The Detroit times., 1913-04-29
new HOSPITAL
SECURES RELIEF
FROM TAXATION
Board Of Review Strikes $780,.
600 from Rolls Despite
Vern0r's Protest
ALDERMEN HEAR TALES
TOLD OUT OF SCHOOL
Physicians Reveal Cases of Nal.
practice Which Necessitate
Eligible List"


Many things not generally known
about hospitals were brought out III
the board OF review meeting. Monday
morning. when the ofiicials of the DE
troit General hospital appealed to the
aldermen to exempt the hospital prop
erty at Hamilton and West Grand
blvds. from the $4,000 assessment
against it. After listening to the
arguments OF the board of trustees
and the hospital authorities. the board
voted to cancel the assessment.
Attorney Alfred Lucking, a mem
Der OF the hospital board OF trustees
told the aldermen that the hospital
Is charitable institution In every
sense OF the word, and that when
completed, 1t would be one of the fin
est hospitals of it's kind in the coun
try.
I'VE hope to raise enough money
by subscription so that we will not
be compelled to ask patients
brought into the hospital what they
can AFFORD to pay" said DR.. William r.
Metcalf, head OF the medical stan
When we are able to do that, De
trOit will have a charitable hospital
that will be a Godsend to the poor,
but this question of tax exemption
Is becoming very vital one" inter.
rupted Aid. Vernon. IF we keep on
exempting property--vacant property
held by charitable institutions-who
Is going to pay the taxes? For my
part hope to see the day when every
foot Of land in the state of Michigan
Is placed on the tax rolls. Over $780,
100000 Of property is exempt from
taxation"
III the city of Detroit does not
recognize the work of those who col
lected the funds for this splendid in.
stitution, then the city Is not worthy
OF q hospital" said DR.. Metcalf. II
would advise the hospital authorities
to close the doors and allow the
vacant building to stand as a monu-
ment to those who have charge OF the
city's affairs"
Numerous rufnors have come to
me that the Detroit General hospital
will not open It's doors to all members
OF the medical profession said Aid.
Vernon 'ln other words 1t Is a close
corporation, and not every doctor can
send patients there for treatment.
THAT is not SO" replied DR.. Met
calf. 1T Is true that we have q list
Of eligible physicians. as have most
Of the hospitals. Harper has one;
Grace has not
What do you mean by physician
who is not eligible?" asked Aid. Case
II would like to answer that Ques-
tion," said DR.. John N. E. Brown,
superintendent Of the hospital. I'VE
have a committee that passes on the
names Of the eligible physicians. We
do II to protect the profession. I will
illustrate Just what mean by telling
you what happened in st. Louis
hospital recently. A doctor was oper-
ating on a woman. Suddenly a nurse
rushed from the operating room and
told another doctor and surgeon that
the woman on the operating table was
bleeding to death. The doctor found
that the operating doctor had cut into
a vial organ thinking he was removing
q cancer. The woman's life was saved
by narrow margin. In some way the
report gained currency that the doe
tor who nearly killed the woman, had
saver her life by performing q great
operation. On the strength Of these
reports, four women we're to him for
cancer treatment and they all died.
Unfortunately this affair was hushed
up. The trouble Is that the country Is
full of medical schools that are turn.
ing out men who are not competent"
DR.. eMtcalf told the aldermen OF a
recent experience he had where the
operating doctor became stage
struck" and left the unconscious pa
tient on the table for an hour with an
fncision In the stomach The operat.
ing doctor had accomplished nothing
when DR.. Metcalf, happening TO visit
the operating room, noticed the con-
dition OF the patient and the operating
doctor, and finished the operation him
eelf.
subsequently this doctor was given
credit in the newspaper for perform
ing q great operation, and I was men
toned as being among the Is spec.
tators present" said DR.. Metcalf.
The aldermen shuddered as the doc
tor related these gruesome stories.
We want to 60 to hospitals to be
cured, not killed." observed Aid. Frei.
valid.
Assistant Corporation Counsel Bar.
low informed the board OF review
that he. could find no legal authority
to bolster up Assessor Nagel's assess
ment against the hospital, and II was
cancelled in open meeting. In add.
ton to Mr.. Lucking. Merton f. Farr,
president OF the hospital board OF
trustees. and Charles Moore, q mem.
Der Of the board were present in the
meeting Mr. Farr stated that only
100000 had been donated for hospital
purposes thus far. and that at least
81, 100000 10 needed.