The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-08-23
THE GRADY HOSPITAL.
Consumptives Not Admitted to the
Wards OF that Charitable Institu.
tion-Dr. visanska's Earnest Pro.

ConsumptiSes Not Admitted to the
Wards OF that Charitable Institu.
tion-Dr. visanska's Earnest Pro.
test.
Atlanta Constitution.
An open and emphatic protest has been
raised by DIR. ). y. Nlsanska, one OF the pest
known physicians OF Atlanta. against the
rules governing the admission OF patients 10
the Grady hospital.
DR. ViSanska is highly indignant at the
action OF the hospital authorities in refusing
TO receive in the wards n patient OF HIS Cap
tain Haudicott, OF the Salvation Army, VINO
Is at present dangerously Ill, as the result OF
pulmonary hemorrhage, and VINO at Inc tllne 1o . .
the call was made Oh the Grady hospital was
in imperative need of expert nursing.
Under the rules OF the hospital. cases OF con,
tagious CHRONIC incurable diseases canSot Strr Ue
day night, DIR. Visanska had persuaded MS
patient that 1t would be better for him TO go
TO the hospital, and the ambulance had ar
Holmes. who accompanied the ambulance,
declared upon examination that captain
IIandicott had tuberculosis and promptly re-
fused him admission into the Grady hospltal
Whether Captain Handicott has consump
tion or not, DR.. Visanska maintains Is point
not material TO the case. He insists. however,
that his patient has pulmonary hemorrhage,
acute in its nature, which could have been
easily remedied had the hospital authorities
recognized this fact and carried the patlent 10
the wards.
said DR.. Visanska:
"Such q case as this one is admissible in the
hospital. The disease is certainly acute and
not chronic. l do not understand why Cap,
tain Handicott was not taken to the hospital
at the proper time. want 1t distinctly un.
derstood that my interest In this case is solely
from the standpoint of humanity. The pa
tient Is nothing to me and never expect 10
receive anything for my services.
II served as house surgeon and physician IN
the city hospital at Charleston, an Institution
of the same capacity as the Grady hospital,
but confess never saw case OF This klno
refused.
Hospitals are of course compelled to take
consumptive cases at times when they are
accompanied by acute trouble that demand
instant attention. If q man who 10 In the
last stages OF consumption should fall from
the top of building and break both legs, l
do moi anticipate that the hospital authorities
would refuse to take the man down IN tae
his immediate danger he Is afflicted WIFI con-
sumption. The case have at present is an
aiagous to the one just cited. notified the
hospital by telephone that Captain Handicott
had an acute pulmonary hemorrhage.
DR.. Holmes, on examination, declared That
the patient was afflicted with consumption.
which thought was immaterial at this time."
DIR. HOLINESS VISIT SATURDAY NIGHT.
DIR. Visanska stated yesterday that he was
first called TO see Captain Handicott FRIDAY
evening at IL O'Clock. He found on entering
tlo room GDaL DlOOQ WAS bpOuIluS lIOn IuC
mouth and nose and had covered nearly the
whole bed. The patient was In intense agony
and his screams for time excited the nelgn-
borhood. DR.. Visanska stated that 1t TOOK
enough morphine, hyodermically used, TO
kill an ordinary person, In order TO quiet the
patient. The case was gradually cOntrolled
In the course Of few hours and by morning
The physician staid with his patient all night
and Saturday morning suggested TO him that
ne would be better off in the hospital, where
he could get constant expert nursing. The
patient objected to being taken to the hospital
Saturday night at 1880 clock, DR.. VIsansks
was again called to the residence on Fair
street and found Captain Handicott In great
pain, although the hemorage had ceased. DR..
Visanska stated that he found with hlm Two
soldiers of the Salvation Army, neither OF
whom could give him the attention required
and he again urged the patient to consent 10
90 TO the hospital.
IL went to my home" DR.. 'Visanska said,
"and called up DR.. Brewster at the hospital
and told him had case OF durable pulm@o- 20
treatment That hemorage was already con-
trolled. The ambulance responded promptly
and the preliminary examination by Dr;
ausculated the chest and greatly annoyed the
patient. His humping caused Captain
Handicott great pain, and saw eacn ume
chest. Dr. Holmes then wanted TO turn the
patient over on his back TO complete his ex.
animation, but this / refused to allow and
er. That II he did not think the case one for
the hospital TO let the patient alone. DR..
Holmes then said he thought there was
dullness In the chest due to consumption. l
told him, then, that l was not treating the
patient for consumption, but for pulmonary
hemorrhage, durable and acute. asked him
to carry the patient to the hospital and treat
lief to be that he would recover his strength
in the course OF q few days. This proposition
was refused, DR.. Holmes saying that II he did
SO "the board would jump on u.s."
~ went to my home and telephoned DR..
Brewster at the hospital, as l wanted to tell
him OF the result Of the examination. again
asked DR.. Brewster TO take Captain Handi-
cott and keep him until he was over his pres
ent trouble-that the patient needed nursing
he could not get at home.
~ understood DR.. Brewster at this point to
say: Holmes did not exactly understand.
morning. I told DR.. Brewster l knew the
horses had not been taken out yet and that 1t
would be best to send for the patient at once
stated that he would send for the patient in
the morning. DR.. Brewster asked me II any
one would take Captain Handicott back In
few days, in case he did not want to Keep
him. 1 answered yes"
AMBULANCE DID NOT COME.
Yesterday morning, according TO the prom
Use made by DR.. Brewster, DR.. Visanska ex-
pected to see his patient removed from the
Fair street residence, but he stated the ambu.
lance did not come.
DR.. Visanska said he was greatly irritated
at the refusal OF DR.. Brewster to send for the
patient Sunday morning and could not un-
derstand why he had not done 80.
Yesterday, however, the patient was greatly
improved and DR.. Visansks announced that
If the ambulance came at all, he would not
give his permission for Captain Handicott to
be removed.
II cannot understand such management"
said DIR. Visanska. ~ have nothing against
any one connected with the hospital but II Is
the rules OF the institution that do object TO-
In the Charleston hospital. where they take
tuberculosis cases. the death rate In the wards
to the same number of patients will compare
favorably with that at the Grady hospital"
PATIENT TALKS OF HIS CONDITION.
Captain Handicott was seen at bis home on
Fair street by a representative OF The Constl
tuition yesterday.
The patient was found TO be man OF splen.
did proportions, young and muscular, and
without the outward signs Of consumption.