Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-23
WHAT WILL 1T BE9
An Emergency Hospital, Jail Hospital, or
Both?


An Emergency Hospital, Jail Hospital, Or
Both?
There is a difference of opinion among
home city officials as to the use Of the
hospital room which was provided for
in preparing the plans for the new city
Jail, now in course Of construction.
City Sergeant Milstead stated yester-
day that the newspapers had erred in
terming the hospital an emergency
hospital. He had no knowledge he said,
of any action Of the council deciding to
establish such a place in connection
With the Jail. The room set aside for
hospital purposes was intended for the
treatment Of sick prisoners in the Jail.
When interviewed along the same line,
Mayor Moss made the positive state
ment that the institution would be an
emergency hospital for the treatment
of persons brought in from the street,
the victims Of accident or malice, as
we'll as the State and city prisoners
The idea" said the mayor, lin hav-
ing q hospital in the jail equipped as
this will be was to have a place where
an unfortunate man or even a woman
can be taken and given the proper med
ica'l treatment, without being compelled
to lay on the ground or the floor of some
hall suffering the agonies of pain and
dying for the want of treatment The
idea from the start ever since the new
Jail has been talked OF in earnest, was
to have this hospital attached to thecity
prison and it will be used for emer-
gency as we'll as Jail cases when COM
pleted.
Mr.. MilStead has raised q strong Io.nt,
however, which Should be looked into
at once, while the Jail is Still building.
He says that the idea Of having the
hospital approached from the same en-
trance by which prisoners will be Alken
in and out Of the Jail proper is not ad-
visable He is right when he says that
the hospital, if it is to be used for
emergency purposes, should have a
separate approach from the street. The
city sergeant holds the keys to the Jail
portion of the building and to the en-
trance to the Jail. These will be kept
securely locked at1all times and no one
will have the authority to turn the key
other than the city sergeant and his
Tailor
If the jailor is to be hunted every
time patient is brought in for the
hospital up stairs. considerable time
may be lost in the treatment Of the I'M
fortunate. The guardian of the Jail
may happen to be inside the prison
experimenting the feeding Of the pris-
oners.
If no arrangement can be made by
which the hospital can at all times be
readily entered from the street under
the present plan. the city council
should look into the matter at once
with view of having an additional
approach from the street.
While new jail is badly needed. an
emergency hospital is also necessity
and something the city should have at
the earliest possible date. Very fire.
quently unfortunate persons are found
on the street suffering from misha ps
or bearing ugly gashes on their head
or body inflicted by persons whose mo-
.tives do not coincide with the purpose
of the law. There must be some place
where these people can obtain the ben
eft of prompt medical attention. If the
Jail hospital lis not to be an emergency
institution. then secure one elsewhere.
By all means have such an institution.