Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-12
MADEQUACY
DEPLORABLE
RECEIVING HOSPITAL PRESENTS
PlTIFuL PROBLEM
MANY INJURED WAIT HOURS IN
rEEP AGONY
Lack of Facilities : Room ComPels
Surgeons to Delay Treatment
of Emergency Gases and
Suffering Results

The inadequacy of the city receiving
hospital to care for emergency cases
when they come more than one at a
time was never more aptly shown than
late Yesterday afternoon, when six pa
tients were rushed into the place WITHIN
q half hour and five of them had 10
wait with their injuries UNATTENDED un-
til the surgeons i'll charge finished an
operation in an effort to save mans
life.
The first case was that of John Pot
lock. the insane man who, after drink
ing gasoline, attempted suicide by the
hari-kari route.
While Pollock was on the operating
table, with all of the available sur
geons in the service of the city work.
ing on him, in desperate effort to save
his life. four men injured in street car
accldents and one injured in an acci-
dent at his home were brought in.
All of these men, suffering pain aad
requiring emergency treatment, were
compelled to wait until the police sur
geons were through with the operation
on Pollock.
Despite the fact that the Pacific Elec-
trio railway surgeons were present and
ready to render assistance to the men
hurt in the railway accidents, they were
unable to attend to the men because
of the lack of room and facilities at the
receiving hospital.
Some of the Victims
One man, A. G.. Hills, of 2041 Brook
lyn avenue, was struck by car at
Eighth and San Pedro streets while he
was driving a wagon. He was thrown
from the wagon and sustained Iacera-
tions of the face and head and con-
tusions of the shoulder. He lay in
sensible upon the ward room floor of
the hospital forty minutes before he
could be attended toi
The second man, h. Mostani2h of
Watts. who was struck by a car at
Ninth and Main streets, and sustained
severe contusions of the back and hips.
labored in pain upon cot for an equal
length of time before he received at
tention.
A Scawrco, who lives at Seventh
street and Santa Fe avenue. tried to
board a moving car at Ninth and Re
dondo streets. He was thrown and
fell heavily to the pavement and re-
ceived a cash over the right eye and a
concussion of the brain. He lay in
sensible upon the floor of the ward
room for an hour before the surgeons
were able to get to him and relieve his
condition by their ministrations.
T. S. Lewis, an express wagon driver.
while crossing the tracks of the street
railway at Twenty eighth and San Pc
dro streets. was run into by a car and
thrown from his wagon. He received
confused wounds on both arms and on
the right hip. and suffered pain for an
hour before the police surgeons found
room for him in the operating section
of the hospital.
j. T. DORIS, q chauffeur, While sky
larking at his home at 2f01s South Hill
street with a friend, ran into a broken
screen door and almost tore his right
eye from the socket and ripped the
upper lid off until it hung by a thread
of flesh. 1t was more than an hour
before his injury was attended to-
Equipped for but One
The receiving hospital at the city Jail
is equipped to take care of one pa
tient at time, because there is room
for no more in the operating room.
There are five police surgeons. all
competent and sympathetic men. who
perform their duties in all instances as
well as the highest priced surgeons in
the world, but they are handicapped by
lack of facilities and no blame can
justly be attached to them for their in
ability to care for cases when they pile
up a they did yesterday afternoon.
All of the patients mentioned above
were cared for in turn and as fast as
possible. but a great deal OF pain and
suffering could have been avoided had
the city had proper hospital room to
take care OF cases as fast as they came
in and in any reasonable number.