The Portland daily press., 1890-11-05

| 1t is interesting and instructive to know
| how wide spread have been the benefits oil
| such an institution and how much suffering
has been relieved by the judicious and skilful
surgeons and physicians in charge. To the
people Of Maine, for the legislative aid 60
cheerfully and constantly given; to the gener-
erous contributors, rich and poor alike, who
have enabled us to erect and maintain the
hospital for these sixteen years, we are certain
that these figures will be sufficient reward
for their aid and interest in its behalf, and
when we come before them with the statement
that the hospital still needs additional help
and deserves not only their continued conf
dence but also an immediate response to our
appeal for money to complete and furnish the
new wing now in process of construction, we
feel sure that we shall be met at once with
proffers of sufficient means to enable us to
open the new wing to patients in the coming
spring
The hospital has done, as the figures album
dainty show, good work but it has been ham,
pered by its limited accommodations, and we
have been compelled reluctantly to turn away
patients absolutely or else leave them to suffer
until we could make room for them in our
over crowded wards. This lack of room has
compelled us not only to delay the admission
of new patients but also to hasten the dis
charge of those convaleseent sooner than we
otherwise should, in order that their places
might be filled by those in greater need. 1t
had become SO imperative that we must have
more room that your directors felt impelled, as
they advised you in their last annual report
ITO make beginning on the work of extension
and to rely for its completion upon that spirit
of our people which has never failed to sus-
tain and carry on to success every measure for
the promotion Of this great charity
The work was accordingly commenced
last year and has progressed as rapidly as was
practicable, having reference to economical
construction, and we now report that the ex-
terror will be completed and covered in dur
ing the present season. The extension thus
under construction will afford accommodations
for double the number of patients that we are
now prepared TO care for, as well as afford
suitable accommodations for the superintend-
ent and his family, and we anticipate that we
shall not need to enlarge the hospital again for
many years.
The entire cost of this extension will be not
far from $4,000, including finishing and
furnishing and also including the enlargement
of tie laundry and furnishing it with new and
satisfactory apparatus.
We have now come to the point when we
must make our appeal to the citizens of Maine
to contribute literally and generously to the
aid of this institution.
We cannot take this money from our gen.
eral funds, without 80 reducing our means for
the support of the hospital as to seriously
cripple our work and our only reliance must
be on the help of our fellow citizens, believing
as we do that they will heed our appeal and
respond cheerfully and Immediately to our
urgent call. We make this appeal to every
reader of this report, it is for yourself per-
sonally, not for your neighbor or your friend,
not to be considered six months hence or next
year, but Immediately, so that you may have
the satisfaction that you are doing all in your
power to relieve suffering, now being endured
by those who are waiting for the completion of
this extension.
Maine has never had more generally pros
porous year than this 1890 and the gift we ask
for the Maine General Hospital is but slight
acknowledgment of Indebtedness to the Father.
who has so abundantly blessed our fellow citi-
zens in every department of industry.
There is scarcely town in Maine where
some may not be found who have been bene-
fitted by the Maine General Hospital personal
ly or who have not learned through neighbors
and friends of its charitable work.
The work must not stop for lack of funds.
The large number of patients, especially in the
surgical wards has overtaxed the surgical staff
and we have been obliged to provide adjunct
surgeons The surgical and medical staff give
their services without pecuniary compensation
and at great sacrifice of time and money to
themselves personally and we felt compelled
to give them the aid of competent assistants to
relieve them when overworked and at the same
time furnish younger men with such practical
fitting tor their future work as must prove of
great value not only TO them but to the hospital.
The Treasurer's report gives full details of
the financial condition of the institution and
to that as well as that Of the Superin tendent
we refer you for such information as may be
desired of the work being done.
NATHAN WEBB,
A. w. H. CLAPP,
VIM. w, THOMAS,
HoRATIo N. JosE
SIDNEY w. THAxTER,
JOSEPH w. SYMoNDs,
GEO. E. B. JACKSON,
WILLIAM B. LAPHAM,
WILLIAM OsGooD.
Following is the report of DR.. Charles o.
Hunt, resident physician and superintendent:
GENTLEMEN:-I have the honor to submit
herewith my annual report for the year ending
Sept &c. $780,
Number of patients in the Hospital October
!. 1889: Paying %; paying in part 9; free
IS; total 81.
Admitted to the Hospital from Oct. l, 1889
to Sept. 80, 1890.
Males Females Total
Patients paving board. 1879 l8I 3s0