The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-07-27

means a strain to which she is un-
equal.
In every community there are acct
dents from machinery, and injuries
from building operations, which need
the best surgical care. Appendicitis is
not at all confined to city people, ana
every rural community can count up
a number of cases which have re-
suited fatally, when a timely opera
ton would have saved a life. Pneu-
monia has a long list of victims in
every county; and statistics show us
that typhoid fever, which needs expert
nursing, is more prevalent in coun-
try towns and rural districts than in
large cities. And alas for mother
hood in isolated communities Every
year nearly fifteen thousand mothers
in the United States die in childbirth,
and the lack of adequate care in the
country districts is responsible for
large proportion of this mortality.
The number of children who die in
the rural districts from preventable
causes is astounding
But what are country people going
to do?" you ask Build their own
hospitals, follow the new world exper-
iment-the new iowa idea'-in hos
pital establishment. Seven years ago
there was started fight for hospitals
for the people of rural communities,
the county hospital system, which is
now giving the country people of Iowa
the advantages of hospitals, and other
states are following her example with
the passage of new hospital laws.
Dr. E. e. Munger, a country doctor,
whose practice brought him into con-
tact with the great handicap under
which his people labored when brought
face to face with the need of hospital
treatment-long and hard journeys
separated most of them from the near
est hospital-conceived the idea that
there should be a public hospital
in every county in the state, support
/ ed by county tax, except in those
counties in which city hospital was
located He found that, though author
tiles have determined that in a civ
| ilized community there should be one
hospital bed within the reach of every
100 people, in his county there was
only one bed to every 5000, and that
eighty per cent of the population of
Iowa live in rural districts and small
villages. Since Iowa had no hospital
law which authorized counties to build
ger with Characteristic vigor, tackled
the question of legislation.
He drafted bill, which was passed
by the Iowa general assembly in 1909,
providing that by vote of the people
the county can levy tax for the
building, equipment and maintenance
of public hospital, to be governed
by a body of seven trustees, three of
whom are to be women, and guaran-
teeing to all physicians of the county
equal rights.
At the next general election the
question of the establishment of a
public county hospital came up in
seven counties, but in only one, Wash
ington county, did the proposition
carry. A one-mill tax for a period Of
four years was levied for building and
equipping a general hospital. This
amounted to $31 900. The Munger
bill also provided that five per cent of
the general tax could be set aside for
maintenance; in Washington county
this amounted to $500.
Through the generosity of Mr.. and
Mrs. William Perry Wells, who gave
eleven acres for a hospital site, and
of various organizations, churches and
private individuals in furnishing the
rooms, the entire appropriation for
the hospital was spent on the building
itself This is forty by eighty feet,
three stories and basement, absolutely
fireproof 1t contains nineteen pri-
vate and two three-bed rooms for patti
ents, all of which are fitted with every
comfort, and the entire building is
well equipped for service. This is the
first taxpayers county hospital in the
world, and has more than justified its
existence. 1t has been sought by hun
dreds of people and is at present al
most selfsupporting All the people
in the county are interested in their
hospital, the women in various neigh
borhoods having organized the Wo-
mans Auxiliary which aids the hospi-
tai board and superintendent in pro-
viding furnishings and supplies.
1t is necessary not only to have a
hospital to which the sick may go, il
is also necessary to have doctor who
is abreast of the times who is in
formed in modern medical methods
and practices. If there is no hospital
where is the stimulus for a country
doctor to study and work along scien-
tific lines? The best workman will
only tinker if his workshop is moi
fitted with good tools; but when he
has the tools and the shop, and the
stimulus of association with others OF
his trade, then he can do the bes
work The same principle holds true
with a doctor-his experiences anC
opportunities broaden if he has we'll
equipped workshop near by.
Led by the progressive people Of
Washington county, the people Of JET
ferson county built the second county
hospital established by a vote of the
taxpayers, and gradually other coun
ties are seeing the advantages of thu
Iowa county hospital law. The Nun
ger idea is taking root in other states
Indiana, Kansas, Texas, and Nortl
Carolina have had county hospita
laws passed, and New York has I
township hospital law which is yer,
similar South Dakota and one or TIVE