The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-19
HOSPITAL SUNDAY"
The Movement to Secure Organized Aid for
the Clty's lHirnarlss
UNSECTARIAN CHARITY
How and Where the Sick and Destitute
Are Cared For.


collection in behalf of their work. to be made the
last Sunday of that year. and requesting that there
after annually similar collections should be made
the same Sabbath. which day should be known among
them as Hospital Sunday. Bishop Potter very heart
lily Endorsed this appeal OF the managers. and from
that time TO the present this collection has been
taken up in the Episcopal churches. Since 1877
however. tho benefits of the collection have been
shared with st. Mary's Free Hospital for Children
Each year large number of congregations have
united in the observance of the appointed day. which
is generally recognized by the clergy fitting
to bring the duty OF providing for the sick
and needy before the churches. The religious and
press has shown great interest in this matter
and this. together with the success which has at
tended similar general hospital Sunday movement
in Liverpool. London anc Manchester. led the Rev.
Dr. Baker, of St. Lukos Hospital to inquire into the
foundation and history Of the hospitals OF the city
with Wow to unite them this movement now
proposes.
FIRST INF1RMARIEs.
Previous to the 1s49 the of the sick poor
of Now York lett to Bellevue Hospital, which is
a municipal charity and to the New York Hospital
private institution founded in ITO In 1916 DR..
Muhlenberg, the founder of st. Luke's Hospital,
being then rector of the Church Of the Holy Com
munion made an appeal to that congregation st.
Lukes Day in behalf of UNCONVENTIONAL hospital.
The appeal afterward repeated in other churches
and the outcome was a hospital. hrst in Hudson
street 1885, and afterward the magnificent nstitu-
ton which the venerable founder Ind the satsfac-
ton OF seeing reared under his supervision and
care on one of the most desirable sites on Fifth
avenue About the same time the Roman Catholics
started hospital movement. and in lS49 founded st.
vincents, year before st. Luke's established.
The Hebrews took up the idea, and
in 1862 founded Mount Sinai Hospital. They
were followed by the Catholics adding
another, St. Francis in 1855. and by the Presbyte-
rians in 1868 founding their hospital The growth
Of the city in twenty years. and the success of the
hospital movement. led the Episcopaans in 1870 to
build their st. Marys Free Hospital for Children
the Roman Catholics to ada their st. Elizabeths Hos
pital the same year. The seven hospitals named
three Catholic, two Protestant Episcopal Pres
byterian and one Hebrew-.are what may be called
religious hospitals and have capacity for treating
SIS patients at once. While those institutions have
been growing up other hospitals also have been
founded by the liberality of private individuals
for instance. the Roosevelt Hospital. founded In
1884, some have been established upon nationality.
as, for example, the German, in 1857; some for
scientific reasons as the Hahnemann. In 1875, and
some for the treatment Of special diseases. the
Womans Hospital founded in 1857; the New York
| Medical College and Hospital for Women. founded
| in 1861 the Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital,
established in 1869; the Metropolitan Throat
Hospital. 1874; the New York Ophthalmic
Hospital. 1862. and the New York Orthopedio Hos
| pital, 1868. The Seamen's Retreat Hospital, on
Staten Island was founded in 1881. and a new hos
pital has been built within few years at the Sailors
| Snug Harbor, Staten Island. These eleven
| situations have accommodations for 700 patients.
The city has enlarged its accommodations by build
| ing the Charity Hospital Blackwells Island and
| another on Wards Island. The New York Hospital
| ing Chambers street hospital for accident"
patients. There Is, therefore. hospital accommo-
dation in this city for about thousand eight hun
dred patients at any one time. exclusive OF that
which the city provides in her own institutions.
which render to the sick and unfortunate similar
to that furnished in the hospitals, such for
instance as the Home for Incurables and the House
| OF Rest tor Consumptives.
EFFORTS SECURE SYSTEMATIC AID.
OF the religious hospitals named above it is
interesting fact that while the arrangements have
conducted their business in their own way, they
shown the broadcast charity in the reception of
patients. cheertully treating those of every
aty and of faith. III view of the that only
the Presbyterians and Episcopalians have had any
tails, the former Thanksgiving Day and the latter the
last Sunday OF the year. the managers of ST. Lukes
Hospital sent to the Hospital Committee plan sug-
| gested by DR.. Baker, wherein each pastor or
contributing congregation to be left free send
contributions to such hospitals they might elect.
| This committee. constituted after the pattern OF
the London Hospital Committee. is composed OF
| such men the Mayor Postmaster James the Rev.
ton. Thomas Armitas-, Talbot W. Chambers. and
Messrs James N. Brown. c.. Vanderbilt. Willy
wallach. Henry E. Pellew. Judge Palmer. George
Nice. Miller. chairman: Rev. George s. Baker,
secretary, and others. From this committee an ey-
ecutivc committee of five chosen, foliows:-
AR. George NJ. Miller DR.. Baker, st. Lukes Hospi-
tai; Mr.. George Jones' OF the Times; Mr.. Walter Ed
wards. Jr.. and Mr.. John y. Bussing. The Hospital
Committee OF ST. Luke's issued nvitatons to prom
incnt clergymen and aymcn OF the Protestant Epis-
copa Churchto meet them in conference on the 10th
| of December 1878, when tho subject was fully dis
nd In "A
tai day for the purposes indicated WHOM contributions
could be received tor all tho private hospitals III the
city, And to mako this resolve u verify the meeting
appointed the Aforesaid executive committee with
power call another general conference of the differ
emit hospital associations OF tho city. This confer
encc was held i'll st. Luko's Hospital tho first week
in January of this year and was participated in by
Official represent tives OF thirteen of the city hos
pitfalls, considerable number OF representative min
listers and other invited guests The discussion was
seaehina the large number Of business men Of Now
York whose homes are outside OF the city limits and
who would not therefore. have the privilege of con-
tribuing to this cause in u church collection was
recognized. aud it decided TO add secular day to
the Sabbath for this purpose. Hence both the last
Saturday and tho last Sunday in The year are dcsig
mated as hospital days. This year they fall on the
hospitals INTERESTED IN THE PLAN.
The following named hospitals are now interested
in and pledged to this arrangcinentSt Luke's. st.
Mary's Tor Children. Presby terrain, Mt. Sinai Ger
man, New York. Hahncmann. Womans, Orthopedic,
Manhattan. Eye and Ear. New York Opthalmic, Now
York Eve and Ear Infrmary. House OF Rest for Con-
sumptives. Institution for the Relief of Ruptured
| and Crippled aud the Home for Mcurabes-fiiteen
out OF the twenty-six in this city The citys hospi-
tails, for obvious reasons. not in this arrange
inent, and the Roman Catholic hospitals are outside
OF 1t also. Then there some institutions en-
do wed by private niunihccnce that perhaps do not
! require the help proposed by this hospital commit
| tee But doubtless III time the other hospitals and
innrmarcs of the city will enter into tho combina-
ton share the benefits OF systematic and organized
benevolence. The leading ministers OF the different
Protestant denominations have heartily indorsed
the movement and will prepare special sermons
thereon for next Sunday or the Sunday following,
when the collections viii! be taken DIR. Armitage OF
the Baptist Church. writes that the movement CON-
itself to his head and heart as OF the
mixed opportunities Of life for doing good and adds
that he will, by and otherwise, aye his
people to contribute DR.. NJ $. Terry. presiding
elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church in this dis
trict OF the New York Conference, thinks the move
ment ought to receives cordial response and t.arty
cooperation among all religious societies aud Chris
tan people, us IL does from himself; and DR..
Henry p. Mendcs. rabbi of the Fortyfourth Street