South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-13

The Federation for Social Service
viii soon ask you for money. Part
Of this money will go 10 Epworth
/ hospital Your first question will
. be. What does Epworth hospital do
with the money / give2 Here is the
answer i'm a few words
Last year the service rendered by
Epworth hospital to the public. for
which il received not one penny
\ of compensation. amounted TO more
/ than $4,000. and last year Epworth
/ hospital received as its share of the
/ contributions 20 the federation. So
/ 216.49. In other words Epworth
/ hospital gave in charity more than
/ twice as much as it received from
I this charity fund.
\ The history of this institution is
/ familiar 10 most readers Of cur local
\ papers. With o small beginning An
/ 1894 of 4 beds, the hospital is now
\ operating from so 20 50 beds, al
/ though its actual capacity should
rot exceed 20 or IS.
The services of the hospital are
divided into surgical. medical. OBJ
. stetriCal and children's, and refer
ring 20 comparative report, one sees
/ the rapid increase OF hospital work.
+ which is due TO the fact that people
are being educated 10 use hospitals
and also find il much cheaper 10 pay
I SIS. $50 or even $50 or $50 a week
than 10 remain at home. employ a
nurse at $50, pay servants il they
can bee secured, laundry bills.
drugs. etc.
Comparison OF Costs.
ln order 10 convince the public
that this institution can barely
cover expenses on a room paying
Sis. we here enumerate the cost OF
some of the hospital supplies. not
mentioning grocery bills. as each in
dividuai can estimate what the hos
pital food bill must be if they com
pare 1t with their own bills. and add
to that the service of nurses. do
nestle labor and their housing and
food bills Surgical supplies and
drugs have increased in proportion
more than food supplies. For in
stance:
Cost 1911-19f5.
Gauze. 100 yards. S1.65.
Cotton per pound, IA cents 10 Il
cents
Alcohol $3.50 per gallon.
Glycerine. SIS TO $50 per live gal
Ions
Aspirin, 1000. 81
Cost 19t6-1915.
Gauze, 100 yards, $3.50.
Cotton per pound 2S cents to so
cents.
Alcohol SIP per gallon.
Glycerine. hve gallons. 5000.
Aspirin LOCO. $40.
Many drugs increased from S4
pound 90 500 or $40 a pound; sur
gicaI needles from so cents per
dozen 90 S150 OF s. per dozen. il
they can be purchased at all. other
Instruments advances i'm price i'm the
same proportion. Surgical sutures
formerly costing 81 TO IS for 1000
strands now cost S12 10 S16 for
600 strands. Everything else in
creasing has affected the cost OF
operation more than the public can
even imagine The cost of domestic
help has increased. The cost OF coal
in previous years at 50 per ton for
slack. now increased TO 50, alone
means am additional $500 per
year.
Demand for Free service.
al service ia the S1e-$14 wards
Is really philanthropic service and
/ provides for people who cannot pay
the fun cost. The cost of $3.50 per
+ day Will average $3.50 per week.
Many people think the institution is
+making money at this rate. but think
what this includes. Nursing care,
room. board. drugs. dressings. laun-
dry. maid service. etc
The Increased cost OF food and
supplies not only affects the insti-
tuition as 90 costs of material but
means we have 70 contribute more
. free service 10 the public as many
Neople cannot afford 10 pay the hos
piaI bin n tuu. some paying only
part and others nothing al an be-
cause the wage Garner income has
F. not increased ia proportion 20 the
+ cost OF food. etc Therefore some
body must meet this need and the
hospital must have fands 10 meet
demands
Aside from administering 20 needs
n- The sick. the hospital has another