The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-25
CITY HOSPITAL
Great Advancement Of the Institution
shown at a Meeting Of the Managers
Yesterday afternoon

managers Of the city hospital was held
Yesterday afternoon. 1t was ex-
ceedingly interesting in nature, and
was marked by the transaction of sew
eral matters that will develop in due
time. The main feature of the session
was the report made by DR.. G. p. Wer-
%tenbaker, which showed the great and
much needed improvements that have
been made at the hospital since the in
stitutiOn has been under his able and
experienced management. The report
also exempliied the rapid advance
ment in the establishment Of a thor
ough and modern home for the sick.
that has been made in a short period
of little over a month. Then, too, it
brought to view the clock like and per
feet system that now exists at the hos
pital, and gave an outline of a bright
and profitable future.
The personnel Of the board consists
Of Mayor a. NJ. Waddell and Aldermen
w. H.. Sprunt, representing the city,
and Commissioners John l.. Boat
wright, Roger Moore and John Barry,
representing the county. All Of the
IHtIIIDcIS "tI pICoCI Ct III AONIi
and Commissioned Boatwright presid-
ed as chairman. Capt. w. p. Oldham
OfIiciated as clerk.
Several matters were attended to,
one Of exceeding moment, and then
DR.. Wertenbaker made his report.
From it was CLEANED the following no
table portion:
Il assumed provisional charge of this
hospital oct. LIST, but it was not until
Oct. 10th that L received my appoint
ment as medical superintendent, SO my
official charge Of the institution COM
menced on that date. L found the
place in u most deplorable condition..
without system, the power being so di-
Vided that it was next to impossible
to get any thing done, and lacking
nearly everything hat a hospital
should have. My first act was to es-
tabIish a provisional organization of
the employees. l drew up a set of re8u-
%lations, dividing the work Of the insti-
tuition into four departments, viz: As
Sistant superintendent, resident physi-
clan, matrOns and nurses. | detailed
DR.. Zachary the resident physician,
when l assumed charge, to act as as
ST tant superintendent or eWa and
resident physician-Mrs. Penis Lewis
as matron, and Miss Lula Leggett as
head nurse. Each of them were re-
spOnsible for the proper conduct of
their departments and reporting dl-
rectly to me. Mrs. Lewis resigned oct.
18th, and Mrs. E.. ). Warrock was APP
pointed matrOn from Oct. 18th. On
Oct. 2Jth DR.. w. NJ. Burwell, of ROa-
noke, Va, was appointed assistant su-
perintendent with pay at $50 per month,
and DR.. Zachary relieved of those du-
ties and continued as resident phySl-
rian. A Encouragement of the duties
of the nurses was made, giving one
white Miss L. female nurse, the
charge Of all private patients and the
white and colored female wards during
the day, and another (Mrs. McDuffie)
the same duties at night. The cOlOred
female nurse (Florence HaWkins) was
assigned as assistant to the day nurse.
Our male nurse (BrOwne) was detailed
as night Waterman and night nurse
for male wards. The cOlOred male
nurse Dozier) was detailed as day
nurse for male wards. BY this rear
rangement of duties the hospital has
now two nurses and one assistant on
day duty and two nurses and a night
Waterman on night duty, giving nurses
on duty throughout the twenty-fOur
hours, and a Waterman to look after
the buildings at night.
An assistant cook and an assistant
laundresS, at S. per month each were
appointed. I found that the white
wards, male and female, were too high
pitched, making them almost impossi-
BILE to be properly heated, eve with
great expenditure of fuel. / had these
wards ceiled as also the room adjoin-
ing the female ward. The passage dis
penSary, and physicians room at a cost
of $51. 90. A lattice partition has been
built in the ~dispensary cutting a
drug room. The drug room has been
%supplied with drugs and appliances,
- ,-. ~, ,nny- f1lin q tho nrpSccint1OnS
of the county and city physicians. The
old hot air furnace in the private de-
partment has been abandoned, because
it took too much coal to run it, and
the house was never warm. Two VIII
son heaters have been put in, one in
the upper and one in the lower hal'.
Partitions have been built across the
ends of the halls with doors, thus re-
tanning the heat, and keeping out noise
from the patients These improvements
will not only make the hospital more
comfortable but will be a great saving
in fuel.
The private rooms have been sup
piled with blankets. towels. individual
sets of china, &c. The Kitchen has
been supplied with necessary utensils.
Table furniture for officers tables and
wards. A bell telephone has been put
in thus giving the hospital both tele-
phone services, the interstate being in
previously.
The doctor also presented a schedule
of he expenditures and receipts of the
hospital during October. Fol salaries
a disbursement of $151.50 was made,
but as the pay of IN assistant super
intendent vas not included in TINS
amount the expense will necessarily
increase. 1t is estimated that the SAL
airy expense will average about S20o per
month. The bills for supplies for the
month amounted to 1903 81, and for
miscellaneous expenses $10.05. The sum
of $416.66 was received from the city
and county during the month, and
that added to other receipts up 10 the
18th instant made $619, and now there
is a balance on hand Of about S9o. Du-
ring October $159 and some odd cents
was received from a patients Inc
rate for pay patients has been m
creased. as under the old system tne
county lost money. or in other Wofus
actually paid the patients for staying
at the institution. 50 small was the