St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-16
A NOVEL CHARITY SCHEME
TO Aid in Treatment of the Poor and
Needy Sick.
A CLEAR CASE OF MUST.
The Mode Of Operation of the College
Hospital---Plan for Its Present
Relief. q

Relief. q
Before the medical department of the
state university was established there
existed in Minneapolis school known
as the Minnesota College hospital. In
connection with the college there was
conducted free dispensary, where all
classes of diseases were treated and
medicines furnished free. The object
of the free dispensary was to give treat
| ment only to the worthy poor who were
unable to pay for the necessary medical
| services, and as far as possible it has
been so conducted. When the medical
department of the state university was
established, this school, together with
several others which had state char
tiers, were abandoned, and their profess
sorS were made professors in the uni
versity. Although the university, for
reasons best known to itself, refused to
continued the work as before. The
dispensary has been in existence
about three years and is stu
ated at the corner Of Ninth ave-
nue. south and Sixth street. At first,
before it had become general known, the
number of patients treated was small,
but the work has been rapidly on the
increase, and during the past two years
fully 10000 visits have been made. The
patients are treated at the dispenSary
and everything is conducted in sys-
tematic manner. 1t is divided into
rooms or departments. In one depart
ment diseases of the eye and throat are
treated; in another, children; in an
af 1nr ty,a flar c,,-r al
ton; and there are several other de-
partments with their appointed work.
This work is performed by our best
physicians, who have had thorough
medical training and extensive prac-
tice, and each one is more or less of
specialist in the work which is COM
prised in his department. Very few
probably know how this work has been
supported, and it will BE somewhat of a
surprise to the majority. who doubtless
have thought that it was run by fund
from some source or other. to learn
that the doctors. from the very begin
ming, have borne all the expense.
SOME OF THE DETAILS.
Not only have they given their time,
but they have given the use of their in
struments and all the medicine used.
| This has been no small expense, and it
| is safe to say that on an average each
| physician has during the past year paid
out of his own pocket $500 for medi-
cine alone. Nor is this all that they
have done. 1t very frequ ntly happens
| that it is Necessary for the patients to
| remain in the hospital for two or three
weeks during treatment. This costs
| from SIS to$25. A great many have had
! to forge treatment because they had not
! the money to pay for this. 1t seems
rather sad to think that any one should
! be obliged to remain blind from catar-
| act or continue to suffer from cancer be-
cause they lacked a few dollars, yet this
has often been the case. But in great
many instances where the sympathy
| has been especially aroused. the doc
| tors have paid the bills out of their own
| pockets. The hospitals also have been
| quite generous, and have frequently
| borne part of the expenses and received
| patients at a greatly reduced price when
| Their have been unable to pay in full.
! Hitherto all the expenses have been
borne by the physicians. but the attend
| ance has now become so large that it
will be impossible to continue the work
| unless financial aid can be secured.
| The physicians, not wishing to give up
| the work, have tried for short time
| several schemes for raising money, but
thus far met with little success. One
| method which they took was the distri-
button of little subscription books, ar
| tistically gotten up. But very little has
| been realized in this way. Then again
| they sent out quite number of circu
| lars, of which the following is copy,
| A NEW PLAN.
No. 13-The free dispensary con-
| nected with the Minnesota State uni
| versity is treating over 10000 charity
| patients annually. Medicine and serv-
! ice have hitherto been furnished free of
| charge by Minneapolis physicians, until
| the attendance has become SO large it
| is impossible to continue the work I'M
| less financial aid can be secured.
! Christian charity cannot be extended
| more worthily than to those afflicted
| by poverty and sickness, and we there
| fore beg you to aid in the following
| scheme. Each person is requested, upon
| receiving this paper, to make two cop
| les. Place the next highest number at
| the top of each copy and send the two
| to friends. Return this paper to DR..
-. Any person unwilling to aid in
| this benevolent work is asked to return
| the paper to DIR. -, that he may know
| that the chain is broken. Although
each person puts in but 10 cents, any
| break in the chain will involve serious
| loss to the fund. We therefore beg you
| to give the matter your prompt and
! thoughtful attention.
The appeal contained in this circular
seems plain enough, yet it met with
| but few responses, and not more than
| $50 has been realized from it. As has
| been said before, it is hardly probable
| that the nature of the dispensary-its
| working and how it is supported-cOuld
| have been understood, or their efforts
| to raise funds would have met with bet
ter success. About two months ago
some of our best women became inter-
ested in the work and organized what is
known as the Women's Auxiliary to
| the Free DiSpensary of the Minnesota
| College Hospital. The object of the
organization is to raise money and
other necessaries for the use of the dis
pensary, but up to the present time
| little has been accomplished. Mrs. n.
W. Hastings, 9l6 Southeast Sixth street,
is president of the organization. and all
contributions should be sent to her. and
if anyone desires any further informa-
| ton she will doubtless be pleased to
give it. The dispensary ought to be
supported by the city, but it is doubtful
if the city could be induced to make an
appropriation for such a purpose. Such
an appropriation can be obtained only
by political wire pulling, and it would
be long time before it could be secured,
while the aid is needed Immediately.
The citizens of Minneapolis have always
been noted for their Hberality and gen.
crosby toward worthy institutions of
charity, and it is to be hoped that they
will not now suffer such noble work
of Christian charity to be discontinued
through lack of their support. The ply
sicians ask nothing for their services,
and are anxious to continue the work.
All that they ask is that they may be
supplied with the necessary medicines
and a few other incidentals, such as
,,erfding. and that care be given to the
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