The herald., 1896-06-07
The Hospital Management
(To the Editor of The Hemad.

(To the Editor of The Hemad)
was pleased to read the t1Sriess ar
raignment in your last SUNDAY edltloh
of the county hospital by tax payer,
and to the greater portion of when
can unhesitatingly say that or my own
knowledge 1t is true.
During a period of trihe over three
years 1 have visited the county hospital
here, and although q very irregular WIS.,
itor, making calls sometimes once
week and again months apart. l nave
yet been an observant one. For thlrty
years l have been interested in hospital
work, during that time visiting the pup
lie hospitals of Germany, England,
France. Switzerland and Canada, as well
as those of the east of the United States,
and l can truthfully state that nowhere
have / observed a hospital more loseiy
conducted than that Of the county OF
Los Angeles.
have noted at various times the dirty
condition of some of the wards and
that the dishes used in serving food TO
the patients are washed at a sink in the
bathroom or water closet, while putter,
milk and other comestibles. calculated
to catch and propagate germs OF dls-
ease are stored in a little cupboard III
the same room where bed vessels and bed
pans are cleansed. This for unsanitary
filthiness 1t strikes me ought to shock
a Turk.
In all my visits I have never met DR..
Barber in the wards. One young fel-
low who was confined there for some
time, and whom l met on the streets
some days ago. remarked with genuine
touch of pathos: Il was in the hospltal
seven weeks and DR.. Barber has yet TO
say how do you do to me for the frst
time" Several of the patients in some or
the wards told me that he came in only
about once every three weeks. inns,
l was told by various ones In diHereht
places and not in any way acquainted;
hot hn hnSn1tAl
of Los Angeles is run far more by pom
tics than with an eye to the good OF hu-
man kind, and in this one sees the prime
fault of all American institutions OF
the sort. 1t Is not men of skill ana ap-
solute devotion to their high calling VINO
obtain positions to public place by rea,
son of their true worth and individual
merit as is the case in the greater parts
of Europe, but these remuneratNe JOBS
are parceled out by the political Joppers
to their puppets and co-workers VINO
have a better knowledge of ward strik-
ing and wire pulling than technical
knowledge of their profession. could
exemplify this at length II l chose
and fearlessly delineate several VINO
hold and have held such fat JOBS, poth
city and county, by virtue of their pos
session of braggadocio or or wnat Is
better-political lingering
One day visited the wards of the wo-
men, In the surgical ward, l was tolu
by two women (whose names hand me
Herald with this, not for publication;
but for reference). that the dishes useu
by the patients were washed in the water
closet, and that the dish towels ana
dish cloths were kept hanging In the
same closet, and that food is Kept III d
clothes drawer in the ward.
Many of the nurses are most attentlve
and kind, exceptionally so, ana are UNI
versally loved and appealed to py the
moor helpless creatures in their charge,
but several patients complained that
few of the nurses were giddy ana nolsy,
and with certain employees and attaches
of the place at times make noises very
i'll beftting the place.
One man whose name I herewith fur
nish. but not for publication, said: "One
night two men were dying in ward
and at the same time girl nurse was
squealing Nearer My God to Thee, with
a vile accompaniment of melodeon, IN
short meter which abruptly terminated
to glide into the enhancing strains or
Ta-ra-ra boom de ay!
Returning to DR.. Barber, In one ward
I was told that one poor fellow was sur
fering the most terrible agonies of death
and repeatedly called for DR.. Barber.
The doctor was sent for many times, but
delayed his coming to ease the pain of
the unfortunate, until after hours OF
pain the poor boy passed away.
l might add much more, but do not
care to put in mere hearsay and report
for fear of unwttingly injuring unjust
ly, but the cases | have referred to have
seemed to me to come from reliable
source, and many things have come un-
der my own observation.
| consider that it is the duty of the ]
people to see that the place maintained
by them for public good be conducted
Alright. and at this point l would add
that a change in the diet of the hos
pital, food better adapted to sick people
in kind and quality, should be effected.
l saw one poor old man, Just getting
about from a long illness, thin, weak.
debiitated, making a meal off bread
and sliced black sausage. No one eX-
cept a confirmed free-lunch fiend as>
customed to frequent fifth-class beer
joints could be satisfied with such a
diet.
Now that the die Is cast, let US have
regular clean up. IF political puppets
must be feted and placed. let us see at
least that they do their duty and don't
thrive and profit off what should go to
re-establish to health and strength the
poor unfortunate. Yours sincerely
n Nh