Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-02-05
GROWTH SHOWN
IN HOSPITALS
FOR POOR IN u. S.
Dispensaries Increase From
$50 in 1904 to 5000 in
1920.
DOCTORS GIVE SERVICES

NEW YORK CITY-What does the dis
pensary do for the health of the city, and
what more could 1t do?
These are the questions which the pub
lie health committee of the New York
Academy of Medicine recently has sought
to answer by an extensive investigation
Of New York dlspensaries and the people
who patronize them.
The growth of the dispensary during
the last twenty years has been phe.
nomenal In 1904 there were only 100
dispensaries in the United States, where
as today there are at least 1900 From
few dingy rooms presided over by
couple Of doctors whose chief duty was
the vaccination of people against small
pox, the dispensary has developed into
modern, well-equipped, small hospital,
where the poor receive almost free of
charge the same treatment for which
the wealthy ray large sums
In New York there are now 1873 dis
pensartes. In this number are included
twenty one tuberculosis, eight dental ten
eye and three rabies clinics of the de-
partment of health. and six school clinics
maintained by the Childrens Aid So
ciety. OF the 105 remaining, sixty Ave
are out-patient departments Of hospitals,
thirty -IOuT are QeL8Cneu ulBpenBdrleS ana
six are connected with colleges In ad
dition the health department maintains
twelve venereal disease clinics (all but
two advisory only, three occupational
clinics and sixty baby health stations.
Several private agencies also maintain an
additional number Of milk stations.
The average number of persons treated
annually In New York dispensaries has
been one and a quarter million for the
last FIVE years. Over 1000 New York
physicians are giving their services TO
this cause, In tho majority Of cases absO-
lutely without compensation.
Thus, New York is plentifully supplied
with dispensaries, but the public health
committee believes that their quality
could be improved upon.
FAULTS OF
DTsPENsARIES.
''Of late the dispensaries have taken on
functions along the lines Of preventive
medicine and public health, but this de-
velopment is still in its infancy" is the
committees frst criticism. THE great
opportunities OF the dispensaries in the
fields Of both curative and preventive
medicine have not as yet been fully
grasped by the institutions, nor have
their social responsibilities been clearly
realized"
In other words, the committee lnts
the dispenssries quite efficient In the
treatment Of specific Ills, sTch as an alb
scessed ear or a broken les, but they do
not give complete physical examinations
TO determine the general health Of a pa.
tient; they do not so In for educational
work, such as the teaching of good
health and habits, and they do not have
the time for the sort Of follow-up work
that would make them one Of the great
est social influences in the community
Only a few OF the dispensaries. as yet.
have well organized social service depart
ments.
TWO THINGS
NEEDING CHANGE
Two things that also need immediate
ameliorstion In clinic procedure. II SAYS,
are the reduction of waiting time before
admission and the method of assignment
Of patients TO clincs. Patients are made
to wait unduly long periods of time,
which Is a hardship for most OF them Il
they are employed or, as in the case OF
mothers, II they have domestic duties
The committee believes that this could
be Obviated 10 a large extent by a system
Of appointments, as Is customary in pri-
waite practice. Such a system is now
proving very successful at the Mayo
clinic at Rochester
Then. In most dispeusaries. the symp-
toms Of the patients are recorded by
lay reglstrar-usuallX the clinic score
ary-wbo makes a rough diagnosis and
assigns the patient to the particular de
partment of the clinic which VIII take
care Of him. But often. after hours of