Evening star., 1895-09-14

through tubes projecting from their necks
instead of natures natural channels; also
mates Of the great hospital, and whom no
one has deemed necessary to isolate. min
gle in the crowd. The Albino with squint-
ing eye is present. and he whose oscillating
head knows no rest while unsupported; he,
teo, who laboriously moves along watching
each step as it is placed upon the path.
and he with clinched hand whose arm is
pressed against his side while ,his useless
limb is dragged and swept over the ground.
Likewise he who weeps and laughs, but
knows not why, and he who takes delight
in showing his friends that needles and pins
csUse no pain when thrust beneath the sur
face of the skin. The man with massive
jaw whose body continues to grow, al
though long past the age OF maturity, also
firds his place in this throng, and the child
With wasted limbs and the woman with
waxen face and the sage with tottering
gait, and hundreds of others who enjoy the
buoyancy Of the warm sun and stimulation
Of the wholesome air.
In the Wards.
This is what one beholds in the different
courts Tho scene in the long wards with
bed after bed filled with patients is some
thing entiely different. There are the pa
tients whose sickness is such that it con-
fines them to the bed. concealing. more or
less. their peculiarities. The wards are
extremely plain, but, as rule. quite roomy
end always neat. Many have mating upon
the floor. A few are tiled. while in others
the floors are polished. Between the beds
drawer. At the head of each bed, fastened
to a rack, Is q large blackboard, upon
which is painted the number Of the bed.
the name Of the patient, the diet and treat
ment. Clasps attached to these boards
hold in place the fever charts. notes OF
special observation and written instructions
Of the staff.
When l first visited the various wards I
noticed tags bearing the capital letter "K'
tied to the racks. They were only at those
beds in which The patients appeared quite
sick. was informed that the letter
stood for the German word "kommunion."
and that 1t was intended as notice to the
priests when they made their daily rounds
that the patient desired the administration
of the last rites. Later. strange to say, in
one of the larger wards I saw the letter
uron every bed. 1t was one Of those many
condolences which occur in q hospital but
once in a lifetime.
A Splendid Diet.
Between the diet of the Vienna Hospital
and that Of the other institutions of Eu-
rope there is no comparison. For the most
part 1t is in every respect better in quality
and quantity. Patients are given their
wine and milk almost lad lbitum," and 1t
is the only place upon the continent where
there is an extravaganza in dealing out
meat. After a connection of several years
in one department, can say without hesi-
tation that II I have as good food as was
served in this one ward for the balance Of
my life l will never complain. There are a
few exceptions, nevertheless, which are to
be attributed to the methods in vogue.
There are three divisions, in which the
beds vary from 100 to ITO. where the pa
t.ents do not obtain enough to eat, for the
reason that these departments are in the
hands Of men who have absolute control
over them, and whose actions are not to
be questioned. Economy is practiced by
these individuals for the purpose of making
a coed showing at the end Of the fiscal
year, but the abuse is remedying itself,
for these wards are acquiring an unen-
viable reputation, and are being Stunned.
Tho Percentage of Cures.
As regards the cures wrought. they are
about the same as in America. In the sur
gical department the record Is little bet
ter than ours and in the maternity divis-
Ions considerably worse. The hospital re-
ceives a gulden day for the care Of every
patient who is admitted to its wards. If
the patient himself is TOO poor his employer
Is compelled to pay the fee, and If it cannot
be collected from him the community from
which he comes is called upon, and if the
community does not pay the city of Vienna
assumes the debt. Those patients who are
interesting to the staff by reason of their
sickness are assigned to wards where their
diseases can be studied to the best ad-
vantage ard where the facilities are good
for using them as subjects for the dag
nostic studies of the students. When
patient is discharged he is allowed to leave
the hospital by himself, IL he desires it,
and If he is weakened greatly in strength
he Is taken home either in an ambulance or
a large omnibus, which makes its rounds
several times during the day.
Few Modern Features.
Vast as the hospital is, there is nothing
modern about the whole structure except
ing the wards of the late Prof. Billroth,
hi tNk IN, ta