Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-19
Ghs 9ap spu aamsst GbmsOag Eune September 49, 1872

He entered upon his duties, and was found TO
write most illegible hand Being questioned
as to his letter of application, he said he did
not 10rie it, he painted it, it was the most deli
cate work, done with hair pencil.
Mr.. Bowditch tells many strange and touch
ing anecdotes of the patients whom he knew;
and we can not help quoting a few of them.
''Several years SINCE" he says, 81 passed my
summer months in the country, being depend
ant on an omnibus for my daily ride into the
city; was the first passenger called for. On
one occasion we stopped at a neighboring house.
A young Irish girl was assisted by two of her
countrymen into the vehicle; she was suffering
from acute rheumatism. l asked her where she
was going. She said, TO the hospital To my
several questions whether she had seen the
physician, or got any permit, aud whether she
had any means of paying her board she replied
in the negative. How then, said |, do you ex-
pect to get into the hospital? She answered,
4 trust in ProUidence' Now, by singular
coincidence, it happened that no one in the
whole county except myself had power to give
her the desired admission. l at once determined
to do SO, and thus to justify the trust which she
had so confidently expressed. When, therefore,
| left the vehicle, told the driver to take her
directly to the hospital, giving him note to the
admitting physician, which secured her accep-
ton on a free bed. She was cured in a few
weeks, and was always known us the 'Providen-
tial Patient A young man in the Mclean asy-
lum, who had formerly been in a government
office in Canada, passed his time in reading a
Latin dictionary, and making on the margins
notes and critical comments. He always re-
piled in Latin to any question asked him, but
used the language with great deal of freedom.
Thus to a question about his health, he an
swered, 'Meus Salus, domino, est tOlerabiiS.' An
other patient, an nyeterate walker, actually trod
down the grass into pathway of the shape of
pair of mammoth suspenders, the button-holes
at the ends being elaborated with great skill
and ease. The popularity of third was to
pronounce all his yowels. On being asked how
he did, he replied, 4 have aches from the top
of my head to the ends of my toes
In 1867 female students, Miss Sophia Jex- Blake
and Miss Susan Dimmock, were admitted under
certain restrictions to the female wards of the
hospital, and up to this time female physicians
are sometimes admitted there. Both'the ladies
mentioned have now a most honorable profess
sional reputation, and DR.. Dimmock has recent
ly been appointed resident physician at the New
England hospital for women and children.
One word about the widespread preiudices
against the M'Lean asylum. In clear and
straightforward account of the system of treat
ment there, Rev. Mr.. Ellis says, in regard TO the
supposed restrictions upon interviews between
patients and their outside friends, that Gin no
single case, and under no circumstances, is the
nearest friend or guardian, having personal
rights, precluded from an interview with a
patient, or prevented from removing him or her
at pleasure" The superintendent may think
the interview will injure the patient, he may
advise, even demonstrate against it, but if the
friend persists, the interview is permitted Re-
Gently, of 167 patients in the hospital, the
friends of 142 could and did visit them at their
pleasure. Only twenty-five were in a condition
to render visits undesirable. In regard to re-
strictiOns upon correspondence figures are en-
ployed as the more satisfactory than any other
answer to misrepresentation. On the 28th of
May, 1872, there were 17S patients OF these
113 never wish to write, IS write whenever they
wish to, and receive letters; and the means of
correspondence are withheld from the remaining
ten, because the excitement of putting delusions
and fancies upon paper would harm the patient
for whom there is hope of cure; or because
morbid communications would harrow and mis-
lead friends; or because the friends of the
patients have enjoined extreme caution, on ac-
count of Objectionable correspondents.
In both asylum and hospital everything that
skill, science, aud perfect instruments can do to
alleviate pain and bring back health of body
and mind is done; and the trustees have entire
confidence in the officers of both departments.
The hospital report for 1870 states that the aver
age number Of patients at the hospital had been
100, and the weekly cost of each $1,000; that
donations and legacies received during the year
amounted to S49,074,S5, and that after the treas
urer closed his account gift Of 500 900 was re-
ceived from Mr.. J. L. Gardner, for free beds, and
another of $1,000 from Mr.. B. I. Reed. The
whole amount received from donations, sub
scriptons and legacies since the hospital was
incorporated is.S1, 2,3S5.SS. And the historian
eXclaims, "Is there any other benevolent in
stltution in this city, state or country whose
treasury has been more enrichedp And quotes
Father Taylor, who, on one of the occasions
when he had wound himself and his audience
up to high pitch, and had become hopelessly
involved in his own gorgeous rhetoric, suddenly
let himself and his hearers down by exclaiming,
'The truth is, Mr.. President, the Lord has only
one Boston and we live in it,"
Now am sure the Lord has only one Worces-
ter, aud happy are they who live in it, And
hope your new hospital which has so prosperous
a beginning will, as years 20 by, show record
as noble as that of the Massachusetts general
hospital, and prove the warmth, the generosity,
and the tenderness of the dear old ''heart of the
commonwealth