The Detroit times., 1914-03-25
PRICE PLEADS AGAINST
CUT IN HEALTH BUDGET


ers with q third ailment that II dam
gerous to the public. Some patients
have scarlet fever and diphtheria, or
dtphtheria and measles, at the same
time. These will be provided for
when the new building In finished.
Material II now on the way Tor q
second story for the scarlet fever hos.
pital; and an estimate OF $42,700 10
In to provide another story for the
diphtheria hospital. This will add IS
beds. at q very low cost per bed. and
will relieve q situation which now
calls for az many 90 four beds In .
room intended for one, and the use OF
dislnfecting rooms as bedrooms for
patients.
But the big problem before the
Board Of Health II the land problem.
The council committee has allowed
$225,000 for additional land: and
Health Omcer Price casts longing
eyes at the % acres behind the hos.
rital. which would double the present
site, four blocks long and three
blocks deep. All about the hospital.
buildings are being erected and
ground 10 being broken for more
buildings: and unless action 10 taken
ct once to secure the needed proper.
ty. it, value will soon increase be-
yond the city's purse. The present
site cost $37.600. There were some
bought, for II seemed ''out In the
country'-but today II II worth many
times what ID cost Q few years aso.
Impure air causes moro sickness
than impure water and impure food, "
said Health Oficer Price. - he look
ed over the vacant land west Of the
tuberculosis hospital and drank In the
spring breeze. IT We can put our
$500. 600 tuberculosis hospital on this
site, we shall be assured Of pure cir
for the patients for years to come.
People talk 90 much about Johns
Hopkins. That hospital II crowded In
q copsested part Of the city. and has
few of the advantages which We
would have with this site"
DR.. Price gased with msnacins
eye at IN excAvating machine. three
blocks away. that seemed about to
dig q hole In the land he covets.
Then he turned and glared at the
row OF houses which have receatly
been built on Troy-ave.. On . 96-foot
strip, which the hospital needs to
rourd out it, site. There n another
strip between the hospital grounds
and Taylor.ave., on the north; and
for these two pieces Of necessary
land. the committee has allowed
800. 000.,
Detroit has only half - many hoe
pital beds % other cities, IN comparl'
son to it, population" sa3d DR.. Price.
do you know that you can't ret =
room In . hospital, today, without
paying 80 o. 81 = dayf Try, and zee.
Ask for . o roo0. end see II you
are not told that you win have TO
take more expensive room until
there II . vacancy.
Moreover. private hospitals will
which menace the public health. Our
capacity here ID 80 limited that We
have to pick and choose the cases
which shan b sent here. We take
tho cases which seem to 10 to Be
most dangerous, not to the patient,
but to the public generally. II theirs
10 slight danger Of contaSion, We 81.
low the patient to remain ct home;
but Il the case u found In crowded
quarter. We bring the patient here
and II We haven't room for him. w
try to make room"
The tuberculosis hospital and Ito
pavilions have 80 patients; and most
OF them are incurable. In bed In the
big frame structure built BY Mayor
Ptngree In 80 days 70 house small.
pox patients, during an epidemic, and
later turned into q Tuberculosis san
atorium by Health OAloor Kiefer.
who fumigated the great barn and
took q chance Of jeopardlsins his rep.
utation, In order 10 secure some place
for white plague sufferers before the
public was educated to the necessity
Of q special hight against this dis
ease. The new brick and concrete
hospital which win be built II the
Board Of Estimates allows the ~
Quired 100000. Will provide for $50
beds. The present structure II Q
flre-trap; and Dr.. Price admits that II
once are got fair start In the dry
timbers, there would be little chance
Of saving oil the patients.
The hospital now has three build.
ings In servjcs-the administration
building, facing B1aine-ave., on Ham.
ilton.blvd., IN the center Of the group;
the diphtheria building, north Of it
("The preventive measures taken al
over the city against diphtheria
ought to show roguots soon, and ~
lieve that building" says Dr.. Price),
and the crowded scarlet fever hospj-
tel. south Of It. Behind the diph-
iberia hospital - the threedieease
hospital, nearing compilation: behind
tho scarlet fever hospital IL the
nurses building, almost finished. All
these buildings are connected by un.
derground passages with one an.
othcr. Food Is prepared In the ad.
ministration building and rushed on
push-carts to the hospitals. The
kitchens can take care Of the units
which are contemplated, and 20 will
the laundry. where the clothing and
bed linen are disinfected by = ave.
hour bath of live steam.
1.-THE tuberculosis hospital IL the
only place In the city where the morn
ing's milk is obtained the same morn
Ing, says DR.. Price. The milk Ii
obtained from Jersey cows. subjected
to the tuberculin test They are
MIXED at o'clock. and we get the
milk at 10 O'Clock. II contains l.2
to percent OF butter fat, while the
city requirement Is only per cent;
and 1t costs US 6 cents q quart"
In the nurses building. the prac-
tice Of DR.. George w. 0oler, founder
of the Rochester Hospital for Infec-
tious Diseases, will be tested. DIR.
0oler holds that Il Is quite safe for
nurses caring for various contagious