Today In Nellie Bly History — Visiting the Dispensaries

New York World — Sunday, December 2, 1888

Nellie Bly Narrowly Escapes Having Her Tonsils Amputated

Treated as a Charity Patient in the Throat, Skin and Ear Infirmaries

She Joins the Throng of Poor Invalids and Finds Out How Free Medical Aid is Dispensed — One Brusque Old Doctor Probes Her Throat and Nose and Wants to Perform an Operation — A Young Physician Tells Her Never to Wash Her Face with Soap — The Druggists’ Big Profits — What She Saw and Heard.

I started out the other day to investigate some of the New York dispensaries and see for myself how the poor girls fare who are really sick and have to seek charity. Naturally I concluded before I started that only the very poor were the recipients of free medical aid, so I spent some time over my make-up. When it was completed I flattered myself that I looked as poor as any of them.

My first visit was to the Metropolitan Throat Hospital, 351 West Thirty-fourth street. As I read the words, “Open the door,” on a big silver plate, and was obeying the order, I heard the most heartrending cries from an inside room. I stood holding the door for a moment and heard again those dreadful cries of pain:

“Oh! ow! Doctor! ow!”

My bangs curled at these sounds, yet I stretched my ear-drums lest I should miss one.