The sun., 1904-08-30
SYDENHAM HOSPITAL DENIAL.
DOCTORS CHANCES FALSE AND
SILLY, SAY DIRECTORS.
n Any Money Was Paid u Was to Help Sup
port the Insttution--Old Board In.
iorsed and New One Elected-WII Ask
State Board TO Make Inspection.

State Board 70 Make lnspecuon.
The board Of directors OF the Sydenham
Hospital held meeting last night and dis
cussed the charges made against that in
stitution by Drs. Goldwater. Cohn. LIGHT
schein and Feldman in the petition they
have made to the State Board OF Charities
since their dismissal from the hospital,
asking that the charter be revoked.
| There were eleven directors present at
the meeting. After it was over. W. l..
Spiegeberg who presided, invited report
ers into the board room and in the presence
OF the other directors. declared that the
boards opinion OF the charges was that
they were untrue, unfounded and uncalled
| for, and in some respects silly
! Mr.. Spiegelberg said that the matter was
| still before the bo, ri. but that an investi-
| cation had already .e n made OF the charges
| and that he couldn't see what was left for
| the board to do
I'VE have questioned DIR. Kunitzer and
| Dr. Levine and others mentioned by the
| dismissed DOCTORS" said Mr.. Spiegelberg,
"and these gentlemen have denied all
knowledge of any money being demanded
| of the doctors. All that we know Is that
some money was given by the doctors
| for tablet in one Of the wards.
with the denial that they gave any
other moneys, made by the doctors con-
| nected with our institution, 1t would seem
| as though that was as far as we could go.
| As for the charge Of mismanagement, we
have invited the public to inspect our in
stitution and we are going to demand that
the State Board OF Charities step in here
and examine every detail Of it,
Mr.. Spiegeberg said that the directors
| did not care to make a formal statement
regarding the affair or fight the case in
the newspapers" as he expressed It, When
| the proper time came, he said, the hospitals
side would be presented. 1t had been de-
| cided he said, that, on account OF the civil
suit brought against Dr. Kunitzer, head OF
the hospital board, by one Of the doctors,
1t would be unwise to make public just
now the nature of the charges brought
against the doctors on which they were
dismissed.
DR.. Kunitzer in the presence Of the di-
rectors told the reporters that he had never
received any of the sums mentioned by the
dismissed doctors.
why" he said, "at the time they say
the money was paid, DR.. Lichtschein was
treasurer sand DR.. Cohn was secretary.
They were the ones who would get any
DR.. Kunitzer said that It was DR.. LIGHT
schein who had proposed Dr.. Feldman
for the staff at a meeting OF the board at
which the latter was elected DR.. Feldinan
has said that he paid 500 for the appoint
@When they are more specific, perhaps
we can answer their charges said Mr.:
Spiegelberg AT present we know OF
them only through the newspapers. We
do not receive any money from the state
or the city, and | do not think that the
State Board Of Charities has jurisdiction,
anyway. although we want that board
to make an investigation. and shall de-
mand it,
The annual meeting Of the hospital asso-
citation was held before the board meeting
and unanimously indorsed the action OF
the board which retired last night. An
enlarged board of twenty-five members
was elected, but Mr.. Spiegelberg would not
give out the names OF the new board last
might & + sn;s.s,ber. president o, the hos
pital, said yesterday that in his opinion
the charges made against the institution
to the State Board OF Charities by Drs.
Cohn. Lichtschein, Goldwater and Feld-
man were preferred for the purpose OF
%pon o yere
brought to the attention OF the board OF
directors" he said, although DR.. LIGHT
schein was the secretary and Or. Cohn the
treasurer OF the hospital. All four OF the
I
ration, and il they really had its interests
at heart don't believe they would formu-
late a set OF sensational charges and give
them to the newspapers without first trying
to remedy the alleged abuses through COM
plant to the properly. constituted officials
Of the institution. /, for one, would have
been glad to make an investigation had !
been appealed to. Even now, If any such
abuses exist as are alleged. am for going
| to the bottom OF the affair.
| @A6 the 0rODDin0 OF the petitioners from
the medical staff l wish to say that their
refusal to contribute further to the sup
port Of the hospital had nothing to do with
It, In fact, DR.. Cohn and DR.. Lichtschein
never made any contributors so far as
know. They were dropped for good and
sufficient cause. Formal charges were
preferred against them and they made no
defence. An opportunity to resign was
fit to take advantage of 1t. Certain find
ngs were made against them by the medical
board, and the board Of directors sustained
the findings. According to the bylaws
give them hearing, but to be fair and get
both sides OF the case we did offer them an
opportunity to be heard, Of which they
did not avail themselves.
Some Of the charges they make are
ridiculous. For instance, what has the
State Board OF Charities to do with viola
tions of corporation ordinances such as
failure to erect fire escapes2 AS a matter
OF fact signed a requisition for fire escapes
at least sixty days ago, and my impression
is that they have been erected. II they
have not it, is a case for the city officials
and not for the State Board OF Charities.
so far as know no places on the medic al
staff We're ever sold. II the doctors paid
anything, it was In the nature Of contribu-
tions to the maintenance OF the hospital,
and is 80 entered in the books 1t is absurd
to think that anybody made any money
out Of these transactions. The hospital is
pinched for funds at all times. That Ia true OF
practically every charitable institution in
New York unless you count those that
are heavily endowed. Naturally the doc
tors who were benefited by a connection
with the hospital were expected to give
something toward its support, but the fact
that they gave did not get them the places
they sought In addition they had to prove
that they were At for the places
As for the charge that the apothecary
substituted. according to his own judg-
ment, drugs for medicine prescribed by
the staff physicians, I don't see anything
very terrible in that. II such substitutions
were made, they were always Of a harmless
nature; for instance. II the prescription
called for bicarbonate OF soda, and there
happened to be none on hand, soda mint
| Was mt in its placp.