The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-01

blessed work down to our own day.
 That hospital soon gained world
 wide reputation for careful medical
 nursing and for the good Judgment
 shown in the. treatment of surgical
 cascs. Besides the work done in the
 hospital, certain attendants were sent | every day to visit the poor and if per
 chance they found any needing special attention they were at once removed to ! tho hospital
 To Serve as Model
 | Pope Innoeent's idea was not merely 10
 establish a hospital at Rome, but one l that would be model for those he wished
 to see organized in every city of Christen-
 dom. In fact, during his own pontiheate | he succeeded by persuasion and papal en- eouragement in establishing hospitals in
 all parts of the Christian world on the
 model of this hospital of the Holy Spirit
 in Rome. The encouragement given by this great pontiff to the hospital system proved a lasting blessing to humanity | for succeeding pontiffs followed his ex- i ample, and hospitals of the Holy Ghost continued to be established until scarcely
 a city of any size was left without one. HVirchow, the greatest modern medical scientists, traces the great German hos pitals back to those founded by Innocent | ILL Many of these were in towns with
 less than 11.o00 inhabitants. In fact, few of the cities of the middle ages had over l000O Inhabitants in the thirteenth cen- tury. London had about 20,000 and Paris oo,O00. It is easy to see, therefore, how far-reaching in its effects was the policy of Innocent III and how thoroughly he laid the foundations of a great Christian hospital system.
 Since tine papal example and recom- nfendations produced so much effect in Gerlnany, 1t is easy to understand that a still greater impetus was given to the hospital movement in Latin countries on account of the closer relations with the holy see. In Paris Hotel Dieu began it's existence at this time, and has continued down to the present day, although its To- cation has been changed. The hospital became the city hospital in the genuine sense of the word, and the citizens be- came interested in 1t, and frequently left bequests to maintain it or to support beds for the poor. In England
 'The influence of the movement of In nocent III was felt in England and prac- tically all the British famous old hospital date their existence to the thirteenth cen tury as institutions for the care of the sick. The famous St SBartholomew's hos pital, London, formerly a priory, became at the beginning of the thirteenth century an invitation of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, Rome. St. Thomas hospital, which continues down to the present time, one of the great medical institu- tions of London, was founded by Rich ard Prior in 1213
 Tt is no wonder with all this activity of the hospital movement that Virchow should have given unstinted praise to the Pontiff and to the church for this great charity. He said: It may be reeog- nized and admitted that it was reserved for the Roman Catholic church and above all for Innocent III, not only to open | the bourne of Christian charity and mercy | in all it's fullness, but also to guide the | life-giving stream of human life in an 1 ordered manner For this reason alone l the interest in this man and in his time will never die out"
 ''Vrchow, bitterly opposed to the pa- | pacy on other occasions, was here com | pelled to bear testimony to the great and beneficient influence of the papacy.
 He said; The beginning of the history of all of these German hospitals Is con- nected with Innocent. The hospitals or ] the Holy Ghost were one of the many means by which Innocent III thought to hold humanity to the Holy See. And | surely is was one of the most effective "Virchow was virtually without relig- | ious belief and yet he recognizes the | liIlDOTId1Ce Ol ltllSlOuS liiptiNSo III hoS- 1 pital management. He saw how much i better the work was done and how much more satisfactorily the results obtain by | those who devote themselves to the care | of the sick from the motives of Chris | tianity.
 There is need of a special stimulus in order to keep up sympathy with the l work from day to day. Religion alone
 gives this stimulus. It was this stim- | ulus that prompted St. Bridget, Queen l of Sweden, to turn part of her palace 1 into hospital, where she might. when free from cares of court, go to nurse
 and provide for the sick. It was this
 stimulus that prompted St. Catharine of l Liena and St. Louis. King of France,
 to spend much of their time in the hos
 pital. And it is' this stimulus that &C.,
 counts for the life sacrifice which the | Sisters of Charity cheerfully make for
 suffering humanity. Let us rejoice then today with them that their opportunity
 for doing good are increased and let us
 pray God to bless them day and night 1 in their holy task"