Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-23
CUTTING OUT DRUGS
Their Use Declining in Hospi-
tai Treatment.
REPORT TO ASSOCIATION
Drugless Methods Gaining Advo.
Gates, DR.. Ross Declares.
SCORE AMBULANCE NUISANCE"
Fast Runs and Gong Ringing Crit
icised in Committee Report-Plea
for the Iucurables.

That the use Of drugs in hospitals has
been materially decreased during recent
years was the conclusion reached by DR.
r. r. Ross in report on hospital efil'
cheney. finance and economies OF admin.
istration which he read before the Amer.
lean Hospital Association at the New vii.
lard Hotel this morning. DR.. Ross II
chairman OF a committee appointed b,
the association at its last annual confer.
ence to consider these questions. He Il
the superintendent OF the Buffalo Genera
Hospital Of Buffalo, n. Y.
Hospital statistics, DR.. Ross said, show
that fifteen years ago the average cost OF
drugs per patient was 80. while now l,
is but Oh cents. Hospitals. he declared
are adapting themselves to new condi
tions and are recognising advocates OF
fresh air. mental and other drugless
treatments.
The ambulance nuisance was anothe,
matter touched upon by DR.. Ross. HI
said that in many cities the ringing Of
gongs had been prohibited, and the hos
pitfalls were coming to recognise the fact
that the sensational runs OF ambulancei
were not attractive. but were sometimes
the cause OF accidents that brought to the
hospital more patients than the ambu'
lance was sent for
Advocates Full Publicity.
DR.. Ross advocated full publicity o.
hospital work with proper regard for thu
protection of patients and the observ.
ance Of medical ethics.
The discussion Of questions sent into thu
question box occupied much OF the time
at this mornings session. The majority o,
In conclusion DR.. Ross made an
earnest plea for better care Of the in
durable patient Many times, he said
tails because their cases were hopeless
They were turned over to young ply
sicians and inexperienced nurses.
And yet" said DR.. Ross 1.-The incur.
ables need sympathy and tender care
far more than other patients. Particu-
lar attention should be paid to the
many Of them whose last days are
spent In acute mental and physical
pain"
The discussion OF questions sent In to
time of today's session. The majority
of the delegates favored the attendance
by hospital superintendent upon the
meetings Of the trustees or governors.
The principal argument in support OF
this was that the superintendent should
be on hand at all times to answer any
questions the trustees might wish to
ask and to give them the benefit of
his expert knowledge in the direction
of the hospitals affairs.
The use of vacuum cleaners in hos
pitfalls was heartily Endorsed by those
superintendent present who had had
experience with them.
Relative Merits Of Baths.
At last nights session the relative mer-
its of the bathtub and the shower bath
were discussed. DR.. r. w. Corwin. SUI
perintendent Of the Minnequa Hospital
at Pueblo. Col. in q paper on "Sugges-
tons in Connection With Hospital Con-
structicn." declared In favor Of the show
er bath. while DR.. r. r. Ross spoke fer
vently in behalf of the tub as being best
for children and favored by women. who
avoided the shower because they did not
like to get their hair wet.
In a paper on The Relation Between
the Architect and the Doctor in Planning
a Hospital DR.. Charles P. Emerson, SUI
perintendent of the Clifton Springs Hos
pital, at Clifton Springs, n. Y. declared
that European hospitals were far ahead
of those of this country from a struc-
tural standpoint, and urged the necessity
of a more careful study of this question
by American architects and doctors
The session was concluded with a
description, by Rear Admiral Ross of the
Navy, Of the new naval hospital at
North Chicago. Ill. Admiral Ross lee
ture was illustrated by stereopticon
views.