The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-16
Emergency Hospital Methods
By Frederic J. Haslkin.

|
Deaths and permansnt liabilities
resulting from accidental injuries
have been lowered forty Per cent In
every large city within the last
twenty-five years. This gratifying
Accomplishment is due chiefly to ths
increase or emergency hospital La0lA-
ties.
The emergency hospital and OILS.
pensary places the best surgical and
medical skill and the most improved
scientific apparatus within tmme-
date reach Of every person who lives
near such an institution. The lives
of thousands OF people are annually
saved by the emergency system.
might otherwise bee hopeless Grip
pies are restored to full health and
vigor.
The emergency hospital now COM
pleting its equipment in Washington
typtfies the latest and best Ideals of
an institution designed primarily
lIor emergency work. Accidents. at
tempted suicides, sun or heat pros
trations, acute attacks of temporary
illness. and drunkenness, are the
d1sa bilittes most frequently regarded
las emergencies. Prolonged illnesses.
chronic diseases and observes are
Under ordinary conditions such pat
tents are turned over to other in
situations in order that the beds OF
the emergency hospital may be Kept
available Tor the class OF cases COM
ling within Its speciality.
A Necessity.
A small Emergency hospital now
lis considered a necessity in
most Dig manufacturing establish
meQts. as well as in connection with
mines and other large Industrial
plants Department stores have felt
lit incumbent upon them for years
10 make this provision for the vel
fare of their employees and custom
crs. The city leels compelled to
provide emergency hospital service
for all of Its people as part of
its public samety measures. While
most general hospitals do large
amount of emergency work, the add
ed efficiency Afforded by an institu-
ton designed particularly to give
this class of relief has been re-
cognized as Of economic advantage.
The injuries treated include every
class. They range in Importance
i from the mos; lrIhing to those en-
ldengering life. Often they require
a battle with death not likely to be
encountered elsewhere by physician
or nurse.
A small boy may slightly burn his
hand with a toy pistol, while MS
mother may receive fatal burns from
attem pting to refill her gasoline stove
which she has not turned out. A
woman may cut her little finger while
preparing a meal. or her husband
| may almost sever his juglar vein
as he is shaving. A boiler may
burst in an engine room, scalding
some and injuring others by the
scrap iron resultant from the ex>
plosion. "A woman may swallow
bi-chloride tablet by mistake or her
baby may get hold of a rat biscuit.
Two men may get into street fight
and one of them receive a Sroken
skull. A drunken man may be
found in gutter or Keeling upon
the street, or man or woman may
| 20 suddenly insane.
Always Prompt.
These are examples of the condt-
tons relieved daily in emergency
hospitals The service is always
prompt, efficient and painstaking' no
matter how lowly the patient may
| else because lie is unable to pay
! for it. In a sense the emergency
hospital must be even more an eIe-
mosynary institution that other hos
pitals because it has no cnoice OF
ratients. 1t must treat all alike
Most of the expense is paid from
public funds. 1t usually is allied
closely with the public charities. II
is also in direct touch with the po-
Ice department which frequently
has one or more officers assigned 10
duty at the institution.
When any unusual event brings an
eytra ordinary crowd of people to-
gether the emergency hospital ser
vice because he IS unable to pay
stations under the direction OF hos
| pital physicians and nurses are es-
I tabIished near the scene of action
| in order that prompt service may
be offered.
At the Haryard-Yale football
game last fall when the largest crowd
ever assembled in the United States
to witness an athletic event was
| gathered, special provision was
made by the New Haven City Hoo
pital to insure the safety of the
10000 spectators OF the contest
played in the Yale bowl. Before
the game began, a Harvard student.
suffering from ptomaine poisoning.
was rushed to the hospital and by
evening was ready to hear the re-
turns of the game. A man being run
down at the station occasioned an
other urgent call. Several women
tainted from excitement. The service
proved such boon that no big game
1 ever will be played again in New
England without emergency hospital
provision.
Feature OF inauguration.
In washingt at the time OF
presidential maugurations, emer-
gency hospital work is an important
feature of the safety provisions made
by the inaugural committee for the
thousands Of visitors. Hospital tents
| arr o,onfad af tho most imnortant