Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-15

les. That is a glorious word, hospital
1t breathes of hospitality. The hospi-
tai while not a modern institution was
not in existence in the times of the n
lightened Pagans, the Greeks and the
Romans. They came to US with Chris
tianity. Fabriola, a Roman lady of the
fourth century, founded at Rome as an
act of penance the first public building
of this character and so it is that the
work founded by a woman's hand has
overspread the world. The success of
the hospital movement was not I'M
broken, however, for later through a
lack of advancement in medical sci
ence the hospital became a place of
danger.
1T was again a woman who brought
reform and after horrible experiences
with hospitals Florence Nightingale by
her notes on hospitals started an agi-
tation that did not rest until there We're
hospitals the world over. A woman
founded the hospital, a women rescued
the institution when /, was threatened
with destruction, and wherever you
see a successful hospital you will find
a woman in it.
The hospitals are a sign and seal of
the fundamental achievements of soci-
ETY., and they stand as pointers to
greater achievements in the future. In
this great state of Iowa, which we all
love so well, 1 believe this enterprise
will step rapidly forward in the TWEEN
tieth century and be in the van of the
worlds progress. Is this boasting or
is 1t not but judging the future of the
state by its past; of the works of pro-
gressive citizens in a land whose fer
tility of soil is not surpassed.
The "Iowa Idea"
"You have all heard of the 'Iowa
idea" but we do not simply have
the Iowa idea but Iowa ideas. These
ideas call for the coordination of the
home, the hospital and the school I'M
der the inspiration of applied science
through the medical and nursing pro
fessions. The time has come when
American homes must be conceded as
the highest type in the world. Where
else but in America do you find the
working men living in such good
homes; where else such intelligence;
where else do you find the musical in
struments, the books, the newspapers,
and where else such high ideals? And
we have reached a greater realization
of the home sanitation. The hygiene
of the home has been taught in the
schools. We see our homes high and
dry properly ventilated with Gods sun
shine. There has been a tax
on window glass. So the home has
become allied to the school, both pa
rochial and free. But homes are all
right when we are well. We need the
hospital when we are sick or injured;
where the rich or the poor may be well
cared for. So we need the hospital CO.
ordinate with the home.
The Details.
us it not time then that with the
progress of our other institutions we
bring about the coordination of the
hospital and the home. We should
scatter the hospitals in every import
ant center in the state, coordinate
with the local schools and with your
great GROWING state university, which
has a state hospital with the best
equipment for doing delicate work and
with the best corps of physicians avail
able.
1.-THE board of control which has
charge of all the state institutions in
its last report made a statement to the
effect that as far as was possible a
practical laboratory would be main
tanned for local needs at points where
the hospitals are located. The board
recommended a research hospital at
the state university where with the
best equipment and the best physi-
clans and surgeons available the diff
cult or unusual cases from the local
hospitals may be cared for. That
shows that the Iowa idea is not one or
political but is one sweetened with
Christian charity designed to alleviate
suffering"
DR.. o. C. B~rockman's Address.
At the conclusion of DR.. MacLean's
address POSTMASTER Waterman called
upon DR.. d. G. Brockman, who spoke
in part as follows:
Fifteen years ago there died in OF
tumwa a noble woman who was the
moving spirit in the Ottumwa hospital
agitation. A woman who gave her life
to the sick and needy; she saw
the needs of a hospital in Ottum-
wa. But Mrs. Mary Brooks Thrall
was not to see the realization of her
dreams and hopes. She was taken
down with that dread disease, cancer,
and soon passed away.
Blu during the long and painful
ISL ~ hef iotd III
plan of having a hospital built and
before her end she called in three gem
tlemen who have always been fore
most workers in every movement de-
signed for the improvement of OF
tumwa, Il. D.. Foster, Major Samuel
Mahon and ]. T. Hackworth. To them
did Mrs. Thrall leave the work which
had she lived she would have pushed
~untiringly n as she left the world
the Ottumwa hospital was sanctifed
by her prayers.
Growth of Hospital.
Later the Ottumwa Hospital assoc
citation was organized and the hospi-
tai was first opened in a residence
property. To the of the Hos
! pital association has fallen the brunt
of the work and worry yet they have
labored untiringly. although hanpered
with meagre accommodations and lack
of funds. The old quarters We're out
! grown and the hospital moved to it's
present quarters, which now prove to
be unsatisfactory and inadequate. For
this reason the hospital needs a per-
manent home adequate to care for the
wants of the sick and afflicted. A place
is needed where it may he possible to
take care of the poor and sick, a place
railroad men ma be taken to after
an accident; a place where the poor
and the rich, the sick and the afiict-