The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-05-25
Physicians and Patients Unite in Dcnouncing
Methods of the City Hospital House
Physician.
Physician.
Stories of Amazing Neglect Of Sick Persons
---CareIcssness in Operations---Brutal
Roughness With Patients.
Historical Society

the investigation of the alleged abuse and
mismanagement of the city hospital, it is
expected that the affairs there will come
to a focus very speedily. Since h
journal publication of a few days ago,
reeiting the charges made against the
hospital management, evidence has been
coming in fast tending to strongly eorrob-
crate both the general and specific
charges recited therein of neglect of pa
tients on the part of Dr. Clark and disre-
gard of the established medical rules Of
such institutions 1t is not always pos
sible to use names, however, in connec-
ton with the publication of these state
ments This is especially true of the
medical men. The physicians, while will
ing to tell what they know, are extremely
chary about the use of their names, plead
ing the customs and prejudiees Of the
profession. All profess a willingness to
appear before the grand jury, however,
and they uniformly unite in the opinion
that things are in bad shape at the hos
pital, and that the time is ripe for an in
vestigation and change of management
there
Outside of the profession people having
some knowledge of affairs there are will
ing TO testify openly. among these is
Alderman D. P. Jones, president of the
council who is in a position to speak
feelingly on one or two phases of life in
the contagious ward at the hospital.
Mr. Jones relates the following story OF
the experiences of a member of his house
hold, as related to him by the person con-
cerned:
Some time last March Edith Erickson. one
OF the servant girls at my home. came down
with diphtheris. I have three children and
it was out of the question to keep her at
the house The contagious ward at the city
hospital was crowded. I learned. but place
was finally made for the girl. 1 supposed
she would get the very best Of treatment
there and dismissed the matter from my
mind A week or ten days after her admis-
sion the girls sister, who was employed IN
my family went down to see her. She was
allowed to talk with her through an outside
window The girl. came back home all broken
up over what her sister told her OF her
treatment She said that she was half
starved, badly treated generally and had not
had the least bit OF medical attention since
her admission to the hospital
Immediately called up DR.. W. E. Leon
ard one Of the medical inspectors of the de-
partment of health and asked him to inves-
tigate the matter, and see that the girl had
proper medical attention. This, understood,
he tried to do But the days went on and
bad reports continued to come in from the
girl. Finally, after another week or so,
drove down to the hospital resolved TO get
her out Of there If 1t was possible I saw
Dr. Clark and stated my wishes. He said
he would see what the girls condition was
and I waited for his report. In a few minutes
he came back and said she practically
all right and that it would be perfectly safe
for me to take her home with me. The
nurses fixed her upon and I sent her home
and we gave her a room by herself in the
rear Of the house. She began to improve
from the start and in a few days was well
enough to resume her duties.
The girl came back to US weak, emaciated,
respondent and with a pitiful tale of the
treatment she had received at the hospital.
She had received no medical attention all
during the time she was there, she told me.
Her throat had never been swabbed nor even
looked at. The food was very bad, the place
filthy and full Of vermin and the nurses
were careless and neglectful. They read
novels and amused themselves in other
agreeable ways, she said, and compelled
those Of the patients who were able to be
about to do much Of their work. She herself
being a servant, and not very sick, was i'm
posed upon in this respect more than the
others, she told me. She also said that dur
ing all the time she was in the hospital none
of the other six or eight diphtheria patients
in the ward received any medical attention.
Miss EricksOn's story.
Edith Erickson told a u r n a repre-
sentative that she was not examined when
she was received, but was given the anti
toxin treatment by the nurse and her
throat sprayed several times. The next
day DR.. Clark c1me and ordered the
spraying discontinued as unnecessary and
gave her nothing else. The only treat
ment she had for her throat was the
gargle, whose use was begun by the
nurse before the doctor saw her.
Although her case was not severe she
was sick enough to be kept in bed for a
week. During a considerable part Of that
time she suffered from severe headaches
md had the nurse ask the doctor for
Iomething to relieve it, but no attention
was paid to her request. Another COM
plant which received no attention was
Of the draughts. At the head of Miss
Erickson's bed was a window with a pane
Of glass broken out and stuffed with rags.
AS the doors Of the ward were always
open this made constant draughts. This
exposure brought on rheumatism from
which she suffered seriously after leaving
the hospital.
On the night of her arrival Miss Erick-
son was given bath and another the day
yhe left, but none in the meantime Her
bed was changed once in the two weeks.
AS soon as she was up she was expected to
assist with the work, waiting on the
patients in bed, sweeping and washing
dishes. While she was there Dr. Clark
visited the place but once day, although
supposed to come twice, and once he did
hot come at all for three days.
In concluding her story of her expert
ence, Miss Erickson said: ''I tell you I
4 lave no love for the city hospital