The age-herald., 1898-01-16
NOBLE WORK IF CHARITY. HiIIman Hospitals Record for the Year 1897. PATIENTS TREATED 215 About Half Paid for Treatment and to the Others it Was Given free-There We're
 Eleven Deaths.
 

The board of managers of Hillman hos pital held very interesting meeting at the hospital on the morning of the 18th, at which time the regular election of officers for the coming year took place.
 The presidents report for 1897 is given below:
 To the Board of Managers of Hillman
 Hospital: tfs
 Our record for the year 1897 is, I think, good. considering limited space and means. The number of charity patients taken care of shows a marked increase over last year. This we have been able to do only through sums received from the pay patients and our stand by, the Hillman fund, these be- ing our only means of support, with the exception of monthly contribution of s from our kind friend Dr. Smith, for which we are very grateful. We have been ma terially aided. also by contributions of coal from the following coal companies, and give them due thanks: Tennessee Coal and Iron company; Virginia and Alabama Coal company; and the Standard Coal company, of Tuscaloosa county.
 After the destruction of the old hospital at Smithfield, the trustees resigned in fa- vor of the Lady Board of managers, and. an effort was made to have charter grant, ed said board by the legislature during the session of 1S94-95. For some reason it failed to get through so that the hospital was run for a year by us as individuals. The legislature being again in session when | was elected president of this honorable body, one of my first official duties was to get this matter re-introduced, which was done through the kindness of our repre- sentatives and some others It was. duly passed and we have since then felt armed with all proper authority and have gone bravely on with our noble work as duly incorporated body.
 The hospital so far as it goes is complete
 and well kept. The house is small for a
 hospital but it is as large as our bank ac-
 count, and is in good repair and beautifully
 kept by our efficient matron. Our operat-
 ing room is up to date, and the skill Of our
 surgeon is proved by his success. He stands
 with the first in his profession, and has cer- tainly been kind friend to us Our medical
 staff comprises some of the leading physi- clans in the city, who give freely of time and science when needed. We have com- potent and well-trained corps of nurses, headed by Miss Otto, and our attorney, Judge William R. Houghton, has been ever ready to assist us with legal advice. Number of pay patients admitted, 116;
 medical, 16; surgical, 100; male, 72; female, A; number of charity patients admitted, 80; medical, 1T; surgical, 63 male, 49; female, 31. Number of partial pay patients admit
 ted, 19. These pay only what they feel
 able. Some very small sums for long pe-
 riod of service, and should really be counted as charity.
 Total admission, 2l5 Discharged, 209.
 Died, H.
 Remaining, G.
 Of outside dressings, there shave been | 1000, most of these for charity patients. | It will readily be seen that the death rate | is gratifyingly small, particularly when it | is remembered that many patients are des- perately i'll when admitted some even be- 1 yond hope of recovery.
 Of the patients entered as pay on the books, fourteen have never paid anything, likely never will and three have only paid | in part. This would add to our charity | list seventeen, swelling the number to 97, | and to this should be added the nineteen
 who have only paid very small sums, and | whom it was certainly charity to take
 in and surround with tender care and sym l pathy. This makes our charity work as- l sume a better aspect and will explain to the board why our expenses have increased
 from month to month, causing some anx- l iety, as our treasurer so ruthlessly ex- l posed failing balance to our credit. Upon carefully considering facts and fig l ures, we feel that we are doing good work, but it makes the heart ache to think 1 of the few who can be taken in and cared l for compared to the many who must be | turned away with the cry of no room. O l that we had a hospital worthy of this town! 1 May the future bring brighter things for l our beloved Hillman hospital and our scope of usefulness widen as the years roll by. MRS. A. G. SMITH, President Jan. 13, 1898.
 The followinw were elected as board of managers for the present year: President