Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-15
|CITY SPENT $500 TO CURE
| SINGLE CASE OF TETANUs
Widows Only Son, Without Means
Saved From Death at Virginia
Hospital.
HAS TREATED 1886 PATIENTS
Nine Months Operation by City
Shows Excellent Rcsults-Hospital
Needs New Ambulance to Aid in
Caring for Thirty Daily Calls.

Caring for Thirty Daily Calls.
Unable to pay for treatment at a pri-
vate hospital or to pay for competent
medical assistance a widow recently
sent her only son. suffering from teta-
nus. to the Virginia Hospital. Here the
| city brought to the battle with this
much feared disease half dozen ex-
perts and corps OF trained nurses with
tho result that the patient within a few
| weeks was discharged as cured. 1t cost
the city. in round numbers. $500, but it
saved human beings life and pre-
served to a widow her only hope Of sup
port.
City Hospital authorities preferred
not to divnlge the name Of the patient.
1t was ono of many such cases that
have been handled by the city at the
Virginia Hospital during the past year
In every instance the city has given to
| these patients the best that medical
| science and a trained staff could pro-
vide. without cent Of cost to the
| patient.
| TREATED lose PATIENTS
DURING PAST YEAR
Although the Virginia Hospital has
been under the city's control only since
| Anril ., when II was taken over under
an agreement with the Medical College
of Virginia. ii has In that short time
performed most valuable public serv-
ice. From April 2, 1914 to January /,
1915, 1t has taken care of 1.oS6 patients.
The average during this period has been
about sixty patients day.
The establishment is used only as an
emergency hospital In this respect 1t
differs from the old City Home. which
handled both the emergency cases and
ables. AS an emergency hospital the
cases treated In II have, as a rule been
com paratively expensive, requiring
costly scrums and special nurses both
day and night. notwithstanding all
this. the results have been Of the most
, encouraging nature. and the cost per
patient has been held down to n ngurc
that compares we'll with the average
cost mt other city hospitals
According to John Iirschberg. OF the
Administrative Board, the cost Of
treating patients at the Virginia Hos
pital has been sIoo n day The aver
age cost per patient Mt tho City Home
where all classes OF patients were treat
ell. was So cents. The fact that ONLY
acute and emergency cases were treat
ed at the Virginia Hospital. 1t is point
cd out. makes the IL cents increase pcr
pat almost negligible The per
patient cost OF s1.o2 was the lowest Of
any hospital in the city.
HAS OPERATING ROOM
COMPARABLE WITH REST
While the city's building IL not as
I modern as the structures that house
some OF the private hospitals. the
equipment Is equal to the best. The
operating room is particularly modern
and complete. being equipped with new
Mayo operating tables purchased re-
Gently at n cost of 5000 each The fact
that large number OF the cases
brought to tho Virginia Hospital for
emergency treatment Involve major or
equipment for this work of the first
Importance.
The hospital has n training school in
which twenty-five pupil nurses are
now enrolled. Tho regular hospital
staff is composed OF superintendent
assistant superintendent. three super-
visors. one operating room nurse. four
floor nurses, one detician and one spec
ial nurse as lecturer to the training
school.
NEW AMBULANCE Is
MOST PRESSING; NEED
According to Mr.. Hirschberg the hos
pitars most pressing need is an addi-
tional ambulance. The number Of calls
have averaged $50 month, and have
sharply increased with the recent an
nexation. The longer distances that
the ambulanccs are now required to
cover have increased the difficulty OF
taking care of the demand to such an
extent that the hospital has frequently
had to call to its assistance the po-
leo patrol wagons. and even TO com
mandeer private conveyances
While In the case OF Injury and SINH
lar exigencies private citizens have
readily placed ut the hospitals service
free OF cost automobiles and other con-
veyances. this method Of transporta-
ton is unsatisfactory from a hospital
standpoint and may even mean disas-
ter when It becomes necessary to rush
seriously wounded person to the hos
pital for treatment.
The last motor ambulance bought by
the city cost $4,000. 1t is practically
the only one In dependable daily ser
vice. tho others being OF old design and
unsuited for long and fast hauls 1t is
believed that n new ambulance Of the
same general type as the last one that
was bought. could be obtained now for
about $4,000.
1t is the intention of the Admins
trativc Board to authorize the purchase
OF an ambulance ut nm early date While
the budget appropriation for the Vir-
ginia Hospital makes no special proyi-
sion for such n purchase the money
will be taken out OF the general ex
pense allotment.
Under. recent ordinance the Ad-
ministrative Board and other depart
ments OF the city government are pro-
hibited from purchasing additional au-
tomobiles or auto trucks without prc-
viously obtaining the consent and an
prevail OF the Council. The ordinance
1t Is believed. will operate in the mat
ter OF purchasing n new ambulance