Evening star., 1904-03-17

create the impressioh that there was gross
neglect that probably Contributed to the
fatal termination of the case.
I'm a recent investigation of the hos
pital ordered at the iqstfgation of Dr. H.
L. e. Johnston, which lasted over two
months. and included the whole period of
the hospitals existence. every charge and
specification was disproped.
A Severe Test.
There is no other hospital, municipal.
semi-public or private, with which / am
acquainted that could have stood SO Sc
we're test and come out unscathed And
vet the report of that investigation was so
worded, as given to the public press. as to
create a 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-
ceedingiy 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 a
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 acct
dents occur in all hospitals. They must
know that the Emergency Hospital Is the
most difficult to manage of any in the city.
and urgent cases brought there for treat
ment than to all the other hospitals COM
bined. Secondly, because many accident
cases are accompanied by a number of in
toxfcated 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 ronOrter9 whO fn oil
about the case, before the physicians have
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 vet
in their reports they have never had a
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 highly magnified and sensa-
tiOfal general impression Of shocking mis-
management. -
''The management of the hospital does
not claim to be perfect. Such an assump-
tfon would be absurd But when the man
dS6mSnt Is HdnlIeSCly equal 10 CHal OIL lnc
best similar institutions in the land. when
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 it's employees, when
it makes rules for the government of its
employees, that seem the wisest and best
under the circumstances. when 1t Furnishes
infractiens 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 great mistake that has
been made in the whole crusade against
this institution: The faults have peen
comparatively few. and have always been
of such unexpected character that they
could not be foreseep. al3d guarded against
A Suggested Parallel.
.'It would be as reasonable to cast the
onus of Watson's peeulations upon the Dis
trict Commissioners to fimprison them for
the crime of their enploye. as to blame the
management of the Emergency Hospital
for the breach of rule by resident ply
sician they had eKsryi reason to believe
they could trust, Are the Commissioners
to be abused for eveHyI failure OF the ASH
man and the garbagecfnan? Are they re,
sponsible for every street car accident. and
bicycle accident or even for every broken
limb caused. by inequalities in the streets!
SHOULD the -polices, Swbose duty 1t Is to
protect citizens, or the Commissioners VINO
assault or nurder DccuEring in fheJcity.
I'VE recognize the fae sthat cuanes and
accidents occur in the esbasst regulated citieS-s
1t is only when they ~besssne unusually ire
ouent that we can reasonably Queslioh lhe
government OF the community
No Municipal Control.
..,rbe same is true as to hospitals.
cballeneesAny one to show just cause for
compaaiht against the management Of the
F,1ergehcy Hospital or any good reason
why its management should be under mli-
nicipai control In fact, one of the Commis-
sioners of the District, the health off1cer
and .the- sanitary officer have always been
members of the board of directors OF the
hospital, and these gentlemen nave Hiahe
no radical objections nor suggestions 10 the
board nor signified any discomfort with
the present policy.
s'T'he specious argument has been ad-
vanced that the government should have
control because ii furnishes the chief sup
port of the hospitaE$15,0 600 per annum Is
there any good reason why the govern
ment should not trust the spending of this
small sum to thirty-one of it's representa-
tive citizens especially when they have
manag ged to treat successfully with 1t as
many patients as are treated in other hos
pitals of the city for 100000. But Is II
true that the government is the largest
contributor to the support of the hospital?
There are over fifty physicians giving their
services gratuitously to this institution. and
these services surely nave pecunlary
value. There are few Of them whose serv-
ices, computed at the lowest rates, would
not amount to over 81 900 year, or $4,000
for the total-$150,000 would be nearer the
truth.
Free Services of Surgeons.
Besides this, during the last year 3.oOO
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 it's $4,000 donation, or the ply
sicians, with their hundred thousands, of
dollars of service? *
Again IL the present management is
economical. and glance at the work done
for the amount exnended will shnyU that 1t