The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-01
Hospital Reform.

The disclosures ofethe Bellevue Hospital
horrors n New York have not only
shocked the moral -sensibilities of the
country, but have impressed the public
with the idea that they represented con
ditions Of cruelty With occasional
murder, which could not be worse. We
are sorry on the first day OF the new year
and century 10 record the fact that they
are distinctly distanced by an exposure OF
the methods and practices in vogue at the
Metropolitan Hospital on Blackwelrs Is
land
That such things as are shown TO be Of
daily and hourly occurrence in that in
stitution are possible IN a civilized land
beggars belief They would disgrace a
Chinese prison for condemned criminals;
and, If he were alive, brighten old Tor
quemada to death The mind almost falls
TO grasp the truth in the utter hideous-
ness and heIlishness Of the facts.
According to the evidence, it is the
CT serful custom on BIackwelI's Island,
Eaen the physicians decide that patients
are hopeless OF recovery, TO abandon them
10 their fate. Doctors and nurses alike
ignore them thereafter and they are al
lowed 10 die without care, without food,
ana without water. One case is detailed IN
which the vitality Of the sufferer was 50
great that. bound with twisted shee.s 10
his cot. he survived the agony Of starva-
ton and thirst for FIVE days. Fortunately
for the tortured wretches few are able
70 last as long. Such cases, it APPEARS.
are not unique Three deaths Of ike
character are said 20 have happened II
one day.
In this model house Of mercy for the
sick, patients on entering often are COM
PEELED to wait two or three days before
| seeing a physician. In the meantime, If
able to stand. they are forced TO do me
NAL work for the nurses If they refuse.
they are beaten, jumped on, sheet-twisted,
kicked, gouged and so on, quite after the
manner Of Bellevue ard other public in
stitutions where hazHg is cons dered a
benefit 10 the hazed.
Here we are. Boosting like Wild Indians
Of our achievements in material things
and our advancement in morals and phi
Ianthropy during the century just passed
away And yet at It's very close We dis
cover that we have great charitable foun-
/ dations. hospitals. and asyIums at which
those who are Sufficiently cursed OF God
TO enter their gates are treated in a man
ner compared with which the sufferings
Of the unfortunates in the Black Hole of
! Calcutta we're as nothing. No wonder the
poor of our cities regard the idea of be-
I ing sent 20 q hospital with fear and aver
| sion. and would rather die than go 20 onei
Il is well that the authorities Of New
/ York have walked up to their duty. Il
would also be well If the authorities Of all
! other American counties. cities. and towns
should start intelligent and thorough in
| yestigations into the state Of public insti-
| tutlcas within their several Jurisdictions.
| There may be many other yet unsupported
! sinks Of iuiquity and fendIshness Of a like
| kind They rann"i- he 100 soon detected
and exposed. Bellevue and Blackwell
Island admon:sh US not to be too vain OF
our civilization. They tend TO make US
wonder II a good deal Of it is not hypoe-
risy and Tug