The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1905-08-17
NEED or A HOSPITAL
Duty a Community Owes 10 the
Maimtd and AnIllessd.


mot LONG Asu young woman, a..
Ter several months {. sunrurlne. died
% consumption IN Fairfield. During
her sickness She lacked food and freAh
ait and cleanliness and sympathy ana
all that makes for comfort But n
few weeks later a laborer, Without
friends, was taken critically III In a
boarding car near the Rock Island
station. Here he suffered two days
and nights without proper care, until
he was sent 20 Kansas City hospital.
These are not isolated or peculiar
cases, Every doctor could relate
many like them. Is II not to>be res
gretted that in this rich county there
is no adequate provision for the care
Of the unfortunate--no hospital? IL
Hotel Dleu," Gods Inn, the hospital
was once called, and It would seem
that christian community such as
ours should have the means of ex.
pressing its real charity and broth.
erly love, such as hospital affords.
1t has been found by careful cal
culatlon that for ten cents a year
for each person in jefferson county
there could be maintained hospital
ample to care for the sick.
The writer never remembers having
heard from any taxpayer In this
county q word of dlsapproval as to
using public funds for making the In
sane the blind or the orphan as com.
Portable as possible. This duty is
manifest to all, and the charity OF ev.
cry heart goes out in helpfulness to
these unfortunates. But commun-
ity like this has other opportunities
for humane labors as well as the
care of the insane, though not so OBJ.
yious to all, because many OF us IA
our busy, healthful lives do not
know of much of the suffering THAI
exists right about us. 1t is a priv.
ilege OF such community as ours
that It make provision for the saw.
ing of the life and health and pain
Of all its members. This county,
with its large central town, Is no
longer an undeveloped frontier.
Knitted together by telephones and
rural mail routes, all its well.to-do
people are cultured and enjoying
more and more each year the lux.
uries Of civilization. At a large ex-
pense Fairfield has water works ana
g fire department to save the proper.
ty of rich and poor alike. We have
Libraries and excellent schools to
provide education for the rich and
poor alike. But dearer TO a man
than property and education are life
and health.
When one has means, II attacked
by disease or mutilated by accident,
he can have nurses ana surgeons and
the often costly appliances needed to
restore health and comeliness, but
the poor man--and our community
has many Of little wealth cannot
surround himself or his child, Wien
Ill, with all the aids which give na
ture the best chance to restore health
and strength. Perhaps, those Of us
In more comfortable circumstances do
not realize the consciousness OF the
lack of such aids until chance Jeo-
pardlzes the life Of dear one In our
own home.
Is 1t not the duty Of a community
such as Jefferson county now u.s.,
when 1t can, to make such provision
that no life shall be unnecessarily
lost and that no pain shall be un.
necessarily suffered? Such a proyis.
ION is hospital. A hospital Is an
intelligently managed instrument for
us to use in lending a hand TO our
neighbors. When our neighbor'5
child is taken sick we all go ana OF.
fer to nurse 1t. The kindness OF
heart and faithful night and day
work done by all in every neighbor-
hood in jefferson county in times OF
sickness are q glorious revelation OF
the goodness Of our people. But ev-
cry night the sick child has a differ.
ent nurse. every day the sick room
Ia filed with friends anxious TO help
the little sufferer. Because we are
willing TO give our time and labor
is not an indication that we are good
nurses, and doctors say that, with
the best intentions, these ever chang.
ing neighborly labors or love may do
harm. We are not all adapted for
this most delicate work--the care OF
the sick. Would 1t not be better for
all concerned ii we should unite and
provide for the training Of skilled
nurses--apply to this purpose email
portion OF the means we would earn
by doing the work each OF us best
can do?
Some one win say, "A hospital
does not pay" Perhaps not cash div
idends. Does a church pay? Does a
poorhouse pay? Does kind word
pay? Not always In cash. Money is
not the only standard OF value. II
we consider the blessing TO parents
OF a child,s life saved, TO husband
of a wife spared from death, then a
hospital pays. Think OF the peace OF
mind we could all nave did we but
know that every SUFFERER In this com.
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