Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-01-29

A@oo oVAC CdLu makes one OF 1CS many
meandering curves, is the county hos
pital OF Cochise county. The neat
white hospital buildings with the we'll
kept lawns in front and the barns set
lar behind make an attractive picture.
The county hospital has been here
In the Douglas district since 1910. Be
fore that tinle it had been in Tomb
stone. When it was moved new
buildings were built here and what
had been the main hospital building
at Tombstone was torn down, hauled
to Douglas and set up as the big barn
that one sees now at the rear of the
hospitala buildings.
There are 120 acres in the hospital
grounds. People who come here from
some points of the east are in the
habit of calling the county hospital a
poor farm. George Newman, Superin-
tendent of the Cochise county hos
pital, admits that it is o poor farm
alright as they do not cultivate any
of the land, but the designation ''poor
farm" is not used here to mean what
it does in those points of the east.
The portion of the grounds iflme-
diately surrounding the hospital build
AAAeo 40 OONCA W1o1l q 0CcIQOlIut 1ctW1l
The rest of the land which is all
under fence, is pasture for the milk
COWS kept by the institution There
are eight cows at the hospital barns
and they furnish the milk for the
patients. There are also number of,
pigs These are fed on The refuse
from the hospital kitchens and are
finally fattened and butchered to fur
nish a portion Of the meat used in
the hospital. M
Private Water System
The hospital has private water
system which is not connected with
the city water works. There is a well
on the highest corner of the hospital
grounds with agbig tank above it and
a windmill There is an engine so
that when the wind does not blow
enough the tank is filled with the
engine power on the pump.
Two years ago a new heating sys-
tenn was installed at the hospital. The
system is a. steam plant and the heat
is produced with an oil-burning fur
mace which is automatically regulated
and gives a very fine, steady heat to
all the hospital all the time.
The hospital has been rebuilt, re-
decorated, painted and generally over
hauled within the past two years. A
completely new and up-to-date stock
of medical and surgical appliances
generally used in the hospital have
been secured and bedding and clothing
have been laid in for future use. Such
things as bandages and cotton have
been purchased wholesale to save ex-
penSes of small purchases.
The interior of the hospital is quite.
attractive now. There is a home-like,
atmosphere about the place. One is
impressed with its cleanness, its roomi-
ness, its brightness and the lack OF
the smell of drugs which is ordinarily
noticed at a hospital.
Last year, for the first time in the
history of the institution so far as Is
known, the institution lived within the
budget set for it by the board OF
supervisors. George Newman, the su-
perintenderat, attributes this to careful
planning and to systematic handling.
Of the finances.
Many Old People There
At the present time there are 90.
persons in the hospital. The majority
Of these are very old people. a careful
check of the ages of the patients IN
dicates that the average age OF g.
majority Of the patients is about 20.
wears. These old people are admitted
to the hospital here from all parts OF
the county. Some Of them have been
in the hospital as much as 20 years.
but most of them not nearly SO long.
There are among the men anoi 40
women at the hospital a few over gu
years of age and many past 90, 4ney.
are naturally feeble and altnougn.
most Of them are able to walk about \
none of them are in any sense rontlsg.
The patients are not required e 70
assist with the work at the hospltaI
or on the grounds. In many sta5esll
the county hospitals are operated al
most altogether by the labor OF Ine
patients, but the rules here are oil 4
ferent and although those patlents
who are able to assist. at little odq
Jobs and keep their own quarters
clean, they generally do very ntVie.
There are quarters back OF the mann
hospital building where many OF the
regular residents at the hospital live.
when any of them Become sick SO
that thev are unable to care for them
selves they are moved inside and are
giyen regular care by the nurses.
Pay Patients Received
The rules under which this lnst1Cu-
zion is operated permits of the admit
tance of any class Of persons ana
while the hospital was built by tne
county as a home for the aged OF Tor
anv persons disabled and WltnouG
means Of support persons are admitted
for oparstions or for treatment VINO
are not without funds and these are
CHARGED regular fees which go to Cne
county fund for the maintenance Oh
the hospital.
Many people have entered the IN m.
stitution as 'pay patients" They IKE
fhe cheerful, bright atmosphere OF the
mace. its apparent quiet efficiency ana
the fact that it is far enough re-
moved from the city to be away from
noises and too many visitors. There
fore. to say that a person has oeen
taken to the county hospital Tor treat
ment does not mean that the person
has suffered financial disaster and mas
annealed to the county for nedlcal
attention. ,.1.. = IN
The capacity of the institution is ~ ~