Daily Kennebec journal., 1893-07-27
Augusta City Hospital.

| EsitfSrs n tAe ReAsf5er ,foRrnal.
DgAR siE; 10 an article IN your yester-
iay's issue your reporter quotes an Angus
| "a citizen A. making the remark; II should
Ike 10 see association of Augusta citi-
| zens formed and sufficient money raised TO
hpy the DIR. Webster house on State street
| for city hospital"
Sow, the Augusta City Hospital A.socia-
ton was legally organized on January 9TH,
-g3, it, board Of directors being chosen
from our leading citizen. and today the
| association is legally qualified 70 tsAe steps
toward The securing or erecting Of sua-
able hospital baiding, whenever II shall
have secured the funds necessary for that
purpose.
At about the time last spring when sub
scriptions for the completion Of the public
library fund were being secured, COM
Il i'tee OF Eve Augusta pbysieians was ap-
pointed, by vote Of the hospital association
10 sscufe subscriptions 30 the City Hospi-
tai fund. A short canvass by this commit
tee sai'ed in securing the promise Of some
a.HH. Some fourteen persons most in
feres'ed in the work offered together this
sum but further canvass by the commit
tee lsd 70 the taclt understanding between
its mem5e that the time was not ripe for
the securing of large fund, Those of
The general public who were able to give.
fei, Ike giving to the Public Library fund,
vhicn was then nearly made up; conse-
qgenily the committee. rather than inter
fere with the progress of A work so laua-
able and benehceut IN its character, mutu-
ally agreed to defer further solicitation OF
subscriptions until after the trustees of the
pAolie library had begun building.
Many of those persons who promised to
sc TO the hospital fund gave to the library
fund, and have no doubt but there are
many persons among those who gave TO
the library fund who viii give To the hospi-
tal fund. A year ago today no one thought
that within the year the library fund would
he raised In the entirety tine of the largest
subscribers was u millionaire noted
far h szifts in this particular direction. The
impetus given the subscription canvass by
tpis 2 fl was the means of soon competing il.
Nov my osn opinion in regard to this
matter OF A city hospital is
l.t. That the sssoCiation should start with
fund Of not lees than $50 600.
2ni. That a main central building should
he constructed Of brick, at cost not 10 ex-
ICED $4,000 to Si2 400 and constructed a.
modern hos pitsls are built today, with a view
10 the possible need for future additions said
building 70 be located al some central point
in he city proper,
37l That each town in keunebyc county
hs sel tO endoW one or more beds. and
thr Leg stature be petiuoned At it, mex
Session u amend our hospital charter 80 a.
10 make 1t charter for a county hospital,
.nl % grant a. Appropriation for the same
Alter the hospital association has started
IL hu.l hing tue state would undoubtedly
grant it IN Appropriation as IT has the
Maine General and Maine Central General
Hospitals
The Legislature was asked last winter
to giant an srpropr alton but as there was
nothing tangible TO give to, the petitioners,
very naturally, were given leave to with
iras Had a hospital building been under
process Of construction an Appropriation
could undoubtedly have been granted
Now a. to the proposition 10 buy the DR.
Webster house or the ST. GATHERINGS Hail
property as made by the gentem an yester-
lay.
II seems to me that the que stion
would arise as to the sdylssbiltty
Of such a purchase: /. .. would il not take
more money to buy and remodel either
proportv than would be necessary to pur-
chase sDltAtle Ibt fs-sN iettf am titeN "a
small moderate modern hospital.
training school for nurses should be es-
tshii.hed in connection with the hospital.
rhi. would be a feature of the institu-
ION which should commend itself TO
.vrrv family IN Augusta that has oe-
ca.,0n to employ a trained nurse. |
venture the statement that there Is not TO
,lay available in this city one trained nur,e
-rr.- 4 ,a.alatf har - n I
vusta and their services appreciated when
secured. j. understood by everyone. There
il hardly a physician IN Augusta who has
not had one or two cases of death occur IN
III. practice .luring the past year, where the
p,ti,nt. might have recovered had they r.
ceivsd the advantages of hospital nursing
couplel With the attendant sanitary sur
roun,lings and necessary medical or surgical
care
Asa population becomes concentrated in
it, character, the need of various public in
.titutions j. almost Immediately felt; and
churches schools. public Libraries, hospitals,
vsri rus charitable institutions. etc are built,
TO meet the wants of the public in each ds-
rection.
Augusta u veil supplied with all these
religious. educational ami charitable ins;itn-
Mons. with the exception of the hospital.
Tbl4 she needs au1 should have.
The State of Name with is population
Of 80 ou0 has only four hospitals. The
.nnehec Valley with its population Of
- 600 or a.. 900 it'll Augusta az it' cen
,re. affords an ample field for the success
faI nr. ration of hospital
A> member of the medical profession,
III u which no nobler exists. AMI az one
lnt.r, .ted in the sllevistion of human ti .
tre@s and suffering, and in the restoration
to health of that which is weak OF diseased
in the human body. ! shall be glad when
We can have a hospital in this city.
w. II. HARRts, NJ. ID