The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-10
nR. ], H4PRY0R is DISCUSSED.
,rSICyS AS SUPERINTENDENT
or TUBERCULOSIS HOSPITAL.
,,-cd Of the "yicious Capitalization or
power" In Fiscal supervisor BENDER
and OF BEING Associated With Board
NJ trustees VINO Are Only Fl5ureheads.

n, trustees VINO Are Only Flsureheads.
S,s.sAc LAKE, y. y, July Elm speak
t,c If his resignation as resident physician
~ the State Hospital for tuberculosis,
Dr John II Pryor said;
Il resigned last March, but no action
rha,oyer was taken on my resignation,
orG have now asked to be relieved imme-
a;a,slv | shall leave this institution on
,hs 10Th of this month and take up my
.os,dence and the practise OF medicine In
s.ranac Lake My reasons for resigning
.rsthat am tired Of the shackles involved
IL STATE institutional work as 1t !s at present
.,rr,ad on IN New York. There is infinitely
W. much red tape, which has grown in the
course OF wears and has been supplied
largely bv clerks, am tired OF the vicious
o.r,ralization Of power In the hands OF
ono man, such power as is possessed by
-. f.cal supervisor, H. H. Bender.
a., tired of being associated with board
- ,rrstees of State institution who no
In,,er lerislate, but merely meet and act
az fg,reheads. Only Dickens could prop
or,v anpreciate the humor presented by
the situation
Il am disguised and I measure my
uords when | saw disgusted-w the re-
s,rs ~ the civil service as administered in
,b;s State The Civil Service Commission.
or rather its clerks seems able to furnish me
with everything do not want and nothing
Idowant in tho way of assistants. A super
intendent is held responsible for the entire
management Of his institution but all his
ernloyees have to do is to pass an exami-
nation which. so far as it can show their
fitness for the POSITIONS they hold, is a COM
ple,e farce. do not hesitate in saying that
the time is past when superintendent of
State institution in New York State can feel
that the direction of the institution is in
reality in his hands, and the time is APP
preaching rapidly when no physician of any
professional standing will accept a position
in a State institution.
1T must be assumed that was selected
TO Gil the position have held in this institu-
ton on account of my knowledge Of tuber-
culosis and its treatment, but my work
here has been work that required peculiar
executive ability rather than medical knowl-
edge The building. the State sanitarium
here, is really barrack. according to the
confession of the men who designed it.
III Il
criticized severely by qualified judges who
have visited it from similar institutions
from all the States Of the Union, Yet it
admitted by all authorities on the matter
that this sanitarium leads, when its age is
taken into consideration first, in the num-
Der Of durable cases treated. and, secondly,
in the results obtained.
After short rest it is my intention to
n
used in conducting State sanitarium.
will give actual facts, and they are GER
nnly such as to astonish the outside public.
These facts must be known. They should
have been exposed by the State Board Of
Charities, but that honorable body in
dulges principally in garrulity and in liberal
promises that it will DO something some
There should he l2o patients in this
santarium, but with the present appropria-
ton the only way in which it is possible to
provide for more than 100 patients Is by
inmate. When l have been required to
take more patients than maintenance was
provided for, | was advised to, as it was
expressed put the matter up to Mr.. Bender
and he would be obliged to allow necessary
expenses, even if they would create deficit
refused to allow 81 900 that was absolutely
required for maintenance, and it became
plain that fourteen patients who had not
yet recovered would have to be discharged.
This may be taken as an illustration OF the
economy boosted of by Mr.. Bender. At the
modated here with ample room, and the
only added expense would be the additional |
food required and the services of few |
more Mattresses.
The sanitarium has cost 900 and it is |
given up to 100 patients. 1t should be
remembered that the cities and counties
from which the patients are sent pay two
thirds Of the cost of their maintenance in
the institution, so that the added direct |
cost to the State for the seventy-6ve adj |
dtonal patients would be comparatively |
small and this trining increase is not al
s loxed oeca al apparently, the present
fleets credit on one man, who is striving to
obtain reputation for economy regard
lees OF everything The present manage
ment OF the Ray Brook institution as adj
ministereed at Albany and not at Ray Brook,
h a laughable exhibition. 1t is only fair to
%y, and have pleasure in speaking of it.
that politics have been connected in no
way with the institution. No politician
has endea vored to inject them here either
py using influence to place patients in the
house or in any other way Gov. Higgins |
has done his utmost to forward my work,
and my relations With him have been most
pleasant
4, After leaving DR.. Pryor tour Of inspec-
tlon OF the institution was made. 1t looks
very much as if cyclone had recently
Hrokit, For furnishings Of the nine rooms
occupied by the superintendent there are
small rug, one bureau and one stand
Inc State is supposed to provide furnished
sspa1mentss The walls throughout the
nouse are bare there are no medical books
N the library and the very microscope with
Snlch the examination OF sputum is made
= ~ Pryors personal property and has
oeen left by him because the institution has
no other. The billiard table and piano.
snlch afford almost the only recreation !
possible TO the patients, still remain They
spere obtained by Dr. Pryor from friends in