Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-02-22
As An AMUSEMENT
Digraceful Levity at the Wash
ington Freedman's Hospital.
Air. Comments ON Suffering Subjects
|. BY the Operating Surgeons
An Investigation VIII
BE Demanded.

Washington. Feb. The Freed
| mas hospital In this {. Is an instltu.
tion under government control. The
secretary OF the interior IL the official al.
| rectly in charge Of IL. and he appoints
| the medical staff. Congress appropri.
| a;es money for the maintenance of the
institution, which was established after
the emancipation of the slaves during
the war, n the hospital Is a war leg
acy TO the government. According to
the local newspapers a free-for-all clinic
Is held al h hospital each Sunday Of o
| nature 50 brutal as To make il a disgracs
to any community or any civilization.
sunday last abou; 100 persons OF botf
sexes and colors occupied seats In tho
large amphitneater while DR.. Williams
In charge OF the hospital, conducted the
clinic, performing operations, accom-
| panied by running comment Of "A more
or less humorous sort about the patients
and the methods OF surgery for the ben
eft Of the spectators. who were admit
ted without any restrictions whatever.
The first victim presented to the au-
dience was a little colored boy, suffering
from hip disease. who was placed on q
table, partially d%isrobed, and examined
whilet he crowd looked on n laughed
al his embarrassment n pain. Then q
young girl who had long been afflicted
With e%pileptic fits WAS brought in n
was made the subject Of a humorous
speech by the doctor, who told how she
had been so thoroughly cured by an op.
Grafton at a private clinic that she was
now anxious 10 have fits simply for OLD
acquaintance sake.
Each patient brought before the doc
tor was detained as long as possible
in order to afford him suggestion anC
opportunity for his running comment so
highly appreciated by the audience
There was a great yproar Of amusement
whe a little colored boy suffering
from a throat disease was told TO oper
his mouth so the doctor could look into
II, and whose constant gasping blew
out the candle each time the doctor
lighted it 10 hold before the boys face.
Great amusement was caused also at
the fear and pain expressed by a little
girl when the doctor cut away the ton,
sils OF her throat.
Another Interesting case was that Of o
girl suffering from a diseased elbow.
She was placed under the influence OF
ether, n while waiting TO begin the
operation DR.. Williams delivered come
more or less interesting remarks on the
subject OF women, saying, among other
things, that they were very, very pc.
culiar affairs He Their spoke of 'phan.
tom diseases" and intimated hat The
young girl before him had been sham.
ming. While the girl was under the IN.
iuence of ether the doctor delivered
remarks about cancer and drink
ing, and various other things. He said
that women who came to Washington
became great eaters and great drinkers
They drink anything they can get" he
said, "and why they don't have more
cancers and govt l don't understand
They drink more whisky here than they
in Chicago, and yet they have more
in proportion in Chicago than
The doctor then twisted the patients
arm about as though il We're a pump |
handle, and asked the audience to keer
quiet so they could hear the bones
An operation was then per.
on the allow, while the careless
crowd looked on, and the clinic came &c
a close.
1T is understood that congress- will bs |
Sunday afternoon amusements at tn.
hospital, with the view TO holding some.
body responsible for them, and seeing II
they cannot be managed under proper
rules and restrictions.