St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-03-18
New BrightlOOk Hospital.
[Continued from Third Page.]

the service this Hospital will give to St
Johnsbury and the surrounding towns
Sociologists estimate the value of human
life at $4,000, but you and | place nc
money value on our lives. We cannot, tC
cite just one example, compute the
number of years saved to the human life
by operations for appendicitis and it is
only necessary to mention in passing
that when this dread disease attacked
the life of Europe's greatest ruler his life
was saved by modern surgery and the
trained nurse
The hospital is the greatest school OF
medicine that exists. 1t is the great
postgraduate school of all physicians.
The hospitals are also training the edu-
Gated nurse and the trained nurse is the
cal profession. But the hospital is not
alone for today, but for the future 1t
should be one of the institutions of the
community The demand on your hu-
mainly is just as great as upon your re-
ligion or your education. In closing, Dr.
Gle spoke of the relation OF a hospital
to charity and the care that always had
to be taken that patients should not be
given free beds when they could afford to
pay for all services rendered.
DR.. Barnes then announced that he
would turn Squire Dunnett loose upon
the audience and Mr. Dunnett made
good" with skillfully prepared short
address. His paper contained many
references from old English writers to
medicine and doctors, and he had several
sly digs of his own at the profession, but
in closing he paid deserved tribute to
the medical profession and congratulate
ted the town on the possession Of such
a useful building.
Mrs. Rebecca p. Fairbanks, president
of the Brightlook Hospital Aid Associ-
alton, was given hearty round of APP
plause when she rose to speak, and
before reading her paper said public
acknowledgment ought to be made of
the fact that Immediately after the
original gift of $4,000 this was dupl-
Gated by a like amount from Mr. and
Mrs. Frank II. Brooks. This announce
ment was heartily applauded. Mrs
Fairbanks said that in 1896, in
serious illness in her family, she and Dr.
Ross discussed the needs of a hospital
But the movement did not originate at
this time, but the physicians of the pre-
ceding generation had some hope Of such
an institution. She said Mrs. S. T. |
Brooks had expressed this thought in
poetry, and Mrs. Brooks then read the |
following poem:
How often have heard my husband say
! here's nothing needed in this town today
SO much as place for homeless sick.
Some little place with nurses kind
And hearts to cheer the homesick mind
And blessings such as Jesus left
To hopeless men of health bereft
My husband was doctor of the olden time
Who drove his horse through wind and rain
Without the help of boy or gasoline.
Fearless he was of snow or drift
And sometimes, buried almost out of sight
He managed to come out 'all right"
Even when his horse once climbed a tree
He backed her safely down you see.
What saw my husband in his wistful eyes,
lofty place like we have seen arise?
A house substantial. even grand?
With outlook DER the smiling land2
All no, the widest dreamer had no fairy /
dream like this
Their brightest Hope-Star cast no ray across
such loneliness.
Some Good Samartans appeared
To render help in time of need.
Yet for her future there was no provision /
made.
But there were other men who braved the
storms
The Senior Newell, Folsom, were their names.
Billiard and Browne.
How would their eyes have shone to see this
stately house,
How would their halleu abs rung in one
united voice
Well may their children join in useful minis
tries
To carry through the corridors of time their
OH people living in this village nesting in
the hills
Are you not glad to see this good provision
for your future ills?
Turn loyalty and lovingly toward this goodly
place
There sure will come its time of trouble and
distress
Then let the sad sad, story ne'er be told
Its bitterest foes were in its own household
Our Fathers God, to Thee we bring our
heartiest praise
We join the numerous company of those who
sing
Songs to the Saviour,
Mighty Healer Jesus, King.
Mrs. Fairbanks address here follows:
In the month following the organiza-
tion of Brightlook Hospital in July,
1899, the Aid Association was organized
The aim of the association was and now
is to aid in the maintenance of Bright
look Hospital, to help in providing
things which will increase the comfort Of
the patients and attendants, and to
assist the hospital board in such ways
as the name OF the organization would
imply.
Any woman may become an active
member by the annual payment of
twenty-five cents. an honorary member
by the payment of S. each year, and a
lie member by the payment of $25 The
work OF the association is carried on by
six committees Three of these, finance,
house and charity, are appointed annual
ly by the executive board, and the other
three, sewing, flower and vegetable, and
reading, are selected quarterly by the
association. The officers of the associa-
ton, with the charmen of these COM
mittees constitute the executive board.
From the first even to this time as
many OF you can testify, the work has
been carried on faithfully and cheerfully,
but not without some acknowledgements
We have raised money in various ways,
some of them unique for this town.
Many will remember our first rummage
sale, the Marriage Drama entertainment.