Daily camera., 1901-04-03
THE HOSPITAL HABIT
Acquired by People Who Have q
Prejudice Against Work.
Many Capable of Making Good Liv.
ing Resort to SubterfuEcs In Order
to Gain a Haven OF Rest
The Hospital Horror.

encountered any number of cases of
both and have always found them
more or less of a puzzle. The hospital
habit is well known to every institu-
ton in the country, and in speaking of
it | have no reference to the scores of
constitutional loafers and vagabonds
to be found in all large cities who
would rather spend their time in any
kind of shelter, even that of IA Jail, than
to go out and hustle for living. The
people | have in mind are of entirely
different stamp, and are generally of
rather superior intelligence. For some
mysterious reason they become fasci-
mated by the peculiar life in a hospital
and will resort, eventually, to all kinds
of subterfuges to continue in it. 1t is
clear they are not attracted by pros
pect of idleness, for they are always
morbidly anxious TO curry favor by
making themselves useful, and will
work harder than the paid attendants,
so the only way they can be accounted
for is on the theory that they are really
in love with their surroundings. One
of the most singular cases of the hos
pital habit that ever came under my
observation was that of an EngliShman
who spent couple of years here in the
latter SOS. He was a mddle-aged man.
well educated, well read and capable of
earning a good living at his profession,
which was that of an accountant, but
he had fallen under the strange spell
of the hospital and apparently lost all
other interest in life. am satisfied
he was in excellent health, but he
pretended to be suffering from some
obscure spinal trouble, and feigned the
symptoms so cleverly that he had spent
the best part of six or seven years in
different institutions. Meanwhile he
had become an excellent nurse and was
50 far superior to the average hired
help that the surgeons winked at his
fault for the sake of having him
around. There are a great many GU
riouS phases of human nature contin-
ualiy in evidence in sick ward, and
really believe this man derived. an in
teliectual pleasure in their study. He
evidently had taste for the bizarre,
and the place interested him as one
might become interested in some NOR
bid novel. We had many long talks,
and what he said showed high order
of thought. Finally he drifted away
and, | dare say, he is in some hospital
a. this moment. Others | have en-
cDuntered seemed to find some fright
ful. perverted pleasure in the mere
spectacle of human suffering, and
have known ore or two Won en- who in
variably tried to be preseat at surgical
operations ~ yr'"ntser assistants.
The hospital horror is a less cryptic
emotion" the doctor went on, but
some of its manifestations are sutfi-
ciently queer. Viewed in the abstract, a
hospital is eminently the proper place
for anybody who is sick. and in future
years | am sure no serious cases viii
ever be treated in private homes. I'M
perfect sanitation, incompetent at
tendance, danger of contagion and a
score of other reasons suggest them
selves Immediately as against the prac
tice, and statistics show clearly that
the percentage of recoveries is very
much higher in any well conducted pro-
fessional institution. 1t often happens
that the very tenderness and over So
licitude of friends and relatives mill
tates against cure. and all these
things are, or ought to be. perfectly
apparent to anybody who gives the
subject moments thought. Yet
there are thousands of people who have
an unconquerable dread and ,oathing
of a hospital. They would rather be
sick in some cheerless tenement, neg
lected, unattended and deprived of ev
cry comfort than to occupy the best
special room that frst-class insttu-
ton can afford. They may be entirely
isolated from the general wards and
see nothing whatever of the internal
workings of the establishment, but the
mere knowledge that they are under
the same roof preys on their nerves
and retardS progress. | was called in
last winter to attend a man who had
contracted pneumonia, and found him
in a miserable gallery bedroom, with
no facilities for heating and the most
squalid and depressing surroundings l
ever saw in my life. Some friends
| came to the rescue and arranged for
his admission as pay patient in one
of the very best hospitals. l thought
he would be overjoyed, but he turned
livd with fright and aversion and
| begged to be allowed to remain where
he was. MY God! DOCTOR he pleaded,
don't let them take me there can't
stand it, / told him bluntly he would
die unless he was moved, but that pros
pect had no terrors compared to those
of the hospital. He was an intelligent
man, knew perfectly well he would get
the best of care at the place suggested,
but was simply unable to overcome an
innate sense of repulsion. He died
few days afterward in his bleak little
| bedroom. On another occasion a pa
tient of mine was taken to hospital
much against his will and given every
attention in beautiful private room.
His convalescence was very unsats-
factory, and l couldn't understand
what was operating against recovery.
i I