The Portland daily press., 1899-03-17
THE CITY HOSPITAL.
10 Is inadequate and = New One Is Rec
commended by the city physician

The most important portion Of the an
nuai report Of City Physician o. +.
Smith is devoted to Greeley hospital at
the almshouss. While the present looa-
tion Is regarded as suitable. the hospita'
itself Is In oils opinion so far behind the
requirements as to demand attention
before sewers, fire department or even
finance. The report says:
In size the city hospital IL much 700
small. For some time 1t has been over
crowded and cases entirely unsuited ior
"a general ward have been forced into ~
for lack of room elsewhere. Old people
with ohroLic troubles have been kept IN
wards on the upper floors and IL has male
1t almost impossible for them to get out
to the air during the warmer season anu
on pleasant coldsr days For this class
of cases | would recommend the city 10
build one story buildings with broad
piazza, SO that they could have the bene-
fit of the sun and air. The equipment OF
the hospital in insufficient and In many
cases bad The beds are poor as a whole.
The food, which is good enough In quail
ty is poorly served, often being cold The
fault seems to be not having enough
nurses to attend to the matter In person.
In so large hospital there should %
trained, educated nurses as superintendent.
ut the head of the department, WIN
enough assistant nurses 90 do the WORK
both day and night AS well as IL is Done
In any institution in the stats, not Tor :
getting that although these patients arc
poor, yet they are sick and as such neeu
the best of care and attention. The venti-
lation is bad-an idea of its badness can
be imagined only when you consider
that there are 20 people living In the
wards, which are small and In winter
h.x-. xutn
chance for air to enter or csc ape except
by the occasional airings out. Lamps
are still u.s. d for lighting and in summer
overhead the place. The operating room
Is entirely unsuited Tor any surgical
work and is only used In emergency
cases. In giving a report OF these condl-
tions l criticize no one. The overseers
do with what they have at hand and
would not feel like making as genera US
outlay as conditions demand without
some action from youI body. The atten-
dants do what they are nired to do tine
best they can with the training they
have had.
submit to our honorable body plans
drawn by Mr.. Fred rick A. 1ompson,
architect, which provides for new brick
building, conn ected with the present one
facing upon and having Its entrance
from Grove street. Ibis building con
tains large number Of rooms for oincrs
and nurses. 1t provides wards for chill
dren, also a lying-in ward. There are
CT ira private rooms for patients, aud new
BATH and dining rooms. There wonid De
an elevator which could be used Tor
both buildings, and a new operating
room and laboratory. Located in the
basement will be laundry,a kitchen ana
the heating apparatus These plaus also
provide for certain changes which wi IL
overcome the faults in the older hospital.
The location Will be excellent, fronting
behring's Oaks, convenient TO the sur
geon, and on land alrendy owned by the
city. The expense would be very little
compared to the building of new hos
pital elsewhere.
The statistics of the city physician
office for the year are:
Out patient report-Number OF permits
received, $50; number of city calls l, 90
number of office calls. sos; number of
visits to isolation ward, 1874; number OF
visits to police station, 40; number oil
births, 20. number OF deaths, IL; number
of visits TO hospital, oo4.
Necrology-Nuinber of deaths In the
city 40; number OF deaths In the hospital,
80, total, 90.
Hospital report-Number of persons at
the hospital on the iirst day of March,
1898, SO; numuer admitted during the
year, 81: number discharged during the
year .27: number discharged WELL lilo;
hunter discharged improved, "A; num-
Der discharged unimproSed, 80; number
died rs; number Of births. .; number OF
visits to the hospital 1854.