The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-28
HAMLINE GETS CLINICS.
City and County Hospital Grants
Coveted Privileges.

All differences arising from the de-
mand of Hamline university for the
appointment of Dr. H. j. O'Brien to
a service at the city and county hos
pital were settled yesterday at a con-
ference before the board of control,
and, as stated in yesterdays G. e,
DR.. O'Brien is practically assured OF
the desired position. Dr. Park Richie
represented the hospital staff at the
conference, while DR.. O'Brien was
present with President Bridgman, of
Hamline university, to look after his
interests. The agreement reached was
to the effect that Hamline should have
a surgical service at the hospital,
without taking away from the state
university any Of the work performed
by university physicians. The only
qualification is that this agreement
shall be concurred in by the hospital
staff DR.. Richie will make report
of the doings of the conference, and
it is understood that the agreement
will be ratified without dissension.
This will extend to the Hamline uni
versity medical students the privilege
of attending clinics at the hospital
over which Dr. O'Brien will preside
DR.. Ancker sad yesterday:
"The difficulty was right here. The
surgical work in the hospital is divided
up into sections and periods and
member of the surgical staff is in
charge of each. There was time COW
ering a period Of ten years, when l had
all the surgical work myself, and legal
IL 1 could have it now. but l chose to
surrender all but three months work,
for the benefit of the surgical world,
and to allow different surgeons an OPP
portunity to hold clinics. The city
gratuitiously spent about $4,000 in fit
ting up an amphitheater. The periods
are in charge of DR.. Charles Wheaton,
Dr. Briggs, Dr. Ohoge, Dr. De Witt and
myself Each of the five has a duly
authorized assistant. At present the
staff is full, and the addition Of an
other doctor would displace the ar
rangement, and work an injury to the
patients themselves, whose interests
really are the only ones to be looked
after. Dr. De Witt is only temporarily
out of the city. His assistant, DR..
John Rogers, is in Europe, preparing
himself at great expense to go higher
in his profession. In case Of DR.. De
Wits retirement as a member of the
staff, Dr. Rogers would naturally sue
coed to the principal position, and
think it would be rank injustice to
him to freeze him out. Seeing that the
staff is full, and really top heavy, it
has not seemed advisable to admit an
other physician. There has been no
attempt to show partially to any
school, college or university"
Speaking of the present size Of the
staff. DR.. Ancker said it numbered
fcrty-eight doctors, while the daily av-
erage of patients was but lis, making
but a little over two patients per doc
tor. The staff Of st. Paul hospital is
larger in proportion to the number of
patients than almost any other hospi-
tai in the country. Boston, which has
465 patients on an average, for daily
Attendance, at its city hospital, has
staff of but twenty-five regular ply
sicians and seven assistants. The city
hospital would be better off with fewer
physicians, instead of adding more
He gives as his reasons the fact that
the patients would have better sery-
ice The probable reason for the pres
ent top-heavy staff is the number of
medical colleges in he vicinity which
have been claiming their right to be
represented. The county and city
hospital is recognized throughout the
Northwest as the largest plum in the