University Hospital

As theCOuRiER advocated onc year or so nro, with the strongest argumenta it was capable of bringing to bear, a cbange in the medica] faculty, it seems quite appropriate that itow, as the college is ncar11' anotlier comoiencement, that the work of the past year, as far as the Universily hospital is concerneil, should be reviewed, and the results glven to the public. Wlth that end in view a Colkier representativo pocketed a new faber and a new pad the otlier dayand wended his way to the University Hospital. The first thing he met with was oppoa-tion. Heretofore people have been allowed to go into the hospital and its numerous wanlg as they saw fit. Now it requlres a permit to secure that right, and the effect of this rule has been most salutary upou the patiënt?, for now unnecessury and annoying conversations and noises are largely dispensed with by the sick bed side andéverything is asquiet as It is possible to be in a public hospital. We sent our ciird to Superintendent Clarke, who has the entire supervisión and directlon of the hospitals, and after making known our desires, werejnost graciously shown over the entire establishment, from cellar to garret, tlirough kitchen and dining room, through long corridors winding arouud to wards where lay sick women and cliildren, to other wards where men lay suffering trom different afflictions, through operating rooms, ampitheatre, and tlispensing rooms, in tact everywhere about the building, and wherever we went there was order and cleanliness. There seemed to be a place for everything aud everything in its place. In fact one could hardly beïieve that the old building could be kept so neat and attractive. But still n ramble over it shows how much a new hospital is needed. There were 53 patients in the regular hospital at the time of our visit. Of these 28 were mile and '2 femil'1. Tne number is still greater titan that at time?. Thora are often 100 to 123 ncluding ihc In lp, who sit down to thelr mealb in the dinlng room. Last year it waf dilScult to fiiid tuble room, tliis year thore hns been no difhVulty In that direction. The reasou for tliU is explained ia the tact that the niunher of what is known :is patiënte," those who have been operated upon and are not in condition to come to the tuble, have largely increased, haring averaged 25 d-iily for tlie year, there belDg frequently as high as 30 of tuem at one time. Tliis fnct is pointed to with pride, for it shows Unit there ia more work being done than usuhI. Patients are operated upon, aic given the best of attention and eire and are discharged sooner than they have been beretofore. Let this fact be noted: There has nol been a death al (he hospital this year of a patiënt under treatment. There have been two deatho, however, one beiüg Mts. Freybiirg, of Big Kapids, who carne to nurse and cure for her little son, (who by the way is still in the hospital under treatment for hip dlsease), who wa9 taken with la grippe and had not suftlcientstrengtli to recover from the attack. Tlie other deatli was that of Mr. Ratidall, of Coldwater, who canje to tlie ho-pital suffering from clironic kidney trouble with tlie diseasc too far advanced for medical aid, and being too weak to return home, he remaincd here unt.il death relieved liim of his suffering. It is true that not every persnn presenting hiinself for treatment h:is been taken in and tieated. When people come to the hospital for treatment, tlicy are exatnined by tlie proper metnber of the faculty, and frank ly told whelhcr or not tlie surgeon's knife or mrdical science can be of benefit to tliem. Those fur whoni there is i p.uticle of hopeare given the benefit of that hope. In gtiirtling contrast to this yearV record stands out that of 1887-8, when there were ticenty-six dcath t& tliis hospital. An al tempt to üud the causes was a total (allure, tor the records are soincom plete that no one oan teil anythingabout tuein only that there were 99.'! patlents reglstered. Tliis mucli is knowu tliat there were no cises of obstétrica that year. During the year 1888-9 there were 979 patients, of whom 05!) were taken care of in the hospital. There were 8ix deatha thnt year, two resulting from ovariotomy, two from rallroad accldents, one epinal meningitis, and one diabetes. There were but three opeialions for ovariotomy, two dylnjr. Ourinj; the year there were ten c.ises of obstétrica. For this year, 1889-90, up to June lOtli, there have been 938 p.itients reglstered, and of these 694 have been treated In the hospital. There have been fivc operations for ovariotomy, every one of whieh went away well. There were at one time eight patients In bed in the hospital from removal of cataract, and Dr. Carrow removed live cataracu at one clinic. Last year there were during tlie eutire year 47 cases of cataract, for the past eight months there iiave been U3 cases. A