St. Paul recorder., 1953-01-23

ondary.
The Southern Conference Edu-
cational Fund recently polled the
2414 medical institutions listed in
the American Hospital Directory
for IS Southern and border states
and the District Of Columbia.
From I'll replies--a 20 per cent
return-it was learned that 5S4
(s2 per cent? admit Negroes as
patients and that 33,451 beds (32
per cent? of a total OF 102,969
beds are available to them.
While the amount OF bed space
seemingly follows census figures
for the region, more than two
thirds Of this space is fixed by
quota, with no allowance made
for degree OF need or special con-
tingencies. BY virtue of segrega-
ton practices then, the Negro,
whose generally depressed &C.
onomic status tends to increase
his need for disqualification, is
often turned back by an inflexible,
arbitrary barrier.
The hospital administrators
were also asked what racial policy
they considered best suited for the
health needs OF their communities.
Approximately so per cent favor
ed the admission OF Negroes on a
segregated basis; 10 per cent
favored the maintenance Of sep
arate hospitals for whites and Ne
groes. But how does this approve
ed order OF things work out In
practice7
The administrative machinery
of a segregated or '1ily-white"
hospital is always taxed by emer-
gency cases. A prospective pa
lent, lying bleeding and uncon-
scious on a stretcher. cannot be
crisply told to go to an institution
that serves "his own people," Yet
in essence, that has been done, Is
being done. and win be done
even though the rejected one dies
as a result. Such brutality derives
unthinlingly from the premise to
which a Jim Grow hospital Is
dedicated. II routine medical and
surgery cases are to be treated
only on the basis OF a persons
skin color, the healing hand suf-
fers atrophy and is flimbling at a
time OF undiscriminating crisis.
Consider this log Of accidents
and emergencies, extending over
a period of 20 years, which ended
in inexcusable suffering and
tradedy.
1. In the fall or 1890, George S.
Moore, Jr., son Of a noted ply
sician, was motoring from Nash
vile to TIIskegee to attend the
Fisk -Tuskegee football game.
Then. according to w. Dickerson
Donnelly-now alumni secretary
at Fisk-who was in the car, the
following events took place:
About az miles out of Hunts
vile, Alabama, the automobile in
which six of us were riding over
turned and all escaped serious in
jury except Moore who was found
to have a broken back.
Moore was carried 10 Hunts
vile for treatment, but on arriv-
ing In Huntsville, we were told
there were no hospital facilities
available for Negroes and the
best thing to do would be to take
him to Athens, Alabama, approx
mateIy ten miles away, for treat
ment.
When we inquired about ambu-
lance facilities, there were none in
which Negroes could ride. But
with a great deal of persuasion
and seeing the condition of Moore
we were able to get the white peo-
pie to let us use a hearse to make
the journey.
During the ride, Moore con-
tracted pneumonia and with other
complications died before DIR.
Moore, Sr., his father, could reach
him.
DR.. Moore grieved over the con-
dltion, I am told, because the all
ment which afflicted his son was
one that he had been most sue
cessful in curing during that time.
2. On the afternoon of Novem-
Der 8, 1881, Miss Juliette Derri-
cotte, nationally known dean at