Evening star., 1904-03-17

neglect that probably contributed to the
fatal termination of the case.
I'm a recent investigation of the hos
pital ordered at the i1stigation of DR.. III.
L. e. Johnston, which lasted over two
months. and Included the whole period of
the hospitals existence. every charge and
specification was disproved.
A Severe Test.
''There is no other hospital municipal,
semi-public or private, with which 1 am
acquainted that could. have stood SO Sc
we're test and come out unscathed And
yet the report of that investigation was so
worded. as given to the public press. as to
create very bad impression upon the
casual reader. The headlines gave the i'm
preston of scandaIous condition, while
the reading matter between them was ex-
ceedingly mild. The testimony should
have called for the highest praise instead
of the mild condemnation given by the
board of charities. But this mild condem-
nation was so skillfully handled in publish
ed accounts as to give the impression of
scandal These reports have led to the
constant reference in daily papers to- the
deplorable condition of the management of
the hospital. The board of charities is too
intelligent body not to know that acci-
dents occur in all hospitals They must
| know that the Emergency Hospital Is the
most difficult to manage of any in the city,
First, because there are more desperate
diiu urgent cases DTOuS there for treat
ment than to all the other hospitals COM
bined. Secondly, because many accident
cases are accompanied by number of In
texfcated friends, who make unreasonable
demands and become angry and offended
when these demands are denied. Thirdly
because SO many cases of accident crimi-
nal assault and others of a sensational
character are brought in and followed by
hosts OF curious persons and eager news
paper reporters, who want to know all
about the hafOrp the nh o;o bo,
had time to examine the patient, and by
lawyers who wish to interview dangerously
Ill and often unconscious patients.
No Praise for Good Work.
The board of charities know all these
facts and must know after all their careful
Investigations that, in spite of these un-
usual difficulties. the Emergency Hospital
is as free from serious mistakes and acci-
dents as any. hospital in the District or any
similar hospital in any other city. And yet
IN their reports they have never had
word of praise for the magnificent work it
has done for years and is still doing; but
only condemnation of minor faults so word
ed as to give.a highly magnified and sensa-
tfofal general impression Of shocking mis-
management.
"The management of the hospital does
not claim to be perfect. Such an assump-
tion would be absurd. But when the man
agement is manifestly equal to that of the
it is constantly striving to improve it's
methods to meet new and rapidly increasing
demands, when it uses the greatest care
possible in the choice of its employees when
1t makes rules for the government of its
employees, that seem the wisest and best
under the circumstances, when 1t Furnishes
infractionS of these rules to the verge Of
severity, it is neither just nor kind to blame
the management for every fault of an en-
ploye. =
This is the one great mistake that has
been made in the whole crusade against
this institution. The faults have been
of such unexpected character that they
could not be foresee1v asd guarded against.
A Suggested Parallel
'It would be as reasonable to cast the
onus of Watson's peeulations upon the Dis
trict Commissioners to imprison them for
the crime of their erfploye. as to blame the
management of thes Emergency Hospital
for the breach of a rule by a resident ply
sician they had every reason to believe
they could trust. tA.rea the Commissioners
to be abused for every failure OIL the ASH
man and the garbagefman? Are they re-
sponsible for every street car accident, and
bicycle accident, or even Tor every broken
limb caused: by Inequalities in the streets!
Should the police. swRpse duty II Is 10
protect citizens, or tltep Commissioners VINO
appoint them, be he&dIto1account 1or every
assault or plurdar oecuzTing in thej city.
I'VE recognize the "a ehsthat cnsrnes and
accidents occur In tbesbnSt regulated cues
II is only when they -bessme unusually fire.
auent that we. can reasonably question the
government ofstfe community
No Municipal Control.
",rbe same is true as to hospitals. l
challenge ANY one to show just cause for
complaint against the management or the
Emergency Hospital or any good reason
why its management should be under mu-
nicipaf control. In fact, one of the Commls-
sioners of the District, the health onlcer
and athe sanitary officer have always peeh
members of the board of directors OF tne
hospital, and these gentlemen have made
no radical objections nor suggestions 10 tns
board nor signified any discomfort with
the present policy.
'"rhe specious argument has been dd-
yanced that the government should have
control because 1t furnishes the chief sup
port of the hospital-$15,000 per annum. 10
there any good reason why the govern
ment should not trust the spending of this
small sum to thirty-one of its representa-
tive citizens, especially when they have
managed to treat successfully with 1t as
many patients as are treated in other hos-
pitfalls of the city for 100000. But Is 1t
true that the government is the largest
contributor to the support of the hospital?
There are over fifty physicians giving their
services gratuitousiy to this institution. and
these services surely have pecuniary
value. There are few Of them whose serv-
ices. computed at the lowest rates, would
not amount to over 81, 600 year, or $4,000
for the total-s150,0O0 would be nearer the
truth.
Free Services of Surgeons.
Besides this, during the last year 1890
surgical operations were performed, which
were worth from $25 to 500 each at the
lowest figures At the absurdly small val
uation of s. an operation this would equal
the contribution of the government.
Upon the ground of greatest contribu-
ton. who should have control-the govern
ment, with its $4,000 donation, or the ply
sicians. with their hundred thousands of
dollars of service? -.
again, If the present management Is
economical. and glance at the work done
for the amount expended will show that 1t