good compaiison. There have been ten cases of coufiuement at tlie hospital, and every senior medical student bas been present at and witnessed at least one case of this kind. These cases have been secured agarnst a strong influeuce exerted from certain quarters to keep tliem away from the hospital. This adverse influence was so great at the beginning of the ye.ir that on January 28th tlie hospital register showed that there had been 101 less patients under treatment thau at a corresponding date of the previous year. At this time the record ia only 12 behlod last year's and still iucreasing. There have been 80 moro patlents aluce Jan. 28tU to date titán for tbo cornjspondinjí perlud last year. Tliis s gratifyinjí and shows thatconfidence In the medical department is not only restored, but that the herculcan eflort3 beiníí put forth iu certaiir quarters to destroy, not only the Univcrsity hospital, but the entirc medical dcpartment, ia peterfng out very rapidly. So much for wliat lias been accomplished, now for the l'UOI'liSSORS' RECORDS. Dr. Nancrede, the professor of sutjjery, has mlssed but two regular clinlcs, aud then he was absent in Washington, in attendance upon the National Medical and Surgical coDvention of which he was vice-presideot, and before which he read a paper of much interest. In place of these two clinics missed by him lie has held live extra clinics. Being a resident of the city he has giren his personal atteiUion to patients afler oneralions have been performed, thus contributinj; quite largely to the success of the year. About (15 patients have been prebented at the surgieal clinic, nquiring ueaily all the important operationa known in surgnry, the most important beinif, ovariotomy 5, arnputations 6, atnputatioLB of breast 3, radical operations for the cure of hernia 5, extrophy of bladder 1 - thla operation is very rare, there being only 112 cases previously recorded, - trephiniii2 skull for injury 2. The whole forming a list too complex to be i ven in our space. Dr. Flenitng Carro w, "professor ol ophthalmic and aural surgery and clinical ophthalmology," as tlie calendar gives his tille, has not misled a clinic during the year. He has treatcd 400 patiënte, of whicli 03 have been operated upon for cataract. There are 57 different names given in the list of diseases treated by him, 45 being eye diseases, 6 of tüe ear, and G of the mouth, throat and noe. Of those treatecl 22S were male and 1712 fetnale. The supply of cllnical material has been all that could be used. Instead of deterioating this department lias forfied ahead in every way. The doctor has probably had fewer private patients than his predecessor, but the Studente have reaped the benefit. Dr. Martin was unfortunatc enoujrh to secure a lively attack of 1 1 grippe for himself the past winter, and during that time missed one or two clínica, which he h;is more than replaced by extra clínica and labor. It. is but just to Dr. Martin t sny that his faithful and studious work has had its reward, for there never has been more BUCCessful operatinns than tlioíe períormed In his department the present year, and what is quite Important s the f et that he is a general favorite vvith the students. The ncrvims clinic under Dr. Ilerdinun, has been veiy successful and protnptly atteoded to, not a cliuic being mlased by him duriog the entire year so far. D.'. Lyster, not benig a resident of the city, does not come in contact with patients as much as the other physieians. O. ie of the most faithful and conscientious vvorkers in and about the hospital is Dr. B IJ. Kosve, the resident physiciaii, who lias gpared no pains to make the work of the cünical department a success, and is deserving of much commendation. The services of Dr. Clarke, whicli were secured two yeara ago to take general supervisión and charge of the hospitals, liuve proven how wisc this measure was. Out of chaoa and confusión has come metbod and order. Kules have been laid down and are enforced, that secure to pntients not only prompt attention to their needs but more of the great requl site for a sick bod tlnm anything else: rest and quiet. Dr. Clarke bas so handled the linances of the hospitals that they have cost the state Ie89 by about $:J,000 during the past two }-ears thnn ever before, has providnl bitter belp and more of it than was formerly supplied, and adopted a systematic plan for the guldance of affairs. Now that ift:r two year's tri il the Regenta have found a man that luis made a perfect success of managlog the hosplt:ils, would not the board be jnstified in making Dr.Clarke's appolntment perruanent? Of the p.'itteots treatcd in tlie hospital 1 1 1 i year 320 pavo their ncftupation ai faruicru mul laborera. Another fa't t br noted It has leaked mt that soino of the leadin; fret! traden in Ibis country ure ownera in whole or in part of fbriM-rn inanufacturies.