The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-12-16

Inere no question ABOUT Keeping
it up, by having picnic every year
and tag day. We can easily keep
it up. 1t won't interfere with any
churches or anything else. We
can't make less than 5000 to $500
on a picnic nor less than $500 to
$500 on tag day. We want to ap-
peal to the townships outside. After
the holidays the Board of Directors
will meet and have the money sub
scribed and raised Most of the
board are business people. Children
are sending in quite little money.
some as much as 25 and Is cents"
Mr.. Fuerth took a very hopeful
view of the situation and intimated
that some pleasant surprises in a fl
nancial way were coming soon.
H. C. Menner is the president of
the Board of Directors; NJ. ]. Hanlan
is the secretary; and NJ. E. Simons
the treasurer.
The Other Side of the Story.
When the reporter called on a man
who admitted that he had "some
slight hospital experience" he was
rewarded with a very complete state
ment of the cost of the maintenance
of such an institution as the proposed
hospital.
do you think that we can main
tain hospital?" the reporter asked.
They can" was the reply, eff they
will, and | should think that these
subscriptions be at least annual sub
scriptions. The fact that a person
gives a 500 or $500 to-day isn't go
ing to maintain hospital. If they
give that much annually they'll be
keeping up the hospital. The large
majority of donors of the Scranton
hospitals give so much as $1,000 and
$500 year as the case may be, and
still they have trouble to keep their
heads above water"
When questioned as to the cost of
maintenance, the reporter was told
For a rough estimate l should think
small hospital here, run with a
matron, nurse and a steward, or jan
itor or call it a handyman, together
with the expense of fuel, light, taxes,
insurance, water-would cost from
$50 to SIS, a week for fixed ex-
penses, and that would mean for the
smallest kind of an institution"
How about surgeon?" was the
inquisitive newspaperman's next
question.
well, the way things are situated
now, for capital operations, they
would have to have a man come here
from Scranton"
What would be his fee?"
"A man could afford to come for a
800"
"The people of course have an er-
roneous idea of the number of sur
gical instruments needed There
isn't hospital in the United States
that hasn't three or four times the
SUN lney actually need.
Amy surgeon that would come
from Scranton would bring a lot of
instruments with him. For instance
in an operation for appendicitis, all
you need is a half dozen artery for
ceps, bistery, straight little knife,
pair of small scissors, a couple of
needles, few little pieces of cat
gut, three or four pieces of silkworm
gut--that's all you need"
The reporter thought this was the
proper time to shudder! He shiver-
ed from head to foot, when the emu
, meration of instruments was made.
The question of instruments was
brought up when the name of a sur
geon, who halls from Northeastern
Pennsylvania, and has since left for
other fields, was mentioned. The re-
porter was informed that the indivi-
dual in question does very little oper-
ating, and that he is not even a good
surgeon.
"Dr. Robert 4 Morris, New York
City, a man of national reputation,
the best surgeon in the United
States, who prides himself upon do
ing an appendicotomy lie, the oper-
alton for appendicitis) says he can dc
it with pair of scissors and a
needle. This instrument business is
a great bugaboo."
"A hospital is all right. But the
ratio of patients is about four Char
ity'' to one pay" patient"
THE BARE COST OF MAIN
TENANCE OF A HOSPITAL IN
HONESDALE WITHOUT ANY PA.
TIENTs WOULD RUN FROM $50
TO SIS A WEEK"