Morning journal and courier., 1885-01-08
THE STATE HOSPITAL,

Sunday-Facts for the Public Re-
 gardInG the Instftutfon-General In-
 formation as to Its Work and Needs
 A WOlthy Field for Benevolent
 Action.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL. AND COURIER:
 In view of the near approach of Hospital Sunday the board of lady visitors to the hospital wish to make a few statements to the public regarding that institution, feeling it the more necessary to do so as they have recently heard that reports disadvantageous to it have been circulated. During the past year the lady visitors have made over two hundred visits to the hospital, and feel that they have right to be heard when they say that in their opinion the management of the hospital is such as to desire the entire conf dence of the public.
 The prudential committee, consisting of MT. Henry w. Farnam, Dr. w. H. Carmalt and MT. Thomas Hooker, has spared neither time nor pains, and has exercised most careful and judicious oversight of every de- tail of hospital management. MT. Stark weather, the superintendent, is faithful and untiring in the exercise of his duties and takes, we believe, kindly interest in each
 
 fcient and economical, while we cancot speak too highly of Miss Creemer, the head nurse, or of the nurses under her. We feel that one cannot do better than to quote from former report made by the board of visitors in 1880 and signed by w. G. An drews, Treadwell Ketcham, Benjamin F. Mansfield, w. J. Atwater, William s. Charm ley and Charles Atwater, which is as true now as then and which we cordially endorse. After speaking of the number of visits made it goes on to say:"We have found the objects of the institution conseientiously and intelligently promoted, and have observed valuable improvements by which the conditions of successful treatment are better secured than ever before. Com plaints on the part of patients are rare and warm commendation frequent. There has been the utmost readiness to correct defects and no disposition to conceal them. The general condition of the hospital in these respects is, as it has always been within the knowledge of the present members of the board, worthy of all praise" Their iudg- 1nent may easily be verified by any persons who choose to visit the institution
 The hospital is charity of high class and on a large scale. It is the agent of this community in doing a work which no civil ized community can neglect without dis grace. Its position has been clearly defined from the time when the Medical association of New Haven inaugurated the enterprise in 1926. The second article of their preliminary agreement provides that the hospital shall be a charitable institution, and that no physi- elan or surgeon shall receive any compensa- ton for his services. These provisions were inserted in the charter and have been full filled as far as our physicians could secure their fulfllment. They have not been whol- ly unseconded. Those who from time to time have assumed the heavy burden of watching over the institution have given money as we'll as time and thought, often in sums wholly out of proportion, to their share of obligation. Just before the new building was occupied the visitors report stated that the directors had thus far pro- vided for the emergency by begging general ly of each other. Another sentence in the same report addressed to the prudential com mittee bears witness to the absence of active sympathy outside the limits of the hospital society; Eff ever great public charity lived along from hand to mouth, it has been the charity whose affairs you administer The lack, here indirectly referred to. of endorse ment on an extensive scale is the standing of New Haven and the other towns which the hospital serves"
 But while it seems that the hospital must continue to live for some time longer from hand to mouth, while the extensive do not seem to be forthcoming, let us at least on Hospital Sunday make a generous response to the needs of an institu- ton which it would ill become us to neglect. If the public only knew how much the hospi- tai is cramped for want of means to make desired improvements it would give freely as it may feel sure that every dol lar given will be carefully and judiciously expended. Another ward for women pa tients is greatly needed. At present many suffering from nervous diseases have to be placed in the children's ward, where their recovery is greatly retarded, indeed, in some cases rendered impossible, through lack of the quiet so essential to their shattered 1 nerves. To quote once again from the re- port already mentioned: ''It may be that | better way of securing needed help can be | devised than that furnished by Hospital | Sunday. But this method has been found | 70 successful elsewhere, it has the approval | of the class to whom the appeal is made" A l ew weeks ago the leading journal of the | Protestant Episcopal church (the Church | nan) gave paragraph devoted to the Hospi- | al Saturday and Sunday, just at hand in | New York, a place at the head | 'f it's columns, and expressed the nope that everybody would 'on that | lay feel called on to contribute literally to hat good work In it's last issue the Church nan says with respect to hospitals and other enterprises for the general good One caunot excuse themselves from taking part ill the | organizations to these ends, on the ground hat the church means them all unless he o1znoR he ohy 1k, oower.' Which is much the same as saying hat no church should refuse to help gen ral hospital unless it has hospital of it's wn.
 ''The board of visitors have felt that as, on he one hand, familiar with the condition of he hospital while not responsible for it's management, and as, on the other hand, l epresenting the thousands who are, con ciously otherwise, interested in it's vel are and responsible for it's support, they ould use entire freedom in setting forth the laims of the former and the duties of the atter. They are perfectly sure that those on yhose behalf they act are not really indif- srent to human suffering. Their tasks of ther kinds have given some of them large acquaintance with the feeling of New Haven eople towards the unfortunate and they now that it often needs less to be stimulated nan guided even checked. It is only in order to excite active sympathy nat case should be clearly understood, and, l spite of some diseouraging experiences. 1ey are not yet convinced that in the matter the hospital this community is doomed to nvincible ignorance" May we not hope lat our appeal will call forth most gener- us answer on Hospital Sundays Let those ho can give but little give of that little, nd may those who have the power to give Irgely remember that the of $6, 800 ill enable the hospital to furnish those ad- itional accommodations which are as great needed as is shown by the present large t1mber of patients.
 MARY T. EvERIT, Chairman lay R. J. Dubois, Secretary for the Board of Lady Visitors.