The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-11
Packed Hilman Hospital
 Causes Ex-SoLdier to Die
 On Streets Of Birmingham
Visit to Great Counys Charity Hospital Shows Deplor- able Situation Because Money Is Not Pro- vided to Meet the County's Needs
 By MIGNON HALL


 not be done"
 He figures thta the cost per capita per day for patients Is S2-this in. eludes every person on the premises, by the way. In order to find out ex- actly how this city ranks with others in this regard, the superintendent has sent out 40 letters to hospitals over the country asking their cost per cap ita in an effort to estimate how far Birmingham is ahead or behind and in an effort to get suggestions to help the present situation. The Hill- man hospital service has been high. iy complimented by the American college of Surgeons in a letter which l sav, but it is a pity that one or it's inspectors must go over the build ing today and see It's rags and tat ters.
 No Convalescents
 No chance for the hospital with it's present allowance. to take care of those who are convalescing or ar. resting before the trying ordeal of operations. They must be hustled home, their cases put off, told to come back later. In this way fathers of families may be handicapped in getting back on their feet soon To support their families; mothers must wear out weary months until they can be made well to perform their services again for the family. In one ward there were I2 children. when there Is room only for 10. It might be anybody's father or mother who would drop on the street and die and because of crowded conditions at the hospital have no chance of being saved.
 It Is admitted by physicians that an applicant could show up at the hospital and not seem to be very sick; yet could very shortly develop a life or death case. The only way for charity hospital to function is to be able to take all cases so that they can be watched and studied. They should be given the benefit O. the doubt.
 The circumstances of the death of the man who fell in Birmingham streets has been set forth in a state ment issued yesterday by an appoint ed investigation committee of the American Legion, Arthur Greenwood and w. H. Hendrix. They declare, summed up:
 Lack of public hospital facilities for even the most acute cases was tragically Illustrated In this death. which took place three hours after Hurley was turned away from the Hillman.
 Needed Hospital
 The legion heard about the man when a telephone call reached MT. Greenwood from the Reliance hotel that Some ex-service man is here. very weak and sick, and has no money nor anyone to look after him." Sergeant Bernard was sent to inves- tigate, took the man to the public health service, where he was ex- amined by Dr. Weatherford, who pro- nounced him too i'll to go to Mobile, where the sick man said he'd been promised job. pr. Weatherford ad- vised a hospital quickly, spoke to Dr. Spier about it and the latter wrote a note to Dr. Hogan of the Hillman. requesting that he take care of the ease temporarily. as restrictions con- cerning government hospital entrance require the patient to show discharge papers.
 The man was sent to the Hillman by private automobile, but an hour later he was found by Mrs. Charles 5. Wilson near the corner of Second avenue and Twenty-first street. A policeman was shaking him in the effort to find out "who he was" It was then Mrs. Wilson asked the man if he wouldn't like to go to a hos pital, and he responded NO, lady; never want to try to get in hos pltal again." Then the man told of his Hillman hospital experience, and Mrs. Wilson requested the Red Cross to care for him, which was done. The man was inslstent, however, on go- ing on to Mobile. and was carried to the Terminal station. While waiting Tor the train he wandered out and 1led before the station, "a victim of hunger and tormenting illness for which there was no relief in Blrming- ham,"
 A Non-Resident
 pr. Hogan declared also that the applicant was not a resident of lief ferson county and the hospital Is not supposed to take care of such cases This regulation, however, is some times disregarded in acute cases. and probably would have been in this case if we had had the room. But you cant get "a number 8 foot in a number e shoe' and you can't get patient into hospital that is overcrowded."
 The legion, however, is considerably worried, as it has numerous cases of illness from week to week, and with no hospital accommodations open. faces "a continuance of tragedies with men who three years ago fought Tor their country now left to die on the street,
 Arthur Greenwood is finance off ger of the American Legion and the nan who joins him in signing the statement w. Fl. Hendrix is pub isher of the Alabama Veteran.