The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-06-13


the senate, Is the Danbury hospital
That hospital last year received pa
tents from twenty-four towns. One
hundred and twenty-five patients We're
received and cared for during the year.
OF those, the great majority We're char
lity patients. A very large proportion
were emergency cases, the patients be-
Ing victims of railway and other acci-
dents.
The field covered by the Danbury
hospital is larger than that covered
by any other hospital in the state of
Connecticut We are situated in the
northwestern part Of the state and
draw patients from that section that
includes the whole of Litchfeld and
the larger part of Fairfield coun-
ties.
Mr.. President, the managers Of the
Danbury hospital ask that the appro-
priation granted by the state be in
creased from $4,000 to $4,000 per year;
not for the purpose of extending it's
already great and important work. but
to enable 1t to continue its existence.
| The sum that has been received from
the state has been insufficient to pay
| the running expenses Of the hospital
and the citizens have been called upon
| time and again to make up the def
| ciencies, The churches have aided to
the best of their ability, but they were
able to do but little. The total amount
received from the churches last year
was only $81.50 and the subscriptions
Ifrom individuals were proportionately
small. 1t should be borne in mind, Mr.
President that Danbury is a peculiar
town in that it has but a very few
wealthy residents. The number of rich
men could be counted on your fingers.
1t is peculiar also in having but one
industry upon which it almost wholly
depends. That industry has been at
such low ebb during the last two
years that Danbury stands to-day one
OF the most impoverished communities
in the state. Poverty, Mr.. President,
has increased the number of charity
patients at the hospital and has al
most wiped out the class of paying pa
tients. The managers have repeatedly
been obliged to put their hands in
their pockets to enable the hospital
to continue its work. They are no
longer able to continue to contribute
80 generously and are compelled to ask
that the state come to their assistance.
They do not ask any more than is
given to every other institution of the
kind in the state. I desire to call your
attention to the fact that every other
general hospital in this state receives
from the state $1,000 per year. Most
of them have large endowment funds
also The Danbury HOSPITAL is a com
paratively new institution and is strug-
Cling hard for an existence. Shall it
be said that this general assembly al
lowed the doors of this noble instftu-
tion to be closed and its suffering in
mates to be turned out into the world
for the sake of saving a few dollars
that they may be spent for far less
worthy causes? I say reverently, God
forbid such economy. The Danbury
hospital needs money; not at some
future time when there is less need for
rigid economy, but it needs it now
to-day.
Mr.. President, your committee on hui
name institutions visited this hospital
recently and made a thorough investi-
cation of its work and all that apper-
tains to 1t. That committee unanimous
ly recommended the increase of the ap-
preparation asked for They did not
make that report without knowing full
we'll that every dollar of the appropria-
tion was needed and would be carefully |
and juddciously expended
Mr.. President, l appeal to this senate
to grant this additional appropriation.
/ appeal for charity's sake, for humani- |
tvs sake and for Gods sake that the |
state Of Connecticut intercede to save |
the Danbury hospital from having its |
doors closed and it's keys handed over |
to the keeping of its creditors. 1t is not |
much to ask-only $4,000. 1t is only |
what you are giving every other gener-
al hospital in this state If we are to |
economize, Mr.. President let us NOT do
1t at the cost of human agony. Human |
forms mangled by the ruthless hand
of accident; forms wasted by sickness
are dependent upon the generosity of
the people for comfort and proper care.
Eyes made fearful by distress are look
Ing piteously toward you, gentlemen of
the senate, and voices made tremuIous
by affltction and pain are lifted in
a fervent appeal that they may be ac-
corded the slight boon it is within YOUR
power to grant.
Mr.. President, and gentlemen of the
senate, before closing I desire to call
your attention to the fact that the Dan
oury hospital is one of more than ordi-
nary importance. Danbury being a
'ailroad center, its hospital is called
lpon to receive victims of accidents
rom distance of thirty miles on
Zach of three railroads. Besides that,
t was the scene of fifteen heroic opera
ions on critical cases during the last
year. Everyone of those cases resulted
n complete victory of the patient. 1t
S ready and able to do the work of the
arger and wealthier and more preten-
ious hospitals, not only In this state,
'ut in the United States.
While was a selectman my attention
vas called to the case of a very poor
nan who was supposed to be critically
Il, A consultation of physicians de-
ided that by an operation there was
ne chance in a hundred of saving his {
fe. He was taken to the Danbury |
ospltal and the operation was perform =
d. In few weeks he began to re-
over, and to-day is well and strong.
hat man, Mr.. President, has a wife and
even little children depending on him
or support | tremble to think of their
- tt,1, 10 = Al, I