Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-29

| Iltal was presented by Clarence B.
Bur!eigh, president of the association,
and Senator Macomber of Kennebec
| county. member of the board of trus-
tees of the hospital
In Speaking in behalf of the resolve
Mr. Bureigh said
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen Of the
COMMITTEES:
The Augusta City Hospital was In
corporated by the Legislature of 1891,
and opened its doors to the public in
April, 1888
The directors did not undertake, from
the very fist. to confne its opportuni-
ties to the members of it's own staff,
but provided that any physician in
Maine. who was graduate of an ac-
credited medical college as recognized
by our State Board of Registration.
might have the privilege of treating his
patients IN the hospital
No attempt was made by the df-
rectors to in any way discriminate
between the allopathic and homeo-
pathic schools of medicine The repre-
sehtatives Of both have places on the
regular staff of the hospital 1t is left
to the patient to select when kind of
treatment lie will have
Orga nized under these broad and lih-
cral rules, and centrally located geo
graphically. it Is not surprising that
the hospital should. from the start.
have drawn patients from a wide area.
In the first 81 months of its existence
it treated patients from IA OF the 16
counties of Maine. Since then there
is no county in the State that has not
care and treatment In view of this
fact it is perhaps needless to say that
the title Augusta City Hospital has
lcen from the first misnomer. 1t
was used because the institution was
organized under the charter of 1891.
hut from the day it opened it's doors
to the public it has been general
hospital in the scope and character
of its work. SO clearly is this recog-
nized by all in any way familiar with
Its history. that the present corpora
TOYS by an overwhelming majority have
voted t. ask this Legislature to change
the name of the institution to the Au-
gusta General Hospital, a title that
will be more in harmony with the work
it has done in the past, and which 1t
purposes to continue to do in the future.
a training school for nurses.
The pupils for this school have been
drawn from all parts of the State. The
directors have felt that one of the most
Important things which a hospital does
for the public is the training of COM
potent nurses who go out into the com
munity to render the skilled service
which is so important q factor IN the
successful treatment of sickness and
disease. Not only has the training
school of the Augusta Hospital furnish.
Cd Maine with number of strong
graduate nurses, but in tImes>of enler-
Sency it has permitted its pupils to do
private work outside the hospital I'm
various sections of the State.
With the completion and presenta-
ton Of the new ]. Manchester Haynes
home for nurses and the new central
heating plant the Augusta hospital now
has buildings representing an invest
ment Of about $4,000. These buildings
represent money collected from private
sources. The hospital has had from
the state no appropriations for it's
buildings as have similar institutions
Of Maine. and for that reason we feel
that the State should be the more will
ing TO assist us in properly maintaining
them.
Outside of the hospitals in the three
big cities of Portland. Bangor and Lew
iston. the Augusta hospital is the larg-
est in the State. both as regards it's
holdings. and the number OF
patients treated.
The growth in the number of patients
treated ct the Augusta hospital has
been constant In 1906 1t was 254. In
1907 ii was 304. In 1908 it was 1853.
With the increased facilities now at
The command Of the hospital, as a re-
Continued on Page Nine.)