The times., 1901-06-09
FAKE HOSPITAL PATIENTS
ImpOstOrs Who Ply Various De-
ceptiye Arts Upon Physicians.
Every Large City Has It's share of
Such People - Rheumatism One of
Their Best Cards-DimcuIt Roles
which They Have to Play.

II mas peeu Stlu tlal CHdTiLN covers
a multitude of sins and to this might
be added sinners also. 1t is easy to ac-
cept the truth of this trite saying, be-
cause it does contain some truth. as the
experience of most people can verify, but
no one class Of men knows how many sin
ners are covered by charity, in the con-
ventiOnal and ordinary sense of the word,
as the hospital doctor. Not only is he
called upon to exhibit skill in the care
and treatment of the patients entrusted
TO his supervision, but he must be able
to recognize the faker, who complains
himself into a soft bed and three square
meals a day at the public expense, and
to distinguish him from the genuine sick
man.
In every large town and city, where
there are hospitals supported by public
moneys. there will be found the hospital
fraud, suffering from an aggravated case
of hospitalitis This is a mental charac-
teristic of type of tramp, or good-for-
naught, who hnds that a good living can
be had, with the expenditure of little eff
fort, in the public hospitals Most of the
patients who become inmates of these
public Institutions come from the ranks
of the poorer classes and it is from these
that the faker develops. 1t is generally
conceded by the orderies and staff ply
sicians of our large city infirmaries that
the number of those who feign sickness
to get into the city hospitals will run way
up into the thousands.
1t is well known that tramps have a
code of communication by which one
Weary Willie can inform other members
of his kind as to the soft-heartedness of
the inmates of certain houses along his
route; what dogs to look out for, and
what dangers to avoid. In much the
same way the hospital fraud instructs
others of his ilk concerning the ease with
which admission can be had to certain
hospitals. and what diseases to assume
to deceive the medical staff. The hos
pital fraud travels from city to city, and
manages to get through the year and
live well without any very great effort
on his part. Some of them become known
after a while and are denied admission
but since the medical staff end the curps
OF nurses and Orderlies. with few exceD-
tons, change from year to year he gen
orally manages to gain admittance, and
Tor a tine fiourishes like a green bay
tree
A physician who has had considerable
experience in the hospitals of New York
CITY, in speaking of the hospital faker.
Sald: Whenever something is to be had
Tor nothing, there viii an army of peo-
pie assemble, and many and various are
the methods adopted to prove their title
to whatever is to be had. The argu-
Inents and reasons for the establishment
and maintenance of public charitable in
sututious are conclusive ana convincing,
but 1t is nevertheless true that the means
esta oiished to relieve the distress OF the
deserving poor too often minister to the
cllssedness of the wholly depraved
There Is large class Of men and women
IN this country and in Europe who are
shlftiess and lazy, and who have taken
advantage of public charity and make
their living by deceiving those who ad-
minister it. There is a species of the
genus tramp which infests the public
hospitals Of the country. Every city ha-
more or less of them. As a rule they
come from the purely pauper class-that
Is from those who from childhood have
expected to live off of the industry of
others They have no pride nor self
respect and have never known any other
life. Sometimes, however, an individual
sinks to-the level OF this class who has
oeen worker, but through age or in
temperance in one form or another finds
ii difficult to obtain employment and
resorts to fraudulent measures to get a
living. Among these are to be found
many former hOusemaids and kitchen
domcstics.
1t is rare that a hospital fraud devel-
ops outside Of the institution for reasons
that are obvious. There are diseased con-
ditiUns which are more or less frequently
met with in daily practice which can only
be discovered through the complaints of
the patient himself. Such, for example
as certain kinds Of rheumatism. Rheu-
matiSm Is one Of the best ards the fraud
has up his sleeve. All physicians know
that it is possible TO suffer from rheu-
matte pains and yet show no outward
evidences of trouble. Some nerve or sets
Of nerves may become infamed. causing
the patient to suffer considerably, and
yet there will often be neither swelling
redness, nor other visible evidence to
prove the actual presence of the trouble
Hence the hospital fraud most always
complains of pain. He generally calls il
a at 10 ct nh
clan appealingly.
"A patient may enter the hospital euf-
fcring from az actual disease which can
not be mistaken. He finds that he Is
given all of the comforts and some of the
luxuries During his stay he has ample
opportunity TO discuss with other patients
as TO their complaints. and learns many
names of diseases and their symptoms
which he never heard Of before. He also
hears the nurses and physicians discuss
ing together and finally becomes ac-
Quaiuted with those ailments which are
difficult to recognize, and If he is Of the
genus tramp he Will put them to good
stead at the first opportunity.
After having been discharged from the
hospital as cured, the faker seeks his old
haunts and companions and posts them
on what he has learned while an inmate |
in the institution Some Of these trampS |
may attempt TO gain admission 30 the !
hospital, and many succeed, but are not |
apt to remain long, for they have not |
had the training their companion has had |
and, by one sign or another, evidenced in |
an Unguarded moment. they betray |
themselves and are ousted from the in |
StitutiOn-
"The most successful frauds are those |
suffering from crural ulcers OF the leg. |
Here is unmistakable outward evidence |
which cannot be gainsaid. As a rule, the |
trouble only attacks those of advanced |
years. when the vital forces are ebbing, |
and as Il rule, are the result of hardship |
and insufficient nOurishment during the |
past life Of the patient. Chronic alcohol |
ism is a predisposng cause also. This |
malady Is tedious TO cure, and when once
healed is apt to return, because the dis
charged patient goes back to his old life
Of privatiOu and want, the conditions |
which initiated the trouble in the begin
ming and which lights up the disease on
his return. The patient suffers very little |
pain or discomfort. but is crippled some
W hat. Standing for hours on the feet
will often aggraVate the trouble and |
bring about it's recurrence. The fraud |
learns in the hospital of the conditions
which prediSpOSe toward relapse and |
either opens up the old sore or seeks the |
lie has learned what a good thing life a
the hospital is There are in many !
Instances lawns and groves to enjoy. |
and comfortable beds and good food and
a pleasant nurse to wait on him. The |
between this and his old. life |
Is impressed upon his mind, and to con-
inue such delights he will resort to any
no matter how shameful.
"AS q rule such people are of too low
/ type of intelligence to maintain their
deception long, and are betrayed by some
remark or overt act which eXpelS them
from the institution. Not infrequently
his is disclosed in moment OF confidence
20 some other inmate, who is honest and |
not depraVed and who informs the nurse
md a watch is therefore placed over the