THE HOSPITAL.—FEMALE PATIENTS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 419, 3 December 1868, Page 2

THE HOSPITAL.—FEMALE PATIENTS.

To the Editor of tlte Westport Times and Charleston Argus.)

Sir, —In perusing your valuable paper of this morning's date, I noticed a letter, signed Dr Giles, commenting upon your leading article of the previous day, and stating that, so far from his being surprised that the woman patient mentioned by you in that article was kept waiting outside of the Hospital so long, he was inclined to wonder that the detention was not greater, as there was no accommodation at all for female patients. Pray, Mr Editor, can you tell me what an Hospital is for, and whether it is intended to supply the wants of destitute men alone (I use the word destitute advisedly, as we hear, or see, so much of that word, in most of the correspondence which takes place relative to the Hospital), or whether an Hospital is not usually open to suffering humanity of both sexes ? And, if such is the case, might I venture to ask, who is responsible for the aforesaid want of accommodation ? Not the Commitee, undoubtedly, as, in all complaints that have been made touching their administration, which I regret to say, have neither been few, nor far between, they have always — cleverly, I was going to say, but, perhaps, satisfactorily would be the better word —succeeded in persuading themselves, if not the general public, that it was an admirably conducted institution, and, of course, their conclusion must be correct. But I for one should like to know the exact benefits that are conferred by the aforesaid institution, the number of patients that have been admitted since its erection, and the relative cost at which each patient so admitted has been cured or otherwise ; how many of these have either wholly, or in part, paid their own expenses ; and with regard to the former, how much has been charged in each case. I believe it was stated at one meeting of the Committee, that few or none had ever paid anything at all, and that probably five or six pounds was the outside of the receipts from that source, but I could not help thinking that some mistake had been made, as I was told by one firm here, that they were compelled to pay some nine pounds odd, for a patient they had sent to the Hospital, for a matter of three weeks. If such is the usual course pursued, I should think the Hospital ought to be self supporting, and that the subscriptions, (some of which, at lenst, were given with the idea of its being a charitable institution,) were, if not absolutely unnecessary, necessary only for erecting the Hospital buildings. This will undoubtedly be very satisfactory to the public, as they will, in that case, not be required to subscribe any more money for Hospital purposes, or be deluded to the extent that some were, when subscribing, viz., that a certain amount of money conferred certain priv as to the recommendation of patients for admission, which now appears to rest wholly with one or two persons.

Apologising for trespassing so much on your valuable space,—l am, Sir, Tour obedient servant. Another Subscriber. December 2, 1868.

P.S.—I had nearly omitted to mention the only actual benefit that is apparent to an outsider, from the hospital management and its august friends ; that is, that it has enabled a previously ' eminent, though partially unknown physician, to add the magic J.P. to his name, as much to his own surprise as to that of the rest of the world—for his brilliant, though not lengthened services to the public of "Westport.