The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1901-01-04
THE HOSPITAL HABIT.
A Queer Type Of Character the Ply
stefan Sometimes Meets.

wv Iu''h b'N''lf" " |
Icms," said a New Orleans physician,
according to the New Orleans Times
Democrat, are the hospital habit
and the hospital horror. have en-
countered 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 loafcrs and vaga-
bonds TO be found in all large cities.
who would rather spend their time in
any kind Of shelter, ven that of a
Jail, than 60 out and hustle for a liy-
ing The people | have in mind are
Of entirely different stamp. and are
generally Of rather superior intclli-
goncc. For some mysterious reason
they become fascinated 10y the pc
culiar life in a hospital. and will re-
sort. eventually. toall kinds Of suhtcr-
fugcs to continue in II. II is clear
they are not attracted 10y prospect Of
idlcncss. for they are always morhidly
anxious To curry favor by making
thcm.rly,. useful, and will work
harder than the paid attendants, 20
the only way they q be- accounted
for is on the theory that they are
really in loycwith their surroundings.
Onc of the most singular eases Of the
hospital habit that ever camc under
my observation was that Of an Eng
li.hman who spent u couple uf Noar,
here in the latter cightic.. lie WAS
a middlc-agcd man. we'll educated,
well read and capable Of earning u
good living nj his profession, which
was that of an accountant: but he had
fallen under the strange spell uf the
hospital, and apparently lost all other
interest in life. am satisfied he was
IN excellent health. hut be- pretended
10 hc suffering from some obscure
spinal trouble. and fciru,d the ,lmp-
toms 80 closely that hr had sp,ut the
best part of siN or seven YEAR in diff
f,r,nt institutions. Meanwhile hc
had become an excellent uur-r. and
was 81 far superior to the average
hired help that the surgeon, wiuh,d
at his fraud for the sake of having
him around. There ARE many r%uriou,
plia,,. NJ human nature continually
IN evidence IN q rick ward, and ! real
ly believe this man derived an intel.
l%loctual pleasure in their study. IL,
evidently had n taste for the bizarre
and the place interested him rs on,
might become interested IN some NOR.
hid novel. We had many long talks
aud what he said showed a high order
Of thought. Finally he driftod away
aud. ! dare say. he l. in some hospi,n
At this moment. Others ! have en-
countcrcd seemed to find some fright.
ful. perverted pleasure in the mere
spectacle of human suffering, aud
have known one or two women VIII,
invariably tried to be present a
surgical operations rs volunteer NJ
%,i,tants. Another habiluc. also
woman. told me she enjoyed the pc
culiar smell Of drugs tina, is nlway.
present in a sick ward.
"Thc hospital horror !, a les cryp
iccmotion.' thcdocior went ON, "bu.
some of it, manifestations are sufi
cienly queer. Viewed in the ab
strlct. u hospital is cminontly Ia,
proper place for anybody who IL sick
aud in future years ! am suc M scri
Gus cases wall ever be- treated in pri
waite homes. Imperfect sanitation, in
competent attendance, danger o
, c0ntagion and u score Of other reason
suggest themselves Immediately u
against the practice, and statistic
chow CLEARLY that the percentage -
rccoycri,s is very much higher in an.
: wcll-conductcd professional institu
, ton. 1t often happen, that the yer.
tenderness and oycrsolicitudc o
friends and relatives initiate, agains
, a cure, and all these things are, o
ought to be, perfectly apparent T.
anybody who gives the subject a mo
, mctt's thought. Yet there ARE thou
sands of people who have an uncon
/, querablc dread and loathing Of a hos
pital. They would rather be sick i
some cherries tenement, neglected
! unattended and deprived Of ever
, comfort, than to occupy the best sp,
! cial room that a iirst-class institutio
q can afford. They may be entirely iso
. lated from the general wards and SO
nothing whatever Of the intcrni