The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-20
THE BOARD OF HEALTH,
Complaints Received About
the Insane in the Re-
Ceiving Hospital.
CHARGES AGAINST A STEWARD
DR.. Titus Answers the Criticisms of
the Grand Jury-He Lacks
Funds.

The last meeting of the Board of Health
for the present fiscal year was held ycster-
day morning, and it was quite spirited
affair. All the members were present,
Mayor Sutro presiding.
Dr. Titus, superintendent of the City and
County Hospital submitted his estimate
| of the financial need of the institution for
next year. 1t enumerated salaries S81, 200.
subsistence $780, 800 and other demands,
making total OF 500, 966.
Mayor Sutro wanted to know why the es-
innate was SO large, and DR.. Titus replied
that it was because the previous appro-
priation was too small and the number OF
patients was increasing.
He was asked if he ever refused appli-
cants in need OF treatment.
He said be was compelled to refuse very
many, for lack of means. He never re-
fused a case of urgency, he said. He took
occasion to submit reply to the structures
laid upon him by the Grand Jury. The
charges made were:
First-That the gentlemen of the jury found
q piece OF bad beef in the hospital, and shat
the superin tendent acknowledged 1t was bad.
Second-That the superintendent Is not as
careful as he should be.
Third-Extravagan expenditures.
AS to the first, said the superintendent, |
may say that the superintendent did not
acknowledge that the beef was bad, and,
furthermore, it was not bad. The only founda-
ton found for the second charge, as far as
know, was that the superin tendent did not
personally perform all the duties assigned to
other employees at the hospital
AS to the charge of extravaganza he said
simply that it was not true. He said that
the charges were all malicious misstate-
ments.
In answer to questions put by DR.. Mays
the superintendent said that the expenses
of the Institution had greatly increased
within the last few years. The substitu-
ton of milk for beef tea, the latter of which
was not now held in much esteem by
physicians, had alone added big item to
the expense.
Superior Judge Hebbard appeared be-
fore the board to make objection to the
use of the Receiving Hospital for insane
plete failure and an outrage upon
humanity. He thought there was need of
immediate and radical reform.
DR.. Mays said he and other members OF
the board fully agreed with his Honor in
the matter, but owing TO the lack of funds
which had been denied them by the Super
visors. they were powerless.
DR.. Regensburger also said the Receiv.
ing Hospital was no place for insane
patients. He said that a padded cell, for
instance, that had q hardwood floor was
scarcely all that could be desired in that
direction. He thought, however, that
with the completion OF the new hospital
for dipsomaniacs the necessities in this
regard would be met.
Mayor Sutro said that the Receiving
Hospital was far from what it should be in
other respects. He was glad Judge Heb
bard had brought the matter before the
board. He thought the hospital stood in
need of better equipment, and that it
should have it at once. 1t was an outrage
that there were no hot-water baths there,
for one thing.
1t was resolved to call the attention of
the Board of City Hall Commissioners to
the matter.
Mayor Sutro called attention to serious
complaint filed with him by Mrs. Auguste
Woodley against Assistant Steward Alex
ander of the Receiving Hospital. a copy
of the complaint had been sent to Alex
ander, said the Mayor, with a request to
answer it, but no reply had been made. A
summons was sent TO the hospital for him,
but he was not there.
The woman stated that she had been
taken with d fit of apoplexy on the street,
and had been carried to the hospital, and
that while there Alexander had treated
her in a most brutal and insulting manner
| She had been made so indignant at the
| treatment that she had called upon the
Mayor and also at the Health Department,
and while there, laboring under mental
excitement, had fallen in another fit. This
was some days ago.
| The matter was held over, and the meet
ing adjourned.