The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-15
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SUR
GEON.

To the Trustees of the Maine Eye and
Ear InfrIn airy:
TIE statistics for the thirteenth year,
ending Nov l. 1895, have been compiled
from the records with the following re-
suit.
Ophthalmic patients, l4ob.
A diunct clinics 439
Unit and unIecorded, l4o
Total, 29l0
Add this to the previous records, and it
makes the whole number treated 17,2eS.
The number OF eye and ear operations re-
corded was 549. which added TO those pre-
yiously performed makes the whole num-
Der 1857 The whole attendance was
IL. 027, which added to the previous REQ
ords makes the whole ATTENDANCE ll0;20l.
The average attendance was 40 per DAY
The total attendance for the eye and ear
was 9y35, making an average OF 81 per
day.
The adjunct clinis in the out.patient
department for the treatment of all other
diseases have besn continued throughout
the year.
Tie register for the year ending Noy.
I. 1898. shows that 2433 hours were spent
in the clinical work of thu out-patient de-
partment an increase of 81 per cent
over that of last year. The private rooms
have been occupiedgby 152 patients, and
the wards by 452 patients making in all
6O4 in patients. OF the ward patients 354
paid for board at the rate of one dollar
per day; Is paid part OF their board,
and so were entirely free. The number
of days of free board given to patients
was 1881. an amount five times that pro-
yided for In free beds by friends of the In
Urinary. The calls for free board in
addition to free treatment have been
greater than in any previous year, and an
endeayor mas been made to limit the ser :.
vice to those who we're in Strengthened
circumstances and in most need OF such
charitable assistance. This embraces SO
of the in-patients who were materially
assisted in the preservation or the restoTa-
ton of sight or hearing. Notwithstend-
ing charitable assistance to the poor in
the preservation or restoration OF sight or
hearing is less likely to be abused than
almost any other form of charity, yet
careful Investigation into some cases re-
veals the fact tnat they were not fit per-
sons for such charitable assistance ana
should not have been encouraged to seek 1t.
The usual number of operations have
been performed in the. operating room,
embracing every part of the field OF sur
gerry by no less than thirty different OPP
orators.
In response to an urgent call from Gen
eral Richards and Mayor Randall an OPP
portunity was afforded during the year
to accommodate large number OF the
soldiers whofwere sent home critically i'll
OF typhoid fever. An endeavor was made
to relieve their suffering restore them to
health and to their homes as speedily as
possible. The soldiers and the Institution
are indebted to Drs. Meserve, Searls.
Marshall and DriscolI for their untiring
efforts to meet every indication for treat
lnent to accomplish this result successful
ly.
The Intirmary is being heated very sat
isfactorily by the new method of heating
water from steam and pumping the
water round the circuit several times
faster than it would naturally flow from
he ut alone. The plans furnished by Messrs
hvaps. Almirall q Co., of New York for
fine plant have been supplemented and
carried out very successfully by MIR.
Charles Notary, our present engineer.
When completed all the exhaust steam
will be utilized and it is estimated that 1t
will he sufficient TO heat the Inarmary
with It's additions and the Nurses Home,
the water being carried In an under
ground conduit specially constructed Tor
That purpose. The IntirInary is now sup
piied within with the automatic eiecbfic
heat alarm system, with hos5 on every
floor. and with the Underwriters FIRE
Extineuisher throughout, and for escape
from the building, the canvas.f1re- escape
chute, and a very substantial set of IRON
stairs, installed by 6. N. Stanwood @
Co., of this city, making it easy for &C.
cupants to escape in case Of fire from
windows of each of the five floors, and