New York Medical College - Fleuroscope Yearbook (Valhalla, NY)

Page 196 text:

model of how much good a group of women can accomplish in helping a less fortunate group of people. Not only have they given of their money but more important, their time. This brilliant, intelligent and sympathetic group of wo- men have given aid not only for the small necessities which are so necessary for the comfort of the patient, but have taken part in the development of the technical necessities, X-ray and bacteriological laboratories, and most import- ant, a social service department whose work, in my opinion, is better than in any other municipal hospital. This same group of women un-derstand the im- portance of education and have helped equally in the educational program of both nurses and physicians. The Department of Tuberculosis was certainly most fortunate in having this wonderful group of women to stimulate the staff to better and better work. Soon after the organization of the Department of Tuberculosis the medical staff was invited to teach tuberculosis to the undergraduate third and fourth year students of the New York Medical College and Flower Hospital. This association with the College has contributed much to the service. Nothing im' proves a medical service more than teaching. Students stimulate the teach- ers to keep abreast of advances in medicine. The staff becomes keener and the patients derive the benefit of the increased knowledge of medicine. The medical staff of the West Pavilion have been proud of the men who have passed through their department. They appreciate the interest and ef- forts of the students. Students rarely are aware of the sense of satisfaction the instructors have when they hear how well the boys and girls have served at other hospitals. The students of Flower have contributed more to the reputa- tion of the Department of Tuberculosis than any other source. They have brought and demonstrated the experience of the staff to hundreds of other medi- cal institutions. The medical staff is appreciative of their service in spreading the good reputation of the West Pavillion throughout the country. This West Pavilion has contributed much to the modern knowledge of tuberculosis. Year after year treatises on tuberculosis have come from this service and it is my opinion that the West Pavilion has been responsible for more stimulating discussions on pulmonary tuberculosis than any other similir institution. West Pavilion is really the mother of Sea View Hospital, for only five years ago the Commissioner of Hospitals persuaded and commissioned the medical staff to undertake the reorganization of what is probably the largest tuberculosis service in the United States. The success of Sea View Hospital is the success of the West Pavilion. You students now graduating I am sure will all have fond memories of the West Pavilion, the pavilion of the stethoscope. I am sure you will always re- member breath sounds. Pitch-yes, pitch-you will never forget. You will remember the chronic diseases the staff discussed with you. Some of these concepts may change, and the staff hopes you will always keep abreast of the modern concepts of disease. Most important, the staff hopes you will have a liberal attitude and an open mind in medicine, and that you will remember that horse sense has more to do with making a good -doctor than any other qual- ity. The staff bids you goodbye with good wishes for a happy and successful career in medicine. Always look upon the beloved West Pavilion as a healer and teacher. The West Pavilion will always be happy to have you visit her again. 'Now the Chronic Research Hospital One hundred ninety seven

Page 195 text:

