Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-07
RUSSELL 6 WESTON CO., 100 and 1872 Water St..

"PPeei " ouI HlSheSt SXmpathlCS, and
are Specially pathetic when there is no
chRnce for recovery. In distributing
the benefactions of Il Hospital. how
ever, The aim must necessarily be the
greatest good of The greatest number
Those who are able to pay, in whole
! OF in part, must be required to do so,
and thus assist the Hospital to extend
the scope of its benefactions among
the sick and destitute.
Every year. since the establishment.
of the Augusta City Hospital, has
Witnessed an increase in the volume of
its Tree service. No needy patient has
ever Vet been turned away from its
doors, although the question of ways
and means has, oftentimes, been a
serious and perplexing one.
During the past year two free beds
have been maintained at the Hospital
one by the Ladies' Aid Society, and
one by the Edwards Manufacturing
Company. The latter bed was
established for the benefit of the sick
AMI suffering among the Company's
employees and has been occupied by
such patients during the entire year
The total service rendered by these
beds during the twelve months WAS 1g3
weeks and five days. The benefits
accruing from them We're inestimable.
In this connection we wish again to
emphasize the need of an extension OF
this free bed service. In no other way
can $50 be made to accomplish so
large a work for humanity. The
Hospital has vet to receive its first
5000 for the permanent endowment of
c,,oa hI,t -,
believe that it will come in the not far
distant future. The most enduring
monuments are reared in the grateful
memories of those who come after us
The marble memorial will gradually
darken and crumble into dust; but the
glory of a practical work for humanity
grows brighter with the years, ard
dehcS III" ravages of time.
IN addition to the gratuitous
service rendered by the free beds must
be added entirely free service to the
amount Of 1872 weeks and one day, paid
for from the general funds of the Hos
pital This does not, however. include
tie difference between the amount paid
by ward PATIENTS and the cost of MAIN
tanning them, winch amounts to prac-
ticaly $500 Per week for each patient.
Adding this difference-amOunting in
service to 90 weeks and one tiay-to the
other free ice, we get a total Of $50
weeks.
Even this. however creditable as it
is 10 the Hospital. does not compre-
bend the entire list of its benefactions.
The Augusta city Hospital is the
first institution of its kind in Maine tn
establish district nursing. More or
less work of this character has been
done, without any definite and
systematic organization for the pur-
pose, almost from the time our doors
were first opened to the public. On
the 18th day OF last June, district
nursing was made an established
feature of the Hospital work. and 4
nurse has since been detailed regularly
to carry it on. The supply closet for
this department was fitted out and
has been maintained. by members OF
the Ladies Aid Society. Up f.
December 81, 1903. the District Nurse
had made a total Of $50 calls distri-
buted among a number of families
How much this gratuitOuS trained
service has meant to the people who
have enjoyed its mnistrations. and
who could not. otherwise. have had it,
can scarcely be appreciated by the
general public. Could the record of
that service be told in all its sad ana
pathetic details. it could not fail to
appeal powerfully to the synpathies of
the community. The marked success
of this work is its own vindication.
and a convincing reason for its con-
tinuance.
he fran Nv U,.z
nurse covers a period Of q weeks,
bringing the grand total of such
service up to Alb weeks. This is a
record which carries its own comment
and is one in which all the friends of
the hospital may feel just pride.
The increased number of patients
cared for during the past year and the
greater number of pupil nurses in the
training school. led the Directors to
relieve the Matron Of some of the
numerous duties devolving upon her
by giving her an assistant Miss !
GlenOra NJ. Vannah was elected to the !
position and. entered upon the dis
charge of her duties the 2Sth Of last |
January. Miss Nannah was the first |
nurse graduated from our training |
school. and had met with marked sue |
cess in private work. The tact and |
ability with which she has discharged |
the duties of Assistant Matron, have
fully demonstrated the fact that no
mistake was made in selecting her for
the position.
There has been a net gain of s472 in !
the furnishings and supplies of the |,
Hospital, since our last annual report. |,
A considerably part of this is included
in the private room, which was very
tastefully furnished during the past !
year by Mrs. ]. Manchester Haynes |
To the above figures should properly be |
added the value of the supplies con- |
tributed during the year by friends Of :,
the institution for current consump-
ton. and which do not show in the an
nual inventory. !
MANY Of tbaca contributions xYara