Evening star., 1927-05-18

chinery for electrotherapeutics and n.y.
drotherapy, trained nurses and salaried
chiefs of Observation-Disclosures products
of progress have changed the picture.
Today the cost OF care of a patient
in city hospital ranges from 81 TO
SIS a day. This does not include the
expense OF special nursing or other
services of like nature. 1t does not
consider the Doctors service at all.
1t may be admitted that in many indi-
vidual cases much OF the diagnostic
and laboratory expense Is not essen
tial. The people. however, have been
educated to expect it and to demand
1t. Yet as a rule they are amazed
at what they usually consider an ex'
orbitant hospital bill. Facts. however,
are inexorable things. And 1t must
be recognized as an inescapable fact
that the actual expense of hospital
service is such that few today can
make both ends meet without out
side aid.
Likewise II must be recognized
that the provision of hospital is not
a personal gift to the medical protes-
sion. In a pecuniary way the medical
profession profits In no wise from the
existence Of a hospital. 1t is curious
how people often think otherwise ana
build a hospital they are making a
generous gift to the physicians of the
community. The hospital Is no more
a personal contribution to the phy'
sician than is the courthouse a gift
to the legal profession. Courthouses
are built in order that personal ana
property rights of men may be pro-
tected by proper legal processes. IL
it not equally worth while to provide
facilities for the protection OF the
health and lives Of men? The court
house Is an old institution and the
necessity Of It's provision by public
funds has long been recognized. The
hospital Is the outgrowth largely OF
new and scienttfc medicine. Its
necessity and its importance to the
community must likewise become
generally recognized. II proper char
acter of medical service is required in
any community, adequate facilities
must be offered to attract proper med
ical talent to place where 1t can
render the service to which it has
been educated. In this way and in
this way alone can rural counties
solve the problem of their adequate
medical service. Obviously, however,
the heavy expense mentioned will not
apply to smaller county hospitals.
The figures cited were city figures.
Problems Acute In Cities.
1.-THE hospital and health problems
are scarcely less acute In the centers
of population. Here the best Is ex'
pected and demanded and the expense
accordingly advances. In most cities
| the responsibility to the poor Is fairly
well recognized and municipal or city
/ nd
| in such institutions let 1t be noted
| that the best Of medical talent Is
always readily available and always
without compensation. In fact, it may
be stated broadly that there is scarcely
q medical charity in existence today
| that could continue to exist for "a
hours except for the gladly given free
service of medical men.
"A city pays its counSelors and legal
talent, usually well. 1t pays its
butcher and milkman and its service
Of every other character. And it pays
at full prices and sometimes, under
political control, at more than full
price. Is 1t, therefore. asking favor
when medical men serving gladly and
without remuneration ask simply for
such support in facilities as may en-
able them to give the best that is in
them?
"Stiil more acute than the problem
OF the city hospital for the poor which
the city supports Is the problem OF
the private or semi.private hospital.
Here the expense Is easily met by the
rich man. But what OF the situation
of that large and worthy class, some.
times called the middleman. ofttimes
the finest of Gods creatures? A
, young man of splendid character has
completed an expensive education to
make him a worthy citizen for life
Of valuable service. He has married
fine young woman-maybe my
daughter, maybe yours. Perhaps they
have been blessed with a splendid
child, or possibly two. This young
| man may some day be a millionaire
Today as an apprentice he receives
only a modest salary. With II
through much prudent thought and
. ofttiHes denial they arr starting q