The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-07-25
HOSPITAL FACILITIES.
ASTORIA, July "a 80.
EDITOR Historian;

ASTORIA, July "A 81.
EDITOR AsToRIAN;
1 see by this mornings Historian
that there is prospects for Protest
ant hospital being built at no distant
date, in Astoria. OF this l am glad to
learn, and hope the project may sue
ceed, but in one communication on
the subject one would infer that the
religious belief of the manager of a
hospital influenced their conduct
toward the patients who patroniZe the
institution. Such an idea, is of course,
absurd, for 1 have an acquaintance
of many hospitals in this country, both
Protestant and Catholic, and never
yet have 1 known, or heard authentic
ally of a patient being refused the
comfort of any or all religious friends
he might desire. 1t is true at times,
no one is allowed to visit a patient,
but the manager or nurses of the in
stitute have nothing to do with that,
excepting to obey the physicians
orders.
1t is not infrequent that a patient
requests the nurse to refuse admission
to minister or friend for the reason
| that they do not wish to be bothered
bv them. And they have a perfect
right to have their wishes attended to,
and neither minister or friend has a
right to complain.
st. Mary's hospital was started when
there was a great need for one here. Ii
has been conducted in a first-class
manner, and owing to our excellent
climate there is probably not another
hospital IN this country that can show
as favorable results from the same
number of patients treated as this
| does.
It's sanitary condition is as nearly
perfect as it can be in town of this
size, and the care patients receive who
90 there, whether they be rich or poor
Protestant or Catholic, is as good as
can be obtained anywhere iii this
broad land of ours. This hospital was
started aud is run by the Sisters OF
Charity, an organization whose mem
bers are Catholics and who give all
they have in this world to give-their
lives to doing charity work.
But to say that patient is not al,
lowed the comfort of seeing his friends
or minister, no matter what their creed
may be, the same as he could in Belle
vue hospital of New York, is absurd in
deed, and to insinuate such a thing is
wrong. The facts are that a priest
never visits a patient without first
having been sent for and obtaining
permission. And patients are visited
much oftener in this hospital by Prot
estant ministers than by Catholic
l am a Protestant, was reared 'neatl
the shadow of a Methodist church anC
taught to speak of Wesley M humble
tones, and to think Peter Cartwright
a marvel both as a preacher anC
fighter, and have been well acquainted
with hospital work for ten years; We
L never heard of a minister or prizes
having been refused permission tt
visit hospital patient that had sen
for him. And l hold that no minister
or priest has any more right to visit ;
patient who is not a member of hi
congregation or known to be needy
without first having been sent for
than would any other absolute stran
ger, and | know that if L was sick ]
would feel just that way. No sane
man would believe that any one woulC
refuse so simple thing as the visit o
minister, and hospital built in or
der that patients may receive religious
consolation would be a novelty in
deed. CITIZEN.