The Portland daily press., 1865-09-07
Thursday Morning, Sept, 7.ist5.
[From the Evening Post.l
THANKSGIVING HOSPITALS,


THANKSGIVING HOSPITALS. 81
A plan is on foot for celebrating the happy
return of peace by movements of a peculiar
kind, which, while they preserve the memory
of our national deliverance will dispense a
much-needed beneficence to the poorer classes
among US. 1t is proposed to erect Thanksgiv-
ing hospitals in various parts of the country
that is to say, hospitals which, wniie they
serve the usual purposes of such institute ons,
are TO be taken as an expression OF the pubic
gratitude to the Great Disposer of Events for
the fortunate termination OF our bloody civil
STRIFE. 5s5-
In Otsweyo county, of this State, a begin
ming has been made by the collection of funds
for building an hospital in the country. Miss
Susan Fenimore Cooper, the daughter of the
great novelist, and herself Well-kn0Wn as the
author OF tlls caarnin WORK, sRlrai Hours
has interested herself zeaiously ia. this good
work. From printed circular distributed by
her we make the following extract, stating the
plan and suggesting the means of carrying it
into effect: eii Ats ssil7ss 10
can increase of hospitals, for the benefit of
> the poor and suffering, is greatly needed
throughout the country. Such an increase
may, BY the blessing of God on our lab0rs, be-
come the means of incalculable good to tens
of thousands, ay, to hundreds of thousands of
suffering people-rnen, women and children.
Experienced physicians tell us that every large
city in the country would be better for doubled
its present amount of hospital room. There
can be no doubt that every town of any size
needs one pubic hospital; and If the more Inn
portant counties in the Interior were provided
with hospitals of their own, the blessing to the
rural population would be very great. At
present there are tens of thousands OF suffer
ing poor SO far removed from hospital reiief
that the scanEy aid OF the poor house, with Its,
occasional medical treatment and wfetchedly
Inadequate nursing, is their only resource.
Sqeciai hospitals Tor the insane poor are very
much needed in every State. Separate houses
are required for the incurable, and for those
capable of restoration, more or less complete.
Hospitals or aSylums for idiot children capable
Impartial education, with other establishments
for adult and durable idiots, are required
Hospitals for the diseased children of the poor
are very desirable in the large cities. Indus
trial hospitals for those among the aged and
intirm poor, who require constant medical
treatment, and are yet capable of certain
amount of labor, would do much good. Asy-
lums for that miserable class, the inebriates
are also needed a
"Such is the work awaiting society of this
kinda work which, under some of its FORMS
and in certain parts of the country, is even of
pressing urgency. 1t IS, asSuredly, entirely
worthy of our best efforts, one to which we
may gladly consecrate portion of our time, of
our thoughts, OF our means. Shall we not
then, enter heartily into this charitable labor,
endeavoring to carry it out thoroughly, on
scaie propOrsioned TO the very great wealth.
tine civilization, the benevolence, and thank
fuiness OF Christian nation, blessed as we
have been blessed by tile protection of mer-
citul Providence during perils the most critical.
fne organization of such society would
be very simple, If any town or district is dis
posed to erect a hospital in accordance with
these views, the work would, of course, be
carried out in all its "details oy a responsible
Local committed organized in the usual way
Should several Thanksgiving hospitals be erect
ed, general board, in one of the larger cities,
chiefly for purposes OF correspondence and
publication, would 2 We rength and unity of
feeling to the association. r6 aG
"Fdnds would be raised by voluntary gifts
by collection, by subscriptions or by any other
means sanctioned by the local committee
A hospital of this character, once erected, its
annual expenditure for the future would be
betrayed byendowments, by yearly sub5crip-
tons, and by the payments of three classes
of patients: 1st those in easy circumstances,
of which there are usually certain portion
in every hospital; I'd, patients sent by the
overseers of the poor, whose expenses are de-
frayed by their own town or county; Sd, pa
tielts supported by the charity of different
parishes, or individuals, a.a
!" rhe first steps toward the battling of one
Thanksgiving Hospital In accordance with
this plan, are already taken, in the humble
Sl'. 'ias al " Oou, sne worA
ny 81 S,,.le D0 70 goou conclusion.
h,l .a5 = rus lstd5 Inc
~ aiaa Hare O00n piopo'eu anu VIII pioOaDiy,
DC "a .s suoPOeI rh,+ a. e,ss...-
tt ra 10, na s sae ,ounaaton shall be laid
VIZ sIa lS1 Th 9st . an mac
lnaS al ~ ~ snall De placed
over tlle ell'lTe =. sne puiulns stating Its
cnaracI5r a. 4 "a y n9spital erected
10 Lne glory ol uou' anu II soou VIII 70 man,
Dp me county % a. Z snahSslvlng ior
tne preseEvaSon Vi 'ile na'oal .he RESTORATION
o. peace anu 1n'on' II 'ne yeaf - our LORD
Ao sSI r.
cboracter he ni . Il, every ward. --'-.-"i
Stoi aSVoi D0 P.seSou "a " q I" ". =. -
Melted ba ' oneneJ with reiioions services in