Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-24
DELAWARE HOSPITALS WORK.

For 1877 Received From the Levy Court.
Tbs annual meeting of the Delaware
Hospital took place Monday afternoon at
tho hospital building, Fourteenth and
Washington streets. Tho eighth an
nual report of the institution for tho
year ending December 3lsr, 1897, issueu
from the John NJ. Rovera press, was
presented to tho meeting. II makes O
handsome pamphlet of Al pngss
In his report to tho mnmherH of the
corporation, President Tilghman John
stnn of tho board of trusteeR. says:
''Our endowment fund, whilo not
showing such largo increase during
1897 an was made in 1856, has grown
from SIG, 289. 90 to S2i, 00O. an increase
ri $40, TO. so; we have therefore every
reason to feel grRtited ard thankful.
This increase has come from gift
OF So, 600 from the family Of Dr. Will
liam Poyntell Johnston, for the purpose
of endowing a bed in his memory.
and the balance from the estate Of Miss
Mary S. Boyd.
This fund will receive during the
coming year over s., 600 from the estate
of Mrs. Henry II. Carter, who in hur
will directed that amount to he given
to the hospital 10 endow bed for the
use OF railroad men. in memory Of her
late husband, Henry liariing Carter,
who was during hia readence in this
city superintendent of the F., W. s. 3,
railroad; We also will receive from tine
same estate the cum nf $500 for general
purposes; Mr.. and Mrs. Carter, while
in this city wore devoted friends OF tho
hospital, and their loving memory will
thus loo perpetuated.
'These evidences of the appreciation
OF tho value OF our work, ny individual
friends, ara not only Incentives TO spur
ua on in our lnborH, and enduring
monuments 20 tho generosity OF the
donors and the memorials named, bat
they arc examples, which those of the
community who arc able, may he wise
in following; for by these good works
do wo lay IN for ourselves treasures
in heaven, elevate mankind to its true
standard, and carry out and exemplify
one Of our chief duties, which is to be
charitable and kind to the poor, the
sick and the needy.
The accounts of the finance com
mittoe will show in detail the various
Investments of the endowment fund.
by reference to tho report Of thB treas
urer, it will DO seen that our income
does not meet our expenses; this should
! not be SO; it can be changed by either
increasing our income, or decreasing
our EXPENSES; the first plan 10 I'M
doubtedly the one to adopt; for a de
| crease in expenses means closing some
OF the wards, and u curtailmeut of our
charity. We will receive during the
| year an increased income from the in
forest OF our endowment fund. but it ia
very clear that we must have increased
annual subscriptions
This brings up the matter of hos
pital Saturday and Sunday, when col
lectlons will he taken up in churches Of
every denomination, sect and croed; the
same to be divided among the hospitals
OF the city, in proportion 10 the amount
OF free service given to the moor; | see
by clipping from New York paper
that 3S hospitals IN that city are re-
cipients of the collections of The Hos
pital Saturday and Sunday Associa-
tiOn, and that collections are taken up
in churches and Hynagogues OF every
creed and denomination, on the last
Saturday and Sunday in the year; do
not see why the hospitals in this city
could not be made bene6ciarieH of such
plan. and hope the committee ap-
pointed for that purpose will inaugurate
the movement. The committee on sub
scription boxes in the manufactures
have not made my definite progress;
trust some good results will be seen
from their work during the year; these
are two sources frUm which an increased
income can he obtained.
''The appropriation Of $500 for the
year 1907, from the Levy Court Of New
Castle county has not been received i;
thai body, in it6 vision, has seen fit to
cut oil all charitable approximations;
can not heip stating my opinion, that
this is a short sighted and unwise
economy. When ono stops aud con
slders that the charitable institutions
are supported by private subscription
for the benefit of the public poor, and
that evory ono treated and supported
in these Institutions ia OF go much
benedt and relief to the public treasury,
one would easily agree, that tue small
pro rata additional tax levied upon
property, necessary to produce the
amount Of these appropriations. would
be a small burden to the taxpayers ami
benefit to the county. 1t is pnor
argument to say that the citizens will
keep up these institutions at any rate
it is the duty of our State, county and
city governments, apart from the
natural pride in having such institu-
tions, to SEQ thnt worthy, msritorioua
and necessary charities are supported ;
l sincerely hope, that tho members OF
the Levy Court will see their way clear
to continue the appropriations author
lied by Legislature.
1.-THE hospital has Increased its mum
Der of days of aervice, reaching 1900
this number of patients admitted being
3i3, of which number 200 were free
patients, and in the dispensary the
number Of patients treated was /, 1875.
II am lei to believe from the reports
of physicians, that the dispensary ser
vice is being abused, in that persons
who can afford to employ a doctor are
attending the dispensary md receiving
free treatment; this ia neither fair TO
the Hospital nor TO the physicians
no profession is more entitled tn the
gratitude of the community than that
of medicine; the staff OF the hospital
give their valued time and services ia
the poor, free of all cost, and without
any reward to themselves except OK
psrience, which in the case OF tho
older physicians. Ia not commensurate
with the loss OF time from their regular
practice They naturally feel that they
are not fairly treated, and that the
charity ia abused, when they see either
their own patients or others, who are
able to employ physician, attending
free dispensary; the principle ia
wrong, and its continued use will tend
TO pauperizs the community; every ono
who is able. should he willing to en-
ploy physician, in time of sickness
the dispensary wac instituted for those