Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-01-15
REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS.
tor The Year Ending December 81. 1899.

annual report we are able TO pass il
tNieW upon the work Of a complet
y'df-0uf hrSt report only covering
period of nine months.
W" are Slad to say that the wear 800
ilndS In" Augusta City hospital bette
equipped. better supported, and NOR.
prosperous than ever before in it's his
tory. Like all new institutions Of hi,
character. it has had its troubles. bu
fortunately they have affected neithe,
lht scope nor the efficiency of it.
work lis friends have been steadfas
ana loyal, and as the true character 81
lis mission has become better known
ana understood. public sentiment has
grown steadily in its favor. Since the
opening q this hospital. in ApriI 1898
no less than POI patients, representing
Il rs ~" IS cnuntics Of Maine have en-
1tt u the benefits Of it's care and treat
MrnJ.
Most Of these patients could not. in
the very nature Of things, have secured
Such hospital facilities elsewhere
These facts are all the answer that is
necessary for those who at the start
professed t. see no mission for a hos
pital in Augusta. We are glad to add
that many who took this view of the
institution at the start. are today
among its warmest friends and sup
porters.
When we made our report of wear
ago there We're many who thought that
the showing il was able to make was
largely due to the soldiers it had been
called upon to care for. The present
report shows the short sightedness of
this view, and establishes our claim Of
a year ago. that had it not been for
the soldiers we should have cared for
many patients from private life. who,
under the circumstances. we We're I'M
year we have treated no less than 116
patients from the following places
Auburn. /: Augusta. 81: Boston. Mass.
>: Brockton, /: Bingham ,; China, >:
Eden, !: East Machias. /: Fort Kent. / +:
Gardiner, !; Hallowell. :; Liberty, \;
Manchester. ,: Mount Vernon, /: Ply
mouth, /: Rockiand. /; Whitefield. t.:
WatervilIe. l: Washington. l: War
rem, 1.
OF this number Of patients 81 We're
admitted to the surgical side and - To
the medical side Of the hospital. OF the
total number treated for the l. months,
six were moribund on admission. yet
Notwithstanding this fact. there were
but II deaths during the year.
There has been a growing apprecia-
ton in the community Of the i'm
portant need supplied by the hospitals
training school for rurses. Great care
has been exercised in securing the right
kind of pupils. The superintendent OF
nurSeS-herSelf graduate OF the IA
nous training school of the Rhode
Island hospital-and the members Of
the medical staff have eXerted them
selves To the utmost in making the
course of study both theoretical and
clinical. comprehensive and thorough.
During the year there We're IA appll'a-
tions for admission to the training
schooi. SIX We're taken On pfptatloii'
and four pupils We're dropped durlhS
the - months This VIII show th' care
that has been exercised I" MAINTAIN
the highest possible standard ~ chlF-
lcter and efficiency lhtft are low
eight nurses in the school. all on Whohl
are doing NEST crcditable work. In
addition to the bedside training there
have been. during the year. ~ course
lectures delivered by various members
If the medical staff, with subsequent
oral and written eNaminati"hS upon
the same.
Ihf can l"f nurses ~ ~ ~
has been constant through the year
ana at times il has not been p"SSlni"
for the school to fully meet 1t. 80 lar
as possible. however. these calls have
been promptly responded to. Even Whch
it has sometimes necessitated Longer
ana harder hours for those on duty ~
The hospital. the sacrifice mas peeii
cheerfully made. The splenold WORK
accomplished by these nurses III 'il'
community has done much to WIN new
and strong friends for the hospital.
4 feature Of the work not generally
known to the public has been the I'M
dertaking. in small way as the W., N
of the hospital has rendered poSslple'
of what may be called district nurslhs
az in other words. the supplying OF
trained nurses for short periods. free OF
charge. in needy cases, and more es-
nociallv in confinement cases. HOW
nucb good has been accomplished, ana
how much suffering relieved IN tms
- ,r,,, those few familiar with the
n5;tions under which such service
C'ii"i'' -, ,,.,. i-,,o1,- or apDre-