river. Yes I was finally on the Island. Now I could understand. I had just remembered that it was Blackwell's Island. But Dr. Weil had not mentioned Blackwell's Island. I must be mistaken. Yes, Blackwell's Island had to do with prisons, and this was an island of hospitals and homes for the aged. I now remembered it was Welfare Island-certainly it was Welfare Island, a haven for the sick-no, not prisoners and Blackwell's Island. We had lcmded, and once again we must mix with these depressing peo- ple. We must get off the boat. We descended to the main deck. There was the gang-plank. Two boatmen were half carrying and dragging a drunk- ard across the gang-plank. They deposited him on the wharf and with evi- dence of relief returned to the boat. The drunkard swayed from side to side, he decided to walk-Heavens, he was walking toward the river-Oh, there he was going right into the waterl What a relief, he swayed backward and fell quickly on the dock. One of the boatmen muttered, Too bad he dicln't fall in, and a good riddance to a pest. ' What next! We are off the boat. Yes, there is a road-a good road. We turn right and walk past a large prison-like building. Haven't I made a mis- take? This building smacks so much of a prison, so much of Blackwell's Is- land, this could not be Welfare Island. What is this building? , I meekly ask in a thin voice, and Dr. Weil replies West Pavilion-male medicine-chronic male medicine. West Pavilion-West Pavilion-how little did I know how closely entwined I was to become with West Pavilion. The fog was lifting, and we were then before a small two-story dirty, yel- low-painted building, with small windows and peculiar-shaped doors, that seemed as they would be difficult to walk out of. Prison-like, I thought, and again in a weak voice I spoke to Dr. Weil, This building reminds me of a prison. And that's what it was, Dr. Weil replied, One of the old prisons for females, and it was converted into a hospital when the new prison was built on the other end of the Island. Hah, then it was Blackwell's Island after all. Blackwell's Island, prisons and prisons and hospitals and homes, now called Welfare Island. Certainly Welfare Island belied the name. Dr. Weil said it was more cheerful inside. But it was not more cheerful inside. Two floors of sick tuberculous women. Eighty women on narrow iron beds, coughing and spitting. I-low drab! How grey! Was this the way Knicker- bocker was taking care of the tuberculous sick? Certainly this was not what the immortal Trudeau had hoped for for the tubercular. I now knew why Dr. Weil had insisted on my visiting the Island, and I knew right there and then that I would journey day in and day out, year in and year out, west to east, across water to an island, yes, renamed Welfare but always sounding Black- well, the island of prisons, hospitals and homes. It was but a few days before the Medical Board said Welcome, stranger and did all in it's power to help. Within a short period of time the female tuberculosis service was reorganized and in a little over two years the male tuberculosis service was added. The Medical Board created a Department of Tuberculosis, and finally moved the whole department into the West Pavilion. The organization of the Department of Tuberculosis could not have been pos- sible were it not for a devoted small group of women under the leadership of Mrs. Redmond. Words can hardly describe their efforts to help relieve the sick. Their work these past fourteen years will always be an example and One hundred ninety-six

Page 197 text:

UNFINISHED sYMPHoNY BY WILLIAM L. EINHORN FOREW ORD YOU doctors of such vast experience would do well to reflect back upon the visit to your first patient. Perhaps then you will realize that, on the whole, your actions were quite' similar to those of this particular student . . . entirely excusable and attributable to a high degree of exhaltation associated with the realization of a goal within reach .... , Exactly seven days had passed since this student had completed the di- dactic part of his course in Physical Diagnosis . . . Seven-thirty, A. M. finds him freezing in the waiting room of the Municipal Ferry . . . decides it would be rather unprofessional to visit his first patient that early, so endeavors to make himself comfortable . . . He realizes that for the first time in some twenty-odd years, he has no books about his person. CED.-NOTE-Uribe lievablel which fact tends to make him disregard the hard bench . . . Glancing down at his overcoat pocket he notices the bright glare of stethoscope ear- pieces, so carefully fixed that but a wee bit protrudes, but enough, mind you, so that there can be no mistake as to the contents of that pocket. This fact ten-ds to make him disregard the cold . . . Carefully, he pulls his jacket to one side in order to make certain that thermometer and flashlight are well to the mesial side of his upper right vest pocket .... He rises, places his hand into his trouser pocket, and being assured that this maneuver will positively reveal the T and F, he buttons his coat and sits down ..,. by this time he closely ap- proximates satisfaction ....' N 'ow he decides to quickly scan over the ques- tions he was told to ask his patient CED.-NOTE-what's the use, he'll never re- member theml .... Finishing this, he has about three or four cigarettes, and then boards the ferry .... Arriving at the Island he takes a few deliberate steps towards the nearest building but stops short, removes his hat, an-d scatch- es his head, for it has just dawned upon him that the particular destination he had decided upon was only one of many buildings of a similiar kind .... Pushing the stethoscope way down and out of sight, he turns up his coat collar and walks back to the ticket collector KNOTE-he's playing the part of an or- dinary visitor now-how embarrassingl, and inquires as to the whereabouts of the ward he had been assigned to .... Having been satisfactorily directed, he turns down the collar of his coat, brings up the stethoscope and continues on his way .... If you are interested-any third year student is qualified to further en- lighten you. One hundred ninety-eight