The Portland daily press., 1876-02-07
Medical Charities.

cusslon OF the subject at the Detroit meetlDg o.
the Social Science Association. He began by
| glancing at the history of the subject, showing
| that hospitals and dispensaries were undoubted-
| ly product of the Christian religion; and the
| discussion of their benefits was appropriate to
| the Lords day and the Lords house. Then he
| gave few touches to show the great amount of
| this kind of charity bestowed in our large
cities; and spoke of the great honor which it
reflected upon the medical profession, and upon
| the founders and benefactors of hospitals. But
just as we were beginning in this state to
| awaken to the Importance of founding and
maintaining such an institution, this discussion
| at Detroit is published, which might lead some
persons to erroneous views and erroneous &C.
| tion, 1t was stated that English philanthro-
pists had begun to think medical charities an
| insidious and dangerous mode of Turing honest
self-supportiDg men into an acceptance of
charity, and into a dependence upon it; and
| into neglect OF health and sanitary precau-
tions 1t was confessed that in this country no
such results had been perceived, but some of
our philanthropists had feared that the results
would come in time
DR.. Hill replied by first observing that the
medical charities of London were not the most
efficient causes of the evils attributed to them
there, which flowed chiefly from concomitant
causes, which did not exist in this country, or
at least to nothing like the same extent as
there; and in all probability never would exist
here.
He acknowledged that men ought not to be
lured into dependence on charity; they ought
to be encouraged to help themselves. But of
all encouragements to help yourself, he knew
of none more powerful than a little kindness, a
lift over hard place. He analyzed briefly the
letters read at the Detroit meeting from phys-
clans and others of large experience in Boston,
New York and Philadelphia, showing how
small an amount of evil results there from
medical charities compared with the benefit;
how impossible it would be to procure unmixed
good; and how far it ght be possible to
prevent an appreciable amount of the small
evils which are thought to arise in American
cities from the dependence upon dispensaries
and hospitals of patients who ought to employ
their own physicians. Of one admirable letter
from Boston he gave a fuller abstract; the
writer showing the greater evils which must
result from any decided attempts to eliminate
the small evils now existing. DR.. Hill also
appealed to Philadelphia as a proof that the
abuse of English medical charities rose rather
from the action of their constitution of society
and government, and their legislation on other
subjects than medicine. In Philadelphia as is
well known, their policy has always been 70
favor the multiplication of small houses; it
makes less imposing city in appearance; but
the proportion of the population, seeking or
needing medical assistance, in that city is less
than elsewhere, the hospitals are never crowded
Having thus defended the physicians from this
unjust charge of doing mischief by their noble
charities, the speaker passed to the consdera-
ton of the benefit of the system The health
of the poorest laboring man was a matter of
public Importance. The community had
community of interests; the iercest compet-
tion was but seeming; it was not for any mans
true interest that any other man should suffer;
it was for every mans interest that every other
man in the community should be in his best
state of vigor and health; and so far as the
labor Of physicians, dspensaries and hospitals
went toward diminishing the length, the sever
ity and fatality of cases of disability, arising
from either sickness or accident, among the
poorer members of the state, it was not only
d
direct public benefit blessing in some proper
tion every individual, even of the wealthiest
class. Moreover there are numerous cases in
which patients, able and ready to pay full fees,
could receive better treatment in hospitals than
it is possible to give them at home; and it was
to the public interest that institutions should
be il existence where such cases can be re-
ceived. Our own hospital was not endowed to
an extent that had enabled it as yet 10 receive
many patients gratuitously. But it had never
theless done to the state during the past year a
service whose mere pecuuiary value had been
many thousands of dollars-by treating sue
cessfully many cases of sickness and disability
from nearly every countyin the commonwealth,
at very moderate cost to the patient, and in a
manner superior to what would have been DOS
sible in any private house or hotel. Nor must
we forget the educational value of these medi-
cal charities. The highest education was of the
greatest public importance. The value of the
primary and grammar schools was easily seen
by the most superficial thinker; but the value
of the high schools, colleges and professional
schools was still greater; he meant their value
to the whole community. The general pros
perity of the state was more increased by one
man of the highest skill and highest learning
than by thousand ordinary men. The inven-
tion of a machine had sometimes built up a
large branch of industry; and the discovery of
d lew SCl0uIliiC tueOr6u QaQ CfodGeQ new arts,
There was not family circle in the community
which disease might not invade, clothed per-
haps in some obscure form, difficult to recoe nze
and heal; nor circle in which unforeseen acci-
dent might not call for the exercise of the
highest surgical skill 1t was therefore a mat
ter of direct and vital interest to every family
in the city, and in the state. that we should
bave highly educated and skillful body of
physicians and surgeons always resident among
u.s. Now there was no way conceivable as yet,
by the wit of man, by which either the medical
student or the practicng physician could gain
medical and surgical experience, in a variety cf
cases, and really prepare himself for the eff
cient practice of the healing art, except by
hospitals and dispensaries. The establishment
of these institutions from charitable and re-
ligious motives had resulted in the creation of
medical schools, medical knowledge and medi-
cal skill ncomparably above what it would
have been possible to acquire without them.
And this result was conclusive, and it seemed
to him unapswerable, argument in favor of
their continuance; and of their liberal support
by the community, and also by the state
1t had been announced that a collection
would be taken up next Sunday for the benefit
of the hospital, but he had concluded that it
would be better to postpone it until he had
further communication with the pastors of
other churches concerning the appointment of
a day on which could be made annually,
simultaneously, in all parts OF the common
wealth.
In conclusion he drew picture of the great
benefits wrought by the hospital in the brief
fifteen months in which it had been opened,
with its 155 patients admitted, more than half
of whom had already gone home, either per-
fectly cured or greatly benefited. Here on
Bramhall Hill during these fifteen months the
Saviour's words had proven true, and His dis
ciples were doing greater miracles than He.
Not only had six or seven blind persons been
restored to sight, several to very perfect sight,
and the lame been made to walk, but cases of
painful and disgusting deformity and lacera-
tion of parts had been SO skillfulIy and
thoroughly restored that the patients, after
years-in one case fifteen years of helpless
agony-had gone away perfectly well. Some
of these cases had been waiting with anxious
prayers for the establishment OF hospital near
enough for them to have access to it. DIR. Hill
showed that the pecuniary benefit of these
cures to the community must be in the aggre.
gate hundreds of thousands of dollars, and
that this would continue year by year that the
hospital continued. But this was the least of
the benefits. The happiness, the love and
gratitude and charity called out by it were of
incalculable worth Schools and hospitals were
the two forms Of charity, which it was right
and proper to aid by legislative grants, because
these were of Leneflt to eyery member in the