The Portland daily press., 1891-09-21
EYE ARD EAR IREiRMARY.
Laying the Corner Stone of the Eie-
CANT New Hospital.
Addresses by Hon. Albion Little ana
pr. Z. e. Holt.

| which were given III tne L hheo oaIuiudy
morning-took place Saturday afternoon at
a o'clock on the grounds at the corner of
| Congress and Vaughan streets. The speech
as were made on an improvlsed platform at
| the northwesterly corner of the building,
| where the corner stone was In readiness to
be laid. Here were gathered the officers of
the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Ma
sons of Maine, the speakers and the guests
Of the corporation. 1t was intended to have
Chambers band, and addresses by Hons.
Charles +. Libby and M. P. Frank, but ar
rangements could not be made In time to
carry out this part of the programme.
1t was little after four O'Clock when Hon.
Albion Little, vice president of the institu-
tion, called the assemblage to order and in
troduced Rev. Henry Blanchard, pastor of
congress Square church, who made the
opening prayer.
Mr. Little then made the opening address,
speaking as follows:
After the manner and custom of ancient
practice. we nave come here today for the
purpose OF layinglthe corner stone of the Eve
and Ear lnfrmary. The object of this insti-
tuition is to furnish daily clinic for the gra-
tultous treatment of diseases of the eye and
ear among the unfortunate poor. The med
Ds"h hOSOAfO ~ pay tOE Lu6lT S6TVlCeS.
Inc institution Is supported by voluntary
contributions.
Nearly six years ago the Maine Eye aud
Ear lnhrmary was incorporated under the
laws OF Maine, and house at No. ITO Fed
eral street was purchased and alterations
and additions made, so that quite ample ac-
commodations have been furnished for the
| successful operations of the clinic. But the
| increasing demand for free board and medi-
| cine calls for more room and increased ac-
L l0mm06at0ua An annual hacN mn do
| to the charitable people of Maine for contri-
| buttons to build and maintain an infirmary
that will meet the demands Of the unfortu-
nate poor Of this class. This appeal has
been favorably received. not only in the city
OF Portland, but In different parts of the
state, and 1t Is hoped that enough money
may be contributed to build and maintain
this noble chOrity.
The laying of the corner stone of this
structure here today marks an important
event In the history of this institution.
The wonderful success attained bv this
charitable institution Is very largely due to
Holt. who has been untiring in his efforts to
secure for the institution the good will of the
public, and the best possible results in af
tording relief to class who have become
disabled from the loss of sight and hearing
The next speaker was DIR. E. E. Holt, who
was introduced by the chairman amid much
applause. DR.. Holt spokeas follows:
The laying of this c)Iner stone is an event
| In the history of the Maine Eye and Ear In
Urinary second only to the dedication of the
completed structure to its benefcent work.
Institutions OF this character are wholly of
| modern times. There are persons living to-
| day who probably can remember when the
first one was founded. This was the Royal
| London Ophthalmic Hospital, and it has the
honor OF being not only the first of the kind
| but still maintains itself first In the number
| Of patients treated and IN the amount of re-
gave rise to this institution undoubtedly
came from Austria, which has the honor of
making the hrst effort to rescue Ophthalmolo-
gy from its uncultured condition when In
l773 two wards OF the Vienna Hospital were
devoted to the treatment of the diseases of
the eye. 1t was here that the men of COM
prehensive knowledge who laid the whole
field OF medicine under contribution began to
observe diseases Of this organ. and give in
struction to students. Itwas here, then, that
the light Of science first broke in upon the
universal ignorance Of the eye; an Ignorance
extending back anterior to the Christian era,
The Romans obtained their knowledge of the
eye from the Greeks. and the Greeks from
the Egyptians. neither making material acaui-
sitions to 1t, and it came down to this time,
all through the dark ages, much as il was re-
ceived from the Egyptians and much. as 1t
Is praetised by natives of that country today
The ambition Of Napoleon which involved
the nations OF Europe in universal war un.
doubtedly retarded the.progress of Ophthal-
mology, but its union with medicine and its
elevation to the rank Of a science was sure to
bring forth good fruit, as it did in England
In 1904, when DR.. Saunders founded the Roy
al London Ophthalmic Hospital, and In
America In 1921, when Drs Rogers and Del
afeld founded the New York Eye and Ear
and Jeffries founded the Massachusetts Eye
and Ear InfrTary. At first the two Ameri-
| can institutions were devoted wholly to the
treatment Of the diseases Of the eyes, as the
| London Institution began and continues to
be. but as knowledge of the diseases of the
| ear became more extensive, their treatment
became associated with the treatment of dis
eases OF the eye, and for various reasons
ophthalmology and otology have been asso-
ciated together ever since: AS the benefit
and teachings of these earlier institutions be-
came more widely diffused, the number seek
ing relief from them increased many fold
and their number multiplied until now they
country Of the world. Whata amount
of suffering the records OF these institutions
show Is prevented or relieved, and how pain
full 1t Is to look back in imagination and con-
template the amount of suffering that was
endured previous ID their existence, when
diseases of the eye and ear were almost
wholly neglected or treated in semi-barbar-
Gus manner.
Among the charitable and philanthropic
achievements of the 10Th century none will
take higher rank for the benefits conferred
upon mankind than those institutions devot-
ed to the preservation and restoration of the
sight and hearing. Indeed it Is true today
as it was In 1850, when at the dedication Of
the Massachusetts, Charitable Eye. and Ear
Infirmary, Dr.Reynolds said that''nO charity
is capable of effecting the same amount of
good with SO small an amount of means"
He who would study and treat the Sc
verer forms of disease must pass by the
poor, or have these come under his care In
some institution devoted to their welfare.
They are incident to the privations and
hardshps Of the poor, who often feel that
they must neglect the earlier stages of dis
eases. trusting they may escape without loss
OF time or serious injury, until they become
severe and compel them to leave their occu-
pations and seek relief. What blessing,
contending on the one hand against disease
which threatens serious impairment or loss
OF those special senses, and on the other
hand against want incident to the disability
they entail. The voices of the many thous-
aud grateful ones who have had the func.
tions Of these special senses preserved or re-
stored at these public charities, all unite to
encourage the founding of them, for "the
poor ye shall always have with you."
The history Of nearly all of these institu-
| tions shows that money has been wasted In
building them too small and much incOnven-
ience has been experienced thereby and also
that their inefticiency has been curtalled In
consequence of insufficient accommodations
to treat and care for patients properly. In
the construction of this building, the expert
ences and plans of preceding ones have been
carefully considered, so that for size and the
arrangement of its various apartments 1t
will stand without a superior. Therefore the
accommodations will be ample for all time,
and we feel confident that means will be
found sufficient to carry forward the work,
to its fullest extent. Could the grateful ex-
pressions of some of those who have had
their sight or hearing preserved or restored
at the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary be
heard, they would serve as the greatest com.
mendation for this occasion and also an ex-
preston Of gratitude to those who made It
possible. They would stimulate all to re.
neWed efforts to secure means to carry for
ward the work to its completion.
After DR.. Hollis speech Past Grand Mas
ter Albro K. Chase, acting as Grand Master,
opened the Masonic ceremony, assisted by
the following representatives Of the Grand
Lodge of Maine: Alfred King, acting Dep
uty Grand Master; George r. Shaw, Senior
Grand Warden; G. e. Snow. acting Junior
Grand Warden; William o. Fox, acting
Grand Treasurer; Stephen Berry, acting
Grand Secretary; John F. Clymer, acting
Grand Claplain. Gen louId actipo