On hospital organisation : with special reference to the organisation of hospitals for children / by Charles West.

  • West, Charles, 1816-1898.
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On hospital organisation : with special reference to the organisation of hospitals for children / by Charles West. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    The inquiry if made only at the hospital, as has been proposed by some, would not answer the purpose, for a hospital, and particularly a special hospital in a large city like London, attracts to its out-patient room people from distant parts, concerning whom all local knowledge would be impossible, and any check on the abuse of a hospital and any other charity must be real as well as apparent. It may be added that before calling in the aid of the Charity Organisation Society the attempt had been made to prevent the hospital out-patient room being resorted to by those who had no real claim upon its help, by requiring that before presenting themselves a second time each patient's letter should be counter- signed by some householder, clergyman, city mis- sionary, or other minister of religion. The regulation turned out a farce, the clergy of no persuasion cared to be guilty of the apparent unkindness of refusing their signature to a person asking for it merely to obtain hospital relief, and the small shopkeeper in a poor district did not dare to disoblige his custo- mers. Theoretically this test of fitness seemed to conciliate kindness and discrimination, practically it was worthless. It has already been pointed out that the establish- ment of provident dispensaries, how widely soever those institutions may be disseminated, cannot en- material for the study in Davenne, op. cit., vol. ii. chap. v. ; Reglement Administratif stir les Stcours a Domicile dans la Ville de Paris. 8vo. Paris, 1871. Compte Moi'al deVAdministratis de TAssistance Publique. 4to. Paris, 1874, § vi. Gyoux, Du Service Medical des Pauvres. 8vo. Versailles, 1868. Neboux, Projd d' Organisation de VAssistance Pub- lique, dans la ville de Paris, 6°<r. 8vo. Paris, 1850. Rause, Reorganisa- tion de F Assistance Ptiblique. 8vo. Paris, 1871. Petrequin, De VOr- ganisation de VAssistance Publique ct Lyon. 8vo. Lyons, and the valuable work of M. de Gerando, vol. iv. livre ii, already referred to, besides many others.