Page:Immigration and the Commissioners of Emigration of the state of New York.djvu/167

Rh, were appointed. The Physician-in-Chief, after having urged in vain that the hospital service required a permanent medical staff residing on the island, and that the contemplated change, for many weighty reasons, was objectionable, and sure to lead to most deplorable results, declined the position offered to him under the new system, and resigned.

The new plan, however, was carried into effect by the appointment of eight physicians and surgeons as visiting physicians to the institution, who formed together the Medical Board of Ward's Island.

This system soon proved its inefficiency, but was, nevertheless, kept up until 1855, when the Medical Department proper was again placed under the charge of a resident physician-in-chief, with two assistants, and the Surgical Department under the charge of a surgeon-in-chief, with the same number of assistants. This system has been in operation for the last fifteen years, with the simple change of one instead of two assistants in each department. The general supervision is exercised by the Medical Board, consisting of a Consulting Physician, Physician-in-Chief, and Surgeon-in-Chief. These offices are now filled by the following gentlemen: Dr. J. Murray Carnochan, Surgeon-in-Chief; Dr. Ernst Schilling, Consulting Physician; Dr. George Ford, Physician-in-Chief; Dr. August Reimer, Assistant Physician; and Dr. John Dwyer, Assistant Surgeon; the three latter forming the resident medical staff. The former have been connected with the institution for a long series of years.

The regular routine business of the Hospital is about equally divided among the resident medical staff. A number of wards constitute the department of one physician or surgeon, to which his labor and attendance are mainly devoted. The Physician-in-Chief has the general supervision. The assistants have to report to and to consult with him, and to carry out his suggestions or orders. The Medical Board meets regularly every fortnight, to consult upon all matters relating to the Hospital and the welfare of its inmates; to deliberate upon general questions of health, and such suggestions as may be received from different quarters; to consider and decide upon changes and improvements, and to discuss new or difficult cases in practice. A record is kept of all its