke Of the pen by a return to the former Sys-
TEN OF bookkeeping. The only difference
caused would be slight increase in the eX-
pense of managing The house, and very notable
deterioration in tue character OF the work.
Both plans have been tried during The present
administration, and fair opportunity afforded
for comparison.
This explanation is sufficiently emphasized
by the fact that the amount expended OH the
payroll is about the same as for many years
past.
Inc salaries of the officers are fixed by law;
those OF most of the employees by the Board OF
Health; those over which the superintendent
has any control amount to less than 500
month Besides all of which the number OF
employees, particularly In The nursing depart
ment far from being TOO great, is totally insult
fcient 10 give the patients the amount of care
they should receive.
While the writer can but deplore the dispar-
aging estimate of his business ability attributed
TO one of the gentlemen. he draws some con-
ISOLATION from the reflection that 1t Is based on
an ample dsknowledge of data on which just
opinion could be founded, and that there are
numbrr of worthy and capable people with
much better opportunities for Judging OF that