The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-25


 day morning.
 for more. This impression will be cor rected by the following statement. A member of the visiting staff of the hos pital said
 Well Known Physician Talks.
 ''To your article published Monday, of the hospitals oe our city, l wish to make q few pertinent remarks.
 Tt is true that both the St. Vincent and the Hilman hospitals are in an ex- ceedingly crowded condition; that at times it becomes very nearly impossible to take care of the sick and needy. I can speak from personal observation in regard to the condition at St. Vincent, with which hospital I have been con- ! necte1 ever since its location in our city. have been very intimately connected with its management and can speak as one who is thoroughly familiar with its inner workings. l have yet to find out of any case, white colored, Jew or Gentle, Protestant Catholic; in fact any creed or color, as having been refused a bed when requested. I have, in fact, known times when there have
  colored wards. but when from eight to ] twelve cots were put up scattered throughout the wards and railways, even In some of the store rooms, to furnish place for those unfortunates who had no other shelter and no other succor ex- | cept that furnished by the noble sis ters.
 Your article in todays issue has struck the keynote of what is required
 in this city. Tho Hillman hospital is not going to be able to furnish beds enough for the injured and sick The St. Vincent hospital must have another wing. As 1t Is, the house is too small even now to furnish comfortable quarters for it's sisters, nurses and house staff. Very few individuals except those working in so noble cause of allevating the suffer- ings of others, would sacrifice their per sonal comforts as t..ey do out there "I can state that no one making ap- plication for place there In an emerg ency when injured. has ever to my knowl- edge, been refused, regardless of his abil- ity to reimburse the officials for their services. And the fact that the St. Vim cent hospital does no longer charity work since the opening of the Hil1man hospital under It's new management, l can state that such cases have made application and have been admitted. That, today I was phoned by the Sister Superior that she was sending a case for me to ex- anime. She stated that there was no bed in the white ward but If I thought the case needed hospital care. she would have a cot put up. Similar cases as this hap pen almost daily"
 Card From St. Vincent's Staff. This was given out yesterday afternoon: After reading The Age-Herald of June "A we, the staff of St. Vincent's hospital regret the fact very much of the inability n fO applying for treatment, but desire to say: First. that never in its history has St. Vincent's hospital been doing more work for charity than at present. Second, that no one will ever be turned away from her doors when any provision can possibly be made. Third We do know that more pay than charity patients have been refused admis- tance for lack of room.
 Fourth. In regard to three patients having been carried from hospital to hos pital and then turned out on the world. Sister Chrysostom informs us that no emergency patient has ever beeen brought to the hospital and then carried away. Cunningham Wilson, L. Whaley, H. F. Presley, H. s. Ward. J. M. Mason. E. M. Prince, Cabot Lull, M J. W. Peters, F.. M. Robinson. J. D. Heacock, W. H. Wilder, Gaston Torrance"
 County Physicians Comments. Dr. J. D. Heacock, county physician, had this to say
 "The article in yesterdays paper rela- tive to the hospitals not taking, care of injured negroes, I think. calls for some comment. The statement not only exag- gerates the real conditions, but does a gross injustice to the management of St. Vncents hospital It is a fact that there is limited hospital space in this city for the poor. but I am quite sure t.le instances are few where an emergency case has not been provided for. During my nine years service as coun- ty physician I have never had a worthy case refused admission into St. Vincent, hospital, and this institution still cheer fully receives them even though the Hill hospital has been set apart for the in- digent.
 Many cases of chronic type are often regretfully refused admission, but this is for lack of space or account Of certain infection on the part of the pa- tient which would be hazardous to other inmates.
 An institution already full can't al- ways provide immediately for every &C., cident case that comes up, so 1t seems that the only solution is for the county to enlarge the colored department or .he Hillman, which, on account of It's con- venient location. purporr, etc, should be the recipient of all the charity accident cases of the city. Hillman hospital. as 1t Is, is just what Birmingham needed ten years ago..