Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-02-10

rules, etc.. are models. AS IN the past,
so always shall have warm interest
in the alexandria Infrmary" and |
sincerely hope to see strong and per-
manent medical and surgical staff, prop
erly designated, connected with the in
stitution. also enclose the 18th an
nual report of Garfield Hospital" "
With the hope that these papers may
help you and the assurance that |
would be glad to do all l can further,
| am, truly yours,
70 the Board Of Managers of the 4lerdn-
dria Infrmdry:
Ladies In compliance with your
request, as one of the attending ply
sicians to the Infirmary and the senior
member of the present staff, it affords
me great pleasure to discuss with you
the various suggestions you have ad-
vanced. In the first place you desire
to know the duties of the physician in
charge. His duties are those that are
incident to any general practitioner in
his every day rounds. To those who
are physically incapacitated by reason
of disease, he renders the service OF u
physician, and to those who are pros
trated by reason OF accident, he serves
them in the capacity OF a surgeon.
In answer to the suggestion of spec
ialist, in my humble judgment it is I'M
practicable. In the first place AleXan-
dria, in the literal acceptation of the
term, has no specialists. The city is
too limited in area to support them;
we are all general practitioners, some
OF US with taste in special directions,
but because Of the varied nature of our
work this taste is INDUCED but to a
very limited extent
In reference to house physician, |
think you are little premature.
While the work during the past three
years has been vastly greater than any
previous three years, yet it is not sufli-
cient to attract young graduate who
would be seeking practical experience
in a hospital.
In reply to your last proposition, as
regards a nurse or nurses, / do most
emphatically urge upon you, ladies, the
importance of giving this subject care
full thought. Thirteen years this past
fall dates my first association with the
Alexandria Infrmary Up to that
time, SO far as ! can ascertain, there
had not been surgical operation per-
formed in the institution. On Christmas
afternoon. in the year 1880, as
sisted by DR.. Smith and Dr..
Gibson, l amputated portion
of the lower limb of a colored man
whose foot had been crushed by a rail
road accident. This was the first surgi-
cal work done in the Infirmary. The
bnilding occupied at that time was bad
ly adapted to the work. Now, when |
examine the report Of work done dur
ing the past year, when l roam from
one end of the present infrmary to the
other, view the surgical ward, thorough
" equipped for any emergency that
may arise of a surgical Character ; the
women's ward replete in all that is
necessary to the comfort of the sick fe-
males the mems ward with all that is
necessary to that department--and
when reach the children's ward, why
I am constrained to believe that the
ladies have almost exhausted their re-
sources in their thoughtfulness for the
little sufferers. Retrospecting IL years,
recalling the old institution and view
ing the new one and remembering all
this is due to the energy and persever.
ance of the ladies, one is intuitively led
to exclaim, what is too difficult for
ladies of intelligence and energy to &C
complish r Those beautiful wards and
their almost perfect sanitation, which
were planned by our fellow-townsman,
Mr.. Glenn Brown, deserve an amount
of praise that cannot be too lavishly
bestowed. I am sure this building is
all that is necessary to hospital. Com:
pares favorably with any institution OF
its kind and size in or out of the State.
Before closing let me urge upon you,
ladies, the great Importance OF having
nurses at this institution who shall be
accessible to the physicians in time OF
necessity in their private work. by
this means you will make this institu-
ton indispensable to many who, per-
haps, have not been able to see how
their contributing to the support OF the
Infrmary could be of benefit to them
selves. 1 remain. most respectfully,
Yours,
GEO. T. KL1PsTEIN, NJ. D.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, Feb. q, 1894.