The Portland daily press., 1894-11-07
Annual Meeting Of the Corporaters
Held Yesterday.
THE YEARLY REPORTS In
FULL.
Income Less Than Usual and the Fund
Should Be Iucreas ed.

the Maine General hospital Was held yes
teIday afternoon at the office of f. r. Bar
rett, ESQ.,. on Exchange street. Judge Webb,
for the directors. submitted the following
annual report:
The report of the resident physician and
superintendent in respect to the transac-
lions of the hospital during the past year
and his obseryations.-regardin its needs
relieve the directors from the duty OF
dwelling at length on these matters. They
refer all who may be interested to gain a
full appreciation of the value of this
hospital to that report with confidence that
they will find in it the most convincing
evidence that this is a charity which amply
Justifies all tie care and money that have
been devoted to its support in the past, and
that appeals strongly for constant effort to
supply means for its continued maintenano G
at the highest efficiency. 1t cannot be too
often repeated that this is charity that is
not self-supporting; that its principal de-
pendence is, and for long time must be,
on assistance from without. The endow-
ment funds increase slowly, while the in
come from shares has diminished, with the
ments. There seems no justification for ex-
course. it requires considerably increased
endowment to produce income equivalent
to what has heretofore been received from
that source. In the early days of th.
hospital amounts were fixed by the directors
for the esta blishment of permanent free
beds and for the support of annual free
beds. 1t is evident that the income from
these sums is not sufficient to defray the
Sc f..~o l.
year. The deficit has been supplied from
other sources of income. and the directors
have not deemed it expedient thus far to
make any changes in the prices Originally
fixed.
Attention is urgently invited to the re-
marks of the superintendent, as to the
great need of a home for nurses. The
corporation is without the means to over
come this difficulty. The extension of the
hospital by the construction of the new
wing. imperative as it seemed, was not IN
dertaken without long deliberation and no
little hesitation, because of the pecupiary
straits of the hospital. The wisdom of the
final decision to assume the risk of so ex-
pensive construction is, it is believed.
proved by results. But the provision of
home for nurses deeply as the need of such
an addition to the hospitals equipment Is
felt, cannot be undertaken for a long time.
unless the necessary funds are generously
supplied by the friends of the institution.
And the dir ectors can only hope to make
this want SO felt by those friends that the
full benefits that the hospital might extend
to patients, shall not long be diminished be-
cause of this deficiency.
The subscriptions for free beds, and the
proceeds of Hospital Sunday contributions.
the directors regret to say, have fallen off
during the year now closed. But tLey at
tribute this to the depression of the times,
rather than to any failure or dimunition of
Interest and good will for the hospital, and
thcy trust that with improved conditions of
general prosperity, there will be no further
occasion to deplore any elimination of aid
from those sources.
The directors repeat their sense of the
noble and generous service of the medical
and surgical staff under which the credit
of this hospital has steadily grown and ex-
tended, and on which its most important
success must always largely depend. The
fidelity and skill of the adjunct surgeons
also demand grateful recognition. Nor
would we pass in silence the house pupils.
Who nave VOL IoSpOAu6u u Gu6 REQUIRE
ments made on them.
During the year DIR. Henry Fl, Hunt. one
of the medical staff has been compelled bv
his sickness TO resign. This was great loss
to us. Without disparagement to any other
member of the stat it must be said. that
DR.. Hunt VOL the highest regard of the
directors, by his energy and zeal in his
work at the hospital and by manifestations
of high professional learning and skill, and
his gentle and sympathetic manner never
failed to gain for him at once the affection
ate confidence and esteem of patients and
nurses, and all with whom he in any way
came in contact. He realized the ideal
hysician, as fully as ever falls to the lot
of any one.
The vacancy caused by the resignation of
DR.. Hunt has been filed by the election of
DR.. Addison S. Thayer, on the 10th day of
June. DR.. Thayer has for several years
most acceptably filed the position of
pathologist Of the hospital. Upon his
election as one of the medical staff, his
place as pathologist was filed by the
election of DR.. Charles D. Smith, July Z.
which election DR.. Smith has accepted and
has begun his work with an interest and
Zeal highly gratifying. and giving assurance
Of most valuable results.
The house pupils for the coming year are
DIR. A. S. Gibson, from Winthrop, DR.. Ralph
H. Hunt. from Bangor and DR.. VIM. H.
Dyer of Portland.
The school for nurses has been fully kept
up to its old standard of usefulness The
value of this school becomes steadily more
Ma nifest.
Examination of the superintendent
statement of the homes of those who have
sought the aid Of the hospital, will show
that the field of its benefits does not tend
to become oircumscribed, but is extended
throughout the state, and reaches in no
slight degree beyond state boundaries.
he directors wish to acknowledge the
t. eviction and Zeal of the Ladies' Visiting
~onainittee, to whose vigilant oversight the
avoidance and the correction of points to
be criticised must be credited.
For information about the financial con.
11tion OF the corporation, the accomnanv.
ing report of the treasurer is referred to
1t is cause for thankfulness, that during
A period of sharp business distress and