The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-22

long attack on tne MOSES ldyloT HOS-
pital and Drs. Connell, Roos and Glib
bons, of the hospital staff. 1t was
most fragrant attempt to manufacture
public sentiment against one of the
city's worthy charities. The Moses
Taylor hospital was endowed for the
benefit of the employees of the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western Rail
road and the Lackawanna Iron and
Steel companies and they are the ones
who are entitled to receive, without
cost, the benefits of the institution.
August Michael, who was employed
in the Mt. Pleasant colliery of Fuller
& Co, il is alleged in the article, sought
admission to the hospital and was re-
fused.
The Moses Taylor is not a general
public hospital, but in a sense a pri-
vate institution endowed for a special
purpose, and in it's field is doing a
great work for humanity. 1t is one of
the institutions of which Scranton may
well be proud
DIR. II. II. Gibbons, one of the physi-
clans mentioned in the article, was seen
last night by a Tribune reporter and
shown the article in question. When
asked for a statement of the facts con-
cerning the case of August Michael,
DIR. Gibbons said:
Ordinarily l object to rushing into
print, because / would rather attend
TO the duties of my profession than air
my views in the newspapers, but this is
such an unwarranted perversion of the
truth that the facts ought to be told.
lest anyone should be imposed upon by
this story.
HE DID NOT APPLY.
"The statement that August Michael
or any one representing him. made ap-
plication for admission to the Moses
Taylor hispital is untrue, and even
though he had made such application,
he was not entitled to the benefits of
the institution without pay, as the Mt.
Pleasant colliery, where he was en-
| ployed, is not a Delaware, Lackawanna
| and Western or a Lackawanna Iron
and Steel company property, and he
! did not therefore come under the heads
| designated by the great founder of this
charity, the late Moses Taylor.
"A brother of August Michael, who
| Is employed by one of the companies
whose men are entitled to the benefits
! of the hospital, was received into 1t
and is now recovering, This informa-
| ton have from Drs. Davis and Ken
nedy, the senior and Junior house
| physicians. So much for the rights of
this individual.
| Nearly two years ago, after much
abuse had been heaped upon the Moses
| Taylor hospital by the people and press
of the city because of its locked doors,
| General Manager Hallstead, of the Del
aware, Lackawanna and Western COM
pany, and president of the hos
pital, after devoting considerable
thought to the matter, advised the di-
rectors that it would be to the best
interests of the community to give an
| increased number of physicians the
privilege of operating and otherwise
treating their patients within the hos
| pital, the understanding being that
first and foremost no operations were
to take place or beds be occupied that
would in any way interfere with first
giving attention to the persons fol
whose benefit the institution was en-
| dowed.
RATE OF CHARGES.
Furthermore that all patients OF
this class, private patients, were to
pay in ward beds 81 per day and in
private rooms from SO to SIS per week
| these amounts having been demon
strated as sufficient to pay all expenses
necessary for the maintenance, dress.
ings and care of such patients.
The additional advantages furnish
ed the nurses for observation was one
benefit of this policy because il
brought to the hospital a different class
of medical and surgical cases thar
those that had been treated prior tC
that time in the hospital The course
of lectures given by the augmented
staff of the hospital was another adj
vantage to the nurses and the train
ing school, all of which contribute t
the beneficial influence on the com
munity while it added greatly Qf yol
please) to the revenues of the insti
| tuition.
| 80 wherein has this charity beer
abused by either patients or physi
clans? Has it not been of the yer!
| greatest benefit TO patients many O
| them poor persons who otherwis
would have been unable to secure th
great advantages of environments. hos
pital facilities and general equipment
In regard to myself, one of tn
physicians mentioned in this article,
would respectfully state that to full,
one-half of my private patients, O
specials as this article has 1t, | hav
charged not one cent for my service
and in certain instances where III
patients We're unable to defray the ex
penses, / have paid out of my owl
pocket the hospital charges DR.. Roo
i have known to do the same thing.