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Editorial
September 8, 1902
The Evening World
New York, New York County, New York
What is this article about?
Editorial condemns St. Mary's Hospital ambulance surgeon for mistaking John Schimpf, Jr.'s skull fracture from a trolley car fall as drunkenness, resulting in his overnight detention without care and eventual death. Urges review of hospital practices.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
THE AMBULANCE SURGEON AGAIN!
With decent attention and ordinary surgical care the life of John Schimpf, jr., of Brooklyn, who fractured his skull in a fall from a trolley car Saturday night, might have been saved. When he was picked up insensible on the street with a wound on the top of his head extending two inches behind his right ear an ambulance was called for from St. Mary's Hospital. The ambulance surgeon promptly diagnosed the case as one of alcoholism and turned the victim over to the police, who locked him up over night in a cell without further attention. In the morning, as he was still unconscious, the ambulance was again summoned, the fracture was discovered and the poor victim of ignorance and brutality was returned to the hospital, where he died without regaining consciousness. The first physician in explaining his mistaken and inexcusable diagnosis says: "There were no symptoms of concussion of the brain that I could see. Would it not be worth while to overhaul the management and discipline of a hospital which places the lives of human beings at the mercy of such practitioners?"
With decent attention and ordinary surgical care the life of John Schimpf, jr., of Brooklyn, who fractured his skull in a fall from a trolley car Saturday night, might have been saved. When he was picked up insensible on the street with a wound on the top of his head extending two inches behind his right ear an ambulance was called for from St. Mary's Hospital. The ambulance surgeon promptly diagnosed the case as one of alcoholism and turned the victim over to the police, who locked him up over night in a cell without further attention. In the morning, as he was still unconscious, the ambulance was again summoned, the fracture was discovered and the poor victim of ignorance and brutality was returned to the hospital, where he died without regaining consciousness. The first physician in explaining his mistaken and inexcusable diagnosis says: "There were no symptoms of concussion of the brain that I could see. Would it not be worth while to overhaul the management and discipline of a hospital which places the lives of human beings at the mercy of such practitioners?"
What sub-type of article is it?
Science Or Medicine
Social Reform
What keywords are associated?
Ambulance Surgeon
Medical Misdiagnosis
Hospital Negligence
Skull Fracture
Patient Death
What entities or persons were involved?
John Schimpf, Jr.
St. Mary's Hospital
Ambulance Surgeon
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Criticism Of Ambulance Surgeon Misdiagnosis
Stance / Tone
Strongly Critical Of Medical Negligence
Key Figures
John Schimpf, Jr.
St. Mary's Hospital
Ambulance Surgeon
Key Arguments
Misdiagnosis Of Skull Fracture As Alcoholism
Victim Locked Up Without Medical Attention Overnight
Fracture Discovered Too Late Leading To Death
Ignorance And Brutality Caused The Death
Call To Overhaul Hospital Management And Discipline