The Portland daily press., 1901-02-27

said that there was no fund avaiinbls at
the infirmary for his department. which
10 the throat and nose ana that it IL al
ways required that the patients shall pay
for the ethsr used, amounting to about
cause OF the liability Of a hemorrhAge
after such an operation he has required
that the patient shall remain in doors
where he can wat5h them and have them
properly cared for until the danger Of
hemorrhage is passed. Some time Dr.
smith said Il does not require that pa
tient shall remain in the institution more
than day or two aud sometimes 1t re-
quirss q longer time.
Dr. smith said that he had carefully
explained all OF this to the woman the day
before, but she had evidently not pal d
much attention 20 what he said at that
time and had not understood the matter.
Probably she was too mu Oh occupied
with caring for her child who was
nervous and frightened. DE-. Smith said
he was vexsd ana perhaps little Inn
patient with this woman, who had put
him to n great deal OF trouble for moth.
ing. He then went on to say that three
days week he gave his services 20 these
patients and had never received dollar
from them or from this work either di.
rstly or Indirectly. 1t took up three sn.
tire mornings which he put In without
receiving any pay. The charging of one
dollar for the ether which had to be used
in On operation of this kind that he was
| o.t,.a ,,..o,. e. ,,.,vforv, for fha child was
necessary because there was no fund
available at the infrmary for the pay
ment of these bills unless tney were paid
| by the patients themselves. AS to the
requirements that the patients should re-
main In the iutirmary where they could
| be observed for a while he did that Tor
his own protection, because Of the liabiIi-
ty OF a hemorrhAge occurring. In other
things he had but complied with the
rules of the infirmary.
Dr. Smith was very frank In his state
ment and the trustees who had discussed
the charges OF Mrs. Riley seemed TO be Of
the opinion that Dr. Smith had in no
way departed from the rules OF the insti-
tuition and that the whole matter was
merely a misunderstanding between Mrs.
Riley and DR.. Smith. The latter also
stated that he would be glad to operate
on the little Riley girl at any time that
she should be brought to his clinic,
In her statement Mrs. Riley also said
that she had no charge to prefer against
the infirmary excepting in the case OF DR..
Smith. She said that she had always
been treated all right there by the officials
OF the institution. This was the first
time she had ever made any complaint TO
any one regarding this case.
In order to have this case fully under
stood MIR. Winslow asked DIR. Holt II he
would not explain just what ths rules of
the institution were regarding the treat
ment of charity patients outside Of the
eye and ear departments. DIR. Holt said
that It was the rule for the patients to ray
for the ether at cost price and one dollar
day for beard while in the wards OF the
inirmary If they were not eye and ear
patients.
After Mrs. Riley had gone and while
the trustees were discussing the case, an
other woman came into the room. Mr..
WinsloW ask ed her II she had any COM
plaint to make against the intrmary,
and she said that sne had no complaint 10
make and that she was not there for any
such purpose. She had come for informa-
tion, and she had seen the notice In the
papers regarding the hearing and had
came to the meeting TO secure the In
formation she wanted. She said that she
| xtIs Ia
not wish to have her name published in
the papers. This womsn's name Is not
used In the PRESS on this account,
though 1t was given by her at the hear
ing. Tie story she told was In substance
as follows:
She said she wanted to learn how psr-
son could get free treatment at the In
Urinary as she had never been able TO
learn how it could be obtained. She
said she had bean growing blind and
that something had to be done TO help her
or she would become totally blind. She
was poor and could not afford treatment
unless 1t were free treatment. She had
applied at the intirmary for help and had
been given yellow card which she had
presented at the clinic. This olinio was
in charge OF DIR. Spaiding and the date
of the card was March s, 1900. Her eyes
had been examined by him and she was
sent home. The next day she got a note
from DIR. Sp1lding telling her to call at
his office at certain hour and bring her
yellow card with her. she went to DIR.
SpaIding's office and he had examined
her eyes again and had told her that she
was suffering from a nervous shock and
that she required glasses and electrical
treatment. DIR. Spaulding told her that
the cost of the glasses would be "a so and
the battery treatment would be fifty cents
week and that she would require 1t for
three weeks The woman said she could
not afford to pay for her treatment as
she had no money. Dr. Spalding asked
her how much money shs had and she
mad replied that she had five dollars. Hs
|