The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-17

Tor cleanliness is certainly CONDUCIVE OF
Above all things do not permit the fear
CT antagonism or criticism to deter you
from establishing reforms or initiating
sure you are right. then go ahead The
criterion by which hospitals efficiency
Is judged is the quality OF the service 1t
gives. and not, as many suppose. by its
that the cost of maintenance is any guide
at all is fallacious. Determine whether
your hospital shall be conducted cheaply
or conducted successfully, and goven
yourselves accordingly. To succeed look
to quality and results, rather than guam
tity and cheapness.
Require ali bidders for contracts to SUBJ
init samples and hold the successful ones
to their contracts to the letter. All sup
plies, and particularly food stuffs received,
should be of good marketable quality and
properly handled after delivery, that
God made the meat and the devil made
the cooks may not be absolutely true, but
the idea conveyed is not far wrong, so
equip your kitchen well and secure a
good chief cook and make him responsible
to the Superintendent for the kitchen and
its crew, and complaints of the table SER
vice will cheer you by their absence.
Bear in mind that you are the agents of
the people and conducting the institution
with their money for the benefit and re-
lief of the afflicted and strictly will you
\ be called to account for neglect or waste
| fulness. Seek not to establish false
| reputation for economy at the expense
| of the sufferer of ordinary necesSarieS
/ and comforts
| Now as to the patients of our institu-
| ton, and here we have most difficult
problem to solve. They come from all
walks of life; from the has BEEN, broken
down mani of educa tion who is almost the
personification of refinement, to the illit-
crate creature who knows or cares for
nothing above the wants he feels in com
mon with the brute creation; to meet the
| exigencies of each individual case requires
| the conscientious exercise OF knowledge
! born of experience.
| Every application for admission should
| be scrutinized and every precaution taken
| to insure your hospital against one of the
| greatest of the abuses to which it can
be subjected, viz: the admission of unde-
serving or unworthy. Turn no sufferer
away until you have accurate informa ton
as to his needs, his resources and environ
ments. On the other hand, discharge pa
TENTS when cured or relieved to an ex-
| tent which will permit of their following
/ their ordinary vocations. Neglect of this
latter rule will cause you much annoy
ance by giving a foundation for charges
of "favoritism'' and 'partiality," which,
| once grounded in the minds of patients
will be the means of keeping your institu-
| ton in an uproar.
| Convalescent patients and infirmary in
mates should be each allotted light duties
which will occupy three or four hours of
| their time daily, care being taken that
| each man be treated fairly and with con-
sideration. Do not allow patients to lose
their Individuality or sacrifice self re-
| spect Make each one feel that the duties
assigned to him are necessary and that
| he is doing his share toward insuring the
smooth running of this complex machine.
| Provide relaxation and amusement by
entertainments of some sort, and by sup
plying magazines and files of the daily
paper You will experience no. difficulty
| in securing talent for occasional literary
and musical entertainments.
Our Superintendent, who, among other
accomplishments, is lantern expert"
has found that lectures, illustrated by the
lstereopticon are always appreciated, and
he has during the past three years pre-
| scented a complete series of travels in
every country on the globe, with an Occa-
sional humorous subject, in fact our lee
lures have had a scope from "Ninevah
and Babylon to the Conquest of Cuba"
and How Dewey Did It. and we always
show to full houses and appreciative au-
diences. We have also found that an
occasional concert has good effect.
| In the Alameda County institution the
| Superint endent, assisted by the visiting
! physician and inferno, treats each indi-
vidual case as he would in private prac-
sale prescribing. Our dispensary is a
modern pharmacy in charge of compe-
| tent pharmacist, and there is no limit to
available remedies lies ete save by the s u
prescribes is supplied, though we have to
| call on the Eastern market Gas has been
the case) to do it. 5sa M
Now, word on employees. Being gov
erned in your appointments by your Su-
perintendent, let it be thoroughly under
| stood that every person whose name APP
pears upon the salary roll is accountable
| to. the Superintendent only, and must give
| obedience to his rules and requirements
| and observe and enforce every rule posted
for the guidance of employees as wei! as
| patients. This guarantees you against
| any clash of authority and friction or dis
putes among employees.
| In conclusion permit me to cite some of
| the results obtained in the Alameda Coun-
ty Hospital, which at present is caring
| for 290 patients, two-fifths of whom are
| infirmary inmates and chronic cases, but
| nearly all under Oeatment. Our surgeons
have had 10 operative cases of appended
tbs and are credited with 10 recoveries.
| This success is phenomenal, considering
the fact that the surgical cases s sent to
| ception considered hopeless.
| In maternity work we have record
| which cannot be excelled. This class OF
patients are always the poorest and most
| poorly nourished in the community. The
majority of cases are unfortunate girls
| still in their teens, yet with this terrible
| handicap, the loss of infants at birth has
been only about one in sixty cases: In
| the treatment of medical cases our physi-
| clans have been equally successful, and
! about the only complaint which mas been
| voiced by a patient of this hospital was
| 81 was discharged before wanted to 60
| A vote of thanks was given to the
author of the paper.
Smith of San Luis Obispo presented
| the following resolution, which was
adopted:
Whereas, At the annual meeting of
the Supervisors of the State of Califor-
MIA. now in session in Sacramento, held
for the purpose of discussing the sew
eraIs laws introduced in the Legislature,
referring to changes in the road laws;
/ it is
| Resolved. That it is the sense of this
convention that in the main the pres
ent road laws, while not entirely fault
less. are, owing to the diversity of the
conditions existing throughout the sew
| eral counties of this State, in the way
OF building and maintaining roads, the
most adequate laws ever enacted in
this State; and, be it further
Resolved, That this convention does
not approve of the several bills now in
| troduced in the Legislature of this
State. referring to any changes in said
laws; and be it
| Resolved, That this convention does
recommend for the consideration of the
Legislature that Section 2,643 of the
road laws be amended as herewith pre-
ented; and we do further resolve. that
the Secretary of this convention is
hereby instructed to send copy of
these resolutions and proposed amend
ment to Section 2,643 to each and every
member of the Legislature and to the
Governor of the State.
On motion of Mitchell vote Of
thanks was unanimously rendered to
the Ladies' Reception Committee and
the Sacramento Board of Supervisors
for the courteous treatment accorded to
the convention during its session.