Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-29
WORK OF OMAHA HOSPITALS
Institutions Where the Sick Are Nursed
Back to Health
MANY QUEER CASES ARE ENCOUNTERED

Pete Nolan, Alcoholic, Given IN to
Die, but lie shows the Doctors
That He Has as Many
Lives rs n Cnt.
In the hospitals OF omaha, as in every
other large city, is found field OF study
worth cultivating, not for the scientific stu
dent alone. but the general observer as we'll.
Omaha has some OF the best and most care
fully kept hospitals in the west. But one
popularity is frequently remarked-the alb
eence OF city hospital. PERHAPS no other
city of like size in the country is without
a municipal institution for the care of its
charges. In Omaha the city patronzes the
various private hospitals, paying for the
service rendered, the same as an individual
would do BY this method the city patients
are scattered promiscuously. On account OF
accessibility the city doctors, as a rule, send
their patients to the hospitals mCst centrally
located. Some of these have ambulances
and that is a feature of Importance, for city
charges are frequently unable to Withstand
the jolting of an ordinary wagon.
Prominent among the hospitals OF this
| city are: Clarkson Memorial. 17l6 Dodge
street; st. Joseph's. Tenth and CASTELAR,
| streets; Presbyterian, 1864 Marcy street.
County. Forteth and Poppleton avenue; and
| in addition to these there are several other
institutions for the care Of the unfortunate.
but which are not classed as hospitals.
a trip through these hospitals is well
| worth the time it takes. Absolute cleanl-
ness, perfect ventilation and generally good
| sanitation are leading features. With re-
| spect to these essentials, Omaha takes front
| rank.
| st. Joseph's hospital is one of the largest
! in the west and it is largely patronized, not
| only by Omaha people, but by others from O
| distance. The Sisters in charge have de-
voted their lives to the work and thorough ly
| understand it. This hospital has on al
average about $50 patients all the time TIL,
cases include almost every disease except
contagious, it being a rule, as in mos
other hospitals, to accept nothing of an in.
fectious nature.
The County's Institution.
The county hospital is large institu
ton. The cases sent there are those whicl
have been given emergency treatment b.
the city and which have passed out of tn
city's hands. 1t is in place like this tha
some of the queerest cases are encountered
Broken heads, splintered limbs alcohol
stomachs and a little of everything els
are to be found shelyed for repairs at tn
county hospital At present there are II
cases of particular interest from a sur
gcal or medical standpoint, but it fre
, quently happens that some notable opera
, tions are performed
Clarkson Memorial hospital, by reason
its central location, is one Of the mos
popular in the city. Many of the cit
! charges are sent to Clarkson Illustratin
the queer cases that come under the OF
, servation of hospital doctors is the stor
of Pete Nolan revealed on the records
the Office of Dr. Ralph assistant city ply
sican. 1t goes to show that a drunke
! man is hard to kill. Nolan had drunk
n excess and was in a frightful condition
He was unconscious when he came under oil
, servation of DR.. Ralph and could give I
y history of his case. Ordinary treatmeI
n for acute alcoholism had no effect on hi
!, and the doctors were puzzled. 1t was IL
cidentally learned that just before beir
:, sent to Clarkson as a guest of the eli
q Nolan had fallen over a steep embankmen
The doctors regarded his case as almo
hopeless, but suspectng there was pressu
on the brain caused by the fall they d
= cided upon a delicate surgical operation
n "Only one chance in a hundred" Il
n doctors said as they sawed into Nolan
skull.
The operation was so successful tn
Nolan is now well except for the wour
on his head where the doctors cut in
him. They diagnosed correctly, for the
: was brain pressure, and when 1t was r
moved there was nothing for Nolan to
but get well. He looks upon it as jok
a claiming that a man in alcohol has as mai
~ lives as a cat.
l,II Caring for Sick Soldiers.
If All the hospitals in Omaha did excelle
work in the caring for soldiers who return
y from Chickamauga racked with typhoi
IS Some Of the larger hospitals had at one tir
d, as many as 100 cases of this kind.
a The pride of every well regulated hospit
- Is its operating room. In this essential I
ts Omaha institutions are well fixed. st. J
q seph's and Clarkson Memorial, as well as sc
to eral others, have the latest and most scie
I'll tifc arrangements for surgical cases. 7
'o day of the dingy dark and gruesome opera
,o ing room has passed. so far as Omaha is co
lie cerned. Bright sunlight, cleanliness and IL
n maculate fixtures are features OF the surgi'
~ rooms
ne The nurses are all professional havi
spent much time and study in perfecti
as themselves for their work. Some OF the b.
ed physicians in Omaha are connected with I
Is various hospitals, and the several rellgic
st ORGANIZATIONS tnat lehu IheiI haHiee W
de institutions are energetic in advancing tn
usefulness in every possible manner. Flo
ne ers are sent to the sick ones and home-ll
ea attention outside OF the general treatmt
All is given.
he While the service rendered the city by
TO different hospitals is satisfactory If 1t w
left to the health department for decis
ne ne there would be a city hospital as quickly
he workmen could build It, The doctors
he charge OF the department would like to
ed the city have home of its own for its 81
"u and the figures indicate that the current
m pense incurred under the present meti
III would 20 long way toward maintaining
lp- institution.
he