Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-16
BOARDMAN'S ANSWER
Continued from First Page.)

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l Continued from First PageJ
and Incorrect use of the word "condone."
| There cannot, we think, be found seintflla
of evidence in the thousand pages of testi-
mony justffying the application to II of the
| word condone. If the word is properly de-
| fined by the dictionaries 1t means an adj
United but parooned offense
In every incident the complainant was able
| to cite in regard to which the facts and cir
! cumstances were brought out all the doc
! tors without an exception, testified that
the conduct of the physician in the ambu-
lance was entirely justifiable.
| we now come to the consideration of
| the lengthy dissertation in the report on
| hypothetical incidents, so defined, for the
| reason that no knowledge of such oc-
| CURED came the report states, to the hos
| pital authorities. Nor Is it stated that the
| non-exercise of the degree of care required
/ of them.
I'VE wish 1t were feasible to quote page
after page of the testimony in commenda-
/ ton of the management of the Emergency
Hospital. Due consideration for the time
! of those. interested in the welfare of such
charities limits us to very brief quota
| lions from the testimony of DR.. Kober and
| DIR. Carr.
Drs. Kober and Carr.
| 'Dr. Kober. practicing physician since
1878. member of the consulting STAFF OF
| TIC ShiAoi GIL . I1OSptldl VI TTOVIUcuCe I1OS-
| pital, of the Central Dispensary and Elmer
| gency Hospital, the Washington Asylum
| Hospital, member Of the committee on
hospital administration in the Georgetown
University Hospital. dean and professor OF
| hygiene in the School of Medicine of
| Georgetown University Hospital, testified
as follows:
IT think was first elected member of
| the board of directors of the Central Dis
! pensary and Emergency Hospital in 1874,
| but was unable to then serve on account
of my appointment in the army. Four or
| five years ago was reelected
| 'State how much attention you have
given to the affairs of that hospital?'
We'll, I have endeavored to attend all
| the meetings of the board faithfully.
| How does the attendance of the board
| with the attendance of the controlling
power, consulting staff and directors of
these other institutions that you have
| named?
Exceedingly well. I have always been
| impressed with the large representation
and the earnest attention that has been
| given by the board, and felt that the at
| tendance was larger In proportion TO that
which / have ever seen in other inst1tu-
tons with which am connected
Nov, doctor. what is your Judgment In IN
! conduct of that institution?
81 think it Is exceedingly creditable to the
I institution. 1t would be d hcult. indeed, TO
| find Institutions where all things are per-
| feet So long as we are human, so long
| must we expect shortcomings, and have
| been impressed with the fact that these
shortcomings are really less marked In the
| Central DispenSary and Emergency Hos
pital than in other institutions with which
l am connected
Now, doctor, there are three representa-
| tives of the District government on this
| board of directors. Have you ever heard
| any criticism from any one of those repre-
| sentatives as to the management of the
| hospital?
CDR VIM p Carr testified as follows:
What Is your judgment, doctor. in re-
gard to the conduct Of the Central Dis
pensary and Emergency Hospital, as to
whether it Is a well-ordered and well-con-
Quoted institution or not?
Il think the Emergency Hospital is by
far the most difficult hospital in the city
to manage, on account of the patients that
come there the cramped quarters and the
irregular hours attached to these emer-
gency cases that come in, but IN spite or
all that I think 1T is the best conducted
hospital in the city. or at least as well
conducted as any of them, as far as my
observation has gone
I'm referring again to the hypothetical in
cidents. attention Is called to certain rather
remarkable discrepancies in the report.
forcing to the conclusion that the worthy
but very busy members of the tribunal who
were not present at the investigation, did
not find time either to read the testimony
or the defense to the charges.
1.-The board Of charities in Its report
states. that after the dismissal of DR..
Stuart by the complainant. ostensibly for
abusing a patient (Which abuse he so utter
ly failed to substantiate with testimony, no
allusion has been made to 1t in the reporO
and Immediately after charges of immoral
ity- were made by him, a committee was
appointed from the board of directors to
investigate the latter. 1t clearly appeared
that at the time these charges were pre-.
ferred they were the only ones that had
come to his knowledge to DR.. Stuart. y
soon after another committee was ap-
pointed by the directors to ascertain on
what grounds he hoped to effect change
in the character of the hospital, depriving
the directors of the power Of electing their
own associates. --,
ION the investigation three members of
this last COMMITTEES testified that In en-
tering upon the Investigation Of the COM
plainants charge of immortality against
the hospital the complainant himself was
called a witness, and testified that he.
had ascertained that the witness from
whom he obtained his information as to
this charge was untruthful-in fact, was
p liar-and hence he withdrew the charge.
The evidence tended to show that during
the life of the Emergency Hospital nearly, :.
if not quite, 10000 patients had been treat
ed within it's walls, and hundreds of physi-
clans and nurses employed therein To the
complainant who had taken such offense as
above stated and who had himself been for
eight years or more one of the directors
and a member of the staff, two months
were given for looking up testimony dam
aging to the hospital, and, in fact, more
would have been given to him if he had
asked for 1t.
So general and indefinite was the COM
plant he was permitted to file over the
thirty odd years of the hospitals exist
ence and as to the character of every one
by it employed, within all these years,
was he permitted to range in search for
evidence. Notwithstanding only as to two
persons was any testimony relating to their
immortality deemed by the Board of Chari-
ties worthy of their consideration.
nf these a house DhySlC.an ana
the other the little bellboy Due comment
has been made above on the evidence in
both of these cases.
AS to the so-called abuse of patients
But one single instance Is mentioned, on
account of which, the report states, an OF
fender would merit instant dismissal. Even
as to that single case issue should be taken
with the boards opinion.
A drunken, sun-stricken man was brought
into the hospital, several nurse girls and
the doctor were vigorously at work trying
to save his life. The following are the facts
as testified to by the superintendent. who
was present:
1.-THE man was intoxicated, and he had
pretty high temperature. He was using
very vile language, foul language. and
arfn of ha oil hn