Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-11
BURN HALF OF
CITY HOSPITALS"
CRIES CORONER
Hauling of Auto Victim to
and From Institutions
Arouses Him
MANAGEMENT is AWFUL"

MY experience as Coroner has con-
WINGED me that about one-half of our hos
pitfalls in Philadelphia ought to be burned
down They are unfit for the demands
made upon them and for which they were
built. Their management is awful. Young
doctors and lnternss. who in only about
one case in five have the interest of the
institution or the patients at heart are
placed in charge. They are autocratc In
their treatment of patients and visitors
II about one.half of these institutions were
done away with 1t would be better for the
city in my opinion,
Coroner William Il, knight Jr,, made
the foregoing statement this morning in
discussing the death OF Frank Horvath
3 years old, of 1929 North Bodne street
who died in the Roosevelt Hospital last
night. The child was struck by an auto
mobile of the Kerr Salt Company while
playing in the street at Germantown and
Girard avenues. The driver, William Nc
Elwee, of 223S Fitwater street, placed
the little fellow on the car and rushed
him to the Roosevelt Hospital. Thence
he was taken In the automobile to the
Medico- Chirurgical Hospital for X-ray
examination. Although this treatment re-
vealed a fracture of the skull which
caused death within few hours the hos
pital authorities permitted the childs re-
moval in the machine to the Roosevelt
Hospital. His death occurred at 11.30
o'clock, making the 47th fatality caused
by automobiles since the beginning of the
year. -s
HAD THEY NO AMBULANCE?"
II will summon the authorities of both
these hospitals to explain their action in
this case" declared Coroner Knight 81
want to know why 1t was necessary for
the Roosevelt Hospital to send that child
whom they knew to be seriously hurt. all
the way to the Medico-C Chirurgical Hos
pital in an automobile. Had they no am
bulance? Or didn't they have an X-ray
outfit of their own? l want the Medico-
Chirurgical Hospital authorities to ex-
plain to me why. when the X-ray revealed
the dangerous character of the child's in
juries, they permitted him to leave their
institution. That's what such places are
for. 1t should not have been necessary
for the patient to leave the Roosevelt
Hospital in the first place They should
have been equipped with the facilities to
take care of him. That's why / say that
one-half of our hospitals ought to be done
away with.
Dr. Frank f. Boston. inferno at the
Roosevelt Hospital, who was on duty
when Frank Horvath was brought to the
pursued. THE child was broG mt in about
$3.50 O'clock" he said today. I saw at
once that he had suffered a serious brain
injury and was in a bad condition owing
e the shock. An immediate operation was
at of the question on this account / de-
cided that DIR. Franklin p. Brady, who Is
an eminent surgeon in brain operations,
ought TO see him, so / went at once with
the child In the automobile to the Medico-
Chirurgtcai Hospital in order to obtain a
clear X-ray record. We have no X-ray
outfit, although we have tried several
times to raise the funds to-secure one.
REsENTs CRITICISM ~
Doctor Boston resented the eorpner's-
criticism of his action 1--WE are doing the
best we can with the equipment available"
he said. "and / feel that in this case we
acted properly TO the best of our judg-
ment. 1 consulted Doctor Brady our
president, and II was with his sanction
that took the child TO the Medlco-Chi-
rurgical Hospital for X-ray purposes We
teould not determine at first whether or not
his skull was fractured and took the sure
means TO ascertain. We were not gone
more than is minutes ana during the trip
| the boy was able to talk He did not dis
play any dangerous symptom until a short
| time before he died. and we were about to
| operate when he suddenly became uncon-
scious. III we had been provided with the
/ X-ray we would not have removed the
child after he was first brought to our
doors" ~
SUPERINTENDENT INDIGNANT.
Miss Elizabeth Lobb, superintendent Of
the Medleo-C -Chirurgieal Hospital, expressed
| indignation at the Coroner's criticism
| II do not know of any other hospital in
Philadelphia so well-equipped as ours. =
she said We do n0s permit any but
experienced persons TO be placed in charge
| OF any branch OF our work. AS 70 the
present case / have Investigated and
find that the child was brought here about
$3.50 o'clock in the afternoon for the pur-
pose Of having his head photographed
The picture was taken and the child was
taken back to the Roosevelt Hospital BY
the persons who brought him. He was
never submitted TO our stan for examina-
tion nor offered as patient.
In x-ray photography the record l.
not given out until ~ hours later and. IN
the meantime there Is no way for the
physician 10 tell positively Just What ths
patients injuries are. In frectnred skull
there may be q broken bloodpessel. bat
often ao Leakage lnto the skull Is re-
vsaled ior several nQ4fa Ehia case va
never under our observation. 50 / do not
think this hospital should, be exposed .