The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-23
The New Dispensary Law.

The new Dispensary law. enacted by the
Legislature OF 1899. went into effect on the
let Of October. It has made some import
ant changes In the management Of medical
and surgical dlspcnsaries In this State
which as yet are not generally understood
or appreciated by the public.
The main feature OF the new statute Is
the provision that no dispensary shall here
after enter upon the execution or continue
the prosecution OF It's purpose unless first
licensed so to do by the State Board OF
Charities. The board Is TO make rules and
regulations and alter and amend the same,
shall furnish and applicants obtain medical
or surgical relief. advice or treatment,
medicine or apparatus"
Acting under the authority thus con-
ferred. the State Board OF Charities has
recently promulgated a set OF rules and
regulations which will have wide-reaching
effects II literally carried out
Each dspensary Is required to have an
officer known az a registrar to supervise
the work Of the institution. This ofIlcer Ia
to pass upon applications for admission to
y,
are stated thus;
"td) All emergency cases shall be admitted and
receive prompt treatment and care. th Every
applicant who is, in the opinion OF the registrar.
after examination and personal inquiry. poor and
needy, shall be admitted. tr) Every applicant in
regard to whose ability TO pay for medical or sur
Rical relief, advice or treatment, medicine or
apparatus. or either. in phole or in part
the registrar Is In doubt, shall be al.
mitted to hrst treatment on signing the admission
card but the registrar shall forthwith cause an in.
vestigation OF his financial condition 10 be made
and the results OF such investigation shall be filed
among tho permanent records OF the dispsnsary
(dD Every applicant who declines TO sign tho re.
CURED declaration shall be refused ad mi ssion."
The admission card mentioned In these
rules provides for n statement thereon OF
the name and address OF the applicant and
the amount OF his or her income and OK
penditure for rent.
While emergency cases and patients
manifestly poor and needy are to be adj
mitted at once, as Is right and proper, a
stringent standard Is set mp and n heavy
burden imposed upon the managers OF tho
dispensary in respect to the third class OF
cases. comprising patients in regard to
"h'hi 'iN i'BiottuI IN III uOuDU. AS Wa
read the rule, II contem plates the ex
clusion OF any one who is able to pay for
treatment or medicines in whole or in part.
Thus, a person who could afford to pay
something for the medicine prescribed but
who was unable to pay for the medical
advice resulting in tho prescription, would
be debarred from admission to dlspensary
under this regulation. The exclusion OF
such patients is piece of folly, depriving
the deserving poor OF needed assistance
and essening the income OF the dspen-
sarIes, which are aided oven by tho small
contributions which can be made in this
manner toward defraying the expenditure
for drugs.
Still more remarkable is the requirement.
that the registrar must cause an invcstiRa-
ton to be made into these doubtful cases
Mt the expense Of the dispensary Instead
OF Insisting that person who desires treat
ment In a dispensary shall, at his own
instance, where his right to admission ia
questionable, produce proofs TO the officers