Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-06-26

Boston. June 10 IniS concern
has the hack ire escape beat mile,
as a place for sex child of hot
night, said a grateful mother as sac
received her afflicted little one in i'm
proved health from the Boston float
ing hospital the white ship OF mercy,
as it has been poetical'y called.
The same sentiment has been vaIi-
ously expressed great many times III
the last few years. No charity any
where, It is probable, is more highly
appreciated than this unique Boston
enterprise which mas attracted the al
tention of practical socio.oglsts
throughout the world. No sight, fur
thermore, along the water front OF the
New England capital, not even tne
historical Old IronsiGes herself, as
she lies off Uncle Sans hayward,
proves moIe interesting 70 the hum
dreds OF thousands OF visitors during
the summer months tiIan that Of the
/ twin-screW steamer Who's. landing
place is at the north end recreation
pier. Equipped for taking three hun
bred sick children, day or night, out
where the sea breezes blow uncoA-
taminated with the city's dust, sne
typifGs a form OF philanthropy that =
almost certain, sooner or later, to be-
fol- we'd in every large city which
hss access to the sea or to a navigable
lake or river
| The present season will be d nota-
Bile one il the history of this CHAR
lily, because it will be the first in
which the new and specially designed
ship Of the floating hospital VAL have
t been III use throughout the hot
weather equipped with refrigerating
apparatus for keeping the temperature
Of some OF its wards at about ~ de
grees whatever the torridity outside
TIE cid boat with which many thcus
ands Of Americans are 1amiliaT craft
remodeued and furnished as well as
could be for hospitG purposes but moi
originally designed for such service
has DOW become a memory.
Take the sick child out O sea and
| you greatly increase the chances Of
his recovering. 50 directly and eYi
denty useful is this charity that il
has not only become wen organize,
in Boston, but inquiries show that taC
SYST I is being considered in many
other cities. Already great interest il
the plan has been aroused in England
Already the New York floating hospita
and its allied seaside hospital ar,
carrying on a similar beneficent work
Is'though the metropolitan steamship
receives thus far day patients only
Explaining how the details of the hos
pital that goes to sea are arranged tn
18th annual report Of the institution
has lately been published, in conneC
ton with the advent of the new sea
son and at TIE same time to other pc
sons VINO may be interested in ;
briefer statement an illustrated folde
has been sent out from the hoatin!
hospital headquarters at 81 Devon
shire street.
One of the earliest floating hospitals
is said to have been developed in -
NEARBY city OF Lowell, Mass, wher,
DR. Thomas F. Harrington, a loca
physician who has given considerabl
attention to the study of infant nor
tally among the poor, and who ais,
originated the plan of getting the FIR
department to flood the streets in tn
tenement districts on very hot days
about 1897 devised a plan of sendini
sick children in charge of nurse u
the Nerrimack in a steamboat. to g.
cape the terrific heats of the city
The work in Boston began about 1S9
when FIVE experimental day trips wer
made on a hired barge with only vo
unteer service. The next year undo
the same system thirteen day trip
were undertaken while in 1896 dali
l trips, except Sunday, were inaugural
t ed and the work was given into tn
hands Of a board Of managers a med
= cal STAFF and two paid nurses. Il
! 1897 the barge Clifford was bough
and equipped to care for $50 sick in
fants and children. In 1893 tw,
I wards were established for perma
nent patients and night service wa