The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-07
BoompiotIon Of an the RuIIdlnrs.

/
The erection of the western wing was under
| taken iD 1874, and was sufficiently advanced
| towards completion IN l796, to warrant the
reception OF patients; but it was not until the
| year 1906 that the central portion was hnished,
and the original plan carried out in all its
| details. Although it was afterwards found
necessary TO erect various outbuildngs for diff
| terent purposes, and the sums granted from
! time TO time by the Legislature for building
| purposes we're insufficient to meet all the ex-
| penses, was the intention of the charter,
the grant OF SI6,OOO, in 1885, appears to have
| exhausted the bounty of the lawmakers, end
from that day to the present the hospital has
received no pecunlary assistance whatever from
the State Government
The Lyin gin and seamep,s Departments
Established.
In addition to extending the facilities of the
Hospital Tor the reception OF such cases as were
contemplated at the time of its Foundation, its
usefulness was further extended about the be-
ginning of the century. In l7g9 George Lati
mer, Collector of the Port of Philadelphia pro-
posed to the managers an arrangement by
which sick and disabled seamen, belonging to
tne merGantlie marine as well as to the navy,
were to be admitted to the benefits of the Hos
pitaI. From this resulted the present arrange.
ment, under which such seamen of the mer-
chant service as are entitled to Governmental
care when disabled, in consideration of the
hospital money deducted from their wares
are received Tor certain weekly board, paid by
the National Government, and retained until
restored to health, or removed by order of the
ment was also established Tor the benefit of poor
and deserving married women. This DEPART
ment, subsequent to March, 1907 was supported
by donation from the First City Troop, y OF a
sum derived from their pay for services rendered
during the Revolution. For many years an in-
come of from $500 to 5000 was derived from this
source. From an early period in its history, 1t
had also been the custom to furnish relief TO
outdoor patients, but there was little system in
this previous to 1907, when regular dispensarv
Tor such purposes was established, and ply
sicians appointed. In 1917, as the Philadelphia
Dispensary, which had the same objects in
view, had come into efficient operation, the
whole sJ Jstem was abandoned.
Vests Painting of "ChrIst Healing the
Sick"
In September 1S0O the Managers of the Hos
ptal had written to Benjamin West, then resi-
ding in England, and, after paving becoming
tribute to the liberality of the English contribu.
tors, had solicited him to aid them with his
pencil. west acquiesced in the proposition,
and commenced work upon his great produc-
tion entitled "Christ Healing the Sick.n In
1910 he gave notice that the painting might
soon be expected, but so great was the admira
ton tnat 1t ELECTED on all sides, when placed on
eXhloltlon in England, and so determined
were the patrons of art in that country
10 retain 1t, that time passed and the
promised painting came not. But the artist at
once commenced the preparation of a copy.
Whlch he resolved should exceed the original in
merit; and in October, 1917, it arrived in this
country and was placed on exhibition in build
ing erected for the express purpose, an admis-
sion fee of twenty-five cents being exacted from
visitors. From this source over $25, 600 has
been realized, and after deducting all the ex-
penses connected with it, there has remained
clear profit to the Hospital of full $4,000.
Increase In Capital and Income.
In addition to this, the Institution at various
times has been the recipient of several hand
some legacles. Among these was that of John
he0le, who, besides a considerable amount of
real estate, left money and securities equivalent
to 10000, which were received in July, 1909 {;
while stephen Girards legacy, amounting to
nearly $4,000, came into the treasury in July,
1882. 1t will be remembered by many that the
vile of the millionaire and bepefactor of Phila-
delphia was for a long. period one of the untor-
tunate inmates of the insane department of the
Hospital, and that in May, 1871, a child was
born to him within its precincts, but died soon
after.
From the various sources enumerated above,
and the energy displayed in the management of
the institution, its capital gradually increased
from the $4,000 to which it had sunk in 1888,
TO $40 600 in l793 to $62 900 in lS03 to Sl24 900
IN 1913, to $l72,0 600 in 1928, and to $780, 900 in
1888. The annual income of the institution in
1896 had sunk to $1,000; in 1885, it had increased
to nearly $4,000. In 1890, the number
OF patients admitted annually was but
70; in 1900, it had increased to l76: in 1910
to 1868; in 1920, to 749 in 1880, to ll3O; after
which, the average for several years was some
what over 1000. The average number of in
mates at one time increased from 46 to 225.
regulated by the state of the funds. and was in
creased from time to time. In 1907 Only so beds
were allowed TOR poor patients; while in 1928,
the number was increased to 80, and in 1885, to
l20.
About this time new era dawned upon the
institution, in the establishment Of
The Hospital for the Insane.
At a meeting of the Board of Managers held
in May, 1884, it was decided that a separate
asylum for the insane was eXpedient, and in
1885 the sum of 1926 coo was realized from the
sale of lots on the east, west, and south west of
the hospital. The site selected for the new
building was a farm extending from Havertord
to the West Chester road, containing about one
hundred acres. But this article has already
assumed such lengthy proportions, that we must
reserve the history and workings of the latter
institution for another occasion.
The transfer of the insane patients to the new
building greatly increased the rooms and faciIi-
ties Tor the accommodation of the sick and dis
abled But the entire western wing had to be
remodelled and repaired before it was adapted
to ordinary purposes. About the close OF the
first century of the existence of the Hospital,
the eastern wing and the centre were also re-
modelled and repaired, and the institution is
now as well adapted TO its objects as any other
in the world.
The Prosperity OF the Hospital During
the Past Ten Years
can best be shown by comparative statement
oflts operations during the years l855-66 and
1866 &C. To this we annex the material Dor
tions of the report for the year lS66-67, which
was read at the annual meeting of the con-
uh hiph uog hold ofk