Los Angeles City Receiving Hospital clinical record books, 1903-11-17-1908-01-03

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Summary

Creators:
Los Angeles City Receiving Hospital
Abstract:
The Los Angeles City Receiving Hospital first opened in 1868 to provide emergency care for victims of pestilence, primarily smallpox. Located in Chavez Ravine, the institution quickly expanded its scope, admitting patients afflicted with other contagious diseases. After occupying four different locations, the hospital, now known as the Central Receiving Hospital and located at 6th Street and Loma Drive, closed its doors in 1970 and the building was demolished in 2005 to make way for the Los Angeles Police Departments $29 million Rampart Station. This small collection consists of five volumes of clinical records from the Los Angeles City Receiving Hospital. The log books cover the periods November 17, 1903-January 2, 1905 (3 volumes); August 31 to November 24, 1905; and October 23, 1907 to January 3, 1908. Each consists of an alphabetical list of entries, followed by individual pages for each patient that include physician's name, patient's name, age, marital status, birth location, occupation, address, date and time admitted, location of accident, where taken, how injured, extent, treatment, and remarks.
Extent:
6.29 Linear Feet 5 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder no. or item name], Los Angeles City Receiving Hospital clinical record books, Collection no. 7065, Regional History Collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Background

Scope and content:

Five volumes, half-bound leather, containing clinical records from the Los Angeles City Receiving Hospital. The log books cover the periods November 17, 1903-January 2, 1905 (3 volumes); August 31 to November 24, 1905; and October 23, 1907 to January 3, 1908. Each consists of an alphabetical list of entries, followed by individual pages for each patient that include physician's name, patient's name, age, marital status, birth location, occupation, address, date and time admitted, location of accident, where taken, how injured, extent, treatment, and remarks.

Biographical / historical:

The Los Angeles City Receiving Hospital first opened in 1868 to provide emergency care for victims of pestilence, primarily smallpox. Located in Chavez Ravine, the institution quickly expanded its scope, admitting patients afflicted with other contagious diseases. By the 1880s, the hospital had moved to its second location, a two-room emergency first aid unit in the back of the downtown Central Police Station. It was staffed by one police surgeon and treated victims of violent crime. Within the span of one year, the number of patients seen at the hospital reached over 3500. By 1896, the hospital occupied its third location, on 1st Street between Broadway and Hill, where it became known as the Central Police Station and Receiving Hospital. In 1927, the fourth incarnation of the hospital opened on the third floor of the Georgia Street Police Station. By that time, the Georgia Street Receiving Hospital, as it was then known, was one of about a dozen hospitals across Los Angeles. Georgia Street was open until 1957, when it was replaced by the state of the art Central Receiving Hospital, located at 6th Street and Loma Drive. It closed its doors in 1970 and the building was demolished in 2005 to make way for the Los Angeles Police Departments $29 million Rampart Station.

These five log books were in the possession of Dr. G. Edward Cassady, who served as Police Surgeon at Goergia Street from circa 1924-1964.

[adapted from "A Pioneering Public Hospital Checks Out", Los Angeles Times, October 2, 2005, http://articles.latimes.com/2005/oct/02/local/me-then2]

Acquisition information:
Gift of Dr. George Cassady, July 6, 2018.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder no. or item name], Los Angeles City Receiving Hospital clinical record books, Collection no. 7065, Regional History Collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Location of this collection:
Special Collections
Doheny Memorial Library, Room 209
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0182, US
Contact:
(213) 740-5900
specol@usc.edu
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