The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-13
CITY HOSPITAL
PROBLEM PUT
Up TO MAYOR
Sullivan to Consider Plans
for TubercuIar Patient
Care and Treatment.
DELAY is CRITICISED
Abandonment of Project
for New Yard Unit Is
Held InadviSabIe.

Problem of caring for advanced
tubercular patients at city hospital
was expected to receive immediate
consideration by Mayor Reginald H.
Sullivan today on his return from a
weeks vacation with Murat Shriners
at Toronto.
The problem was created this
week by the Flower Mission So
ciety's decision to close it's hospital
on Coe street, a dilapidated frame
structure in the rear of city hos
pital, because of the fire hazard
and insanitary conditions.
The action leaves the city without
facilities for caring for tubercular
cases.
The mission proposed that its
$4,000 fund be spent for the first
unit of mission hospital on city
hospital property and DR.. H. S.
Leonard, health board president, in
dicated the board will accept the
offer.
Criticise City Action
Meanwhile, there was mild crit
icism Of the Sullivan administration
for temporary abandonment of the
81 ,O44000 ward unit which provided
facilities for tubercular cases and
other contagious diseases.
Dr. Herman G.. Morgan, veteran
city health board secretary, recalled
that the .01 cent mandatory tuber-
ctloSlS levy created in 1914 was de-
signed to create a sinking fund
which ultimately would build such
tubercular hospital
The fund increased to $50 600 at
one time and in an effort to make q
reduction in current taxes. several
administrations cut the lew and
spent the accumulated fund, making
1t necessary to use the revenue from
the tax rate for preventive medi-
cine.
Sunnyside, county tuberculosis
hospital, does not admit chronic
cases, making it necessary for the
city to provide facilities to replace
the mission hospital, which at pres
ent has thirty patients.
Held City's Duty
Citing the fact that tuberculosis
still holds third place among causes
OF death, DR.. Morgan expresses be-
lief that it is The city's duty to care
Tor tubercular cases the same as
any other charitable case.
Some have asserted Sunnvside
should admit observation and
chronic cases, but it is conceded
generally it is bad medical practice
to combine disqualification of the
various degrees of the disease.
The problem arising from the
closing of the Flower Mission hos
pital, the only city agency which
has cared for advanced tubercuIar
cases for the last quarter century.
has emphasized the need for a. con-
valescent and aged folks home to
relieve the city hospital of cases
which do not need disqualification.
1t is the opinion of medical au-
thoritieS that the cost per diem
of caring for such cases would be
reduced greatly in a conValescent
home if the city could efford the
capital outlay necessary to estab-
liSh such an institution.
Conference Is Held
Community Fund heads have con-
ferred with city officials and express
belief that the city, rather than
private charitable institution, should
care for advanced tubercular cases.
The Community Fund opposed
private solicitation of additional
funds for the proposed mission hos
pital on the theory that the COM
munity chest was designed to re-
lieve all subscribers of further
charitable requests.
The mission felt 100000 was not
sufficient to build tuberculosis hos
pital for city the size of Indian
apolis, and suggested that several
friends indicated desire to con-
tribute to the project.