The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-02-17
THE MARION COUNTY HOSPITAL

a necessity in past years as it is to-
day. The modern hospital or santa
rum is the outcome of civilization. 1t
is no longer thing or place to be
dreaded and patronized only by pau
pers, but it is a place where efficient
service is rendered and where you go
to get well, not to die
The time was when hospital was
looked upon as place for charity pa
tients only, and where because the at
tendants was paid and the service not
performed by loving hands, that the
patients would be neglected and mis-
treated, and left to die
Today nothing could be further from
the truth. Let us look at some of the
reasons: If you had big painful Of
dishes to wash would you prefer to
take them over to your best parlor9
Why not? Could you not perform the
service better where you had access
to all the conveniences made for that
purpose? A word to the wise is suffi-
cient. The surgeons can attend to
their services as much better where
every convenience is prepard for
them, and there is far less percentage
of failure than as though they worked
under handicap.
Again as to the care. There is no
care like the loving hands where
there is little care needed But med
icins administered with the intent
and purpose of saving life. would not
be trusted to those who might ALLOW
their sympathy and tender love to
overpower their better Judgment and
the doctors orders.
With the trained nurse there is no
sleeping at their post, there is no
emitting of the remedies because the
patient is not in mood to have it ad-
ministered There is punctuality,
careful, timely administering Of all
the attentions, and in manner per-
feetly and wholly impossible with che
aNC4cSC 1ONCO O44CS clb 1AOA1AN.
The very manner in which the rec
ords of case are kept would be not
only a surprise but a revelation to
the average woman who thinks she
knows full well how to care for a
case.
That there are many deaths in an
institution OF this character is not
near as wonderful as that there are.
not more. This is in view OF the fact
that most patients wait till ali otnes
resources are exhausted before apply
ing to them for aid when if they had
come in time, doubtless a large per-.
.centage could be cured
All this is leading up to greater
need, namely: A need of a better,
larger and more sanitary equipped IN
stitution Consider this when you
are asked to contribute either in mon
ey, work or influence. A little talk
with your family physician will con
vince you of the urgency of this ap-
peal and if each citizen will give I'll
the attention that he is called upon to-
do, just as though he was going to be
the next one to require their services
and room, it will soon be where it
ought to be, a reality instead of plan.
Why do all of the big companies,
like the railroad companies and fac
tories, have their own hospitals I'M
less it is to reduce the percentage Of
death and suffering? If left to the
average care Of the families the en-
ployes would die off so fast and the
companies have so many law suits on
their hands that it would break even
as big an institution as a railroad
company. 1t is to save those who
are injured in their employ, to make
the time of confinement as short as
possible, and last but not least, 10
save their lives.
If you who have never had the priv
ilege Of visiting place of the kind
would make it you next duty, you
would feel that it was of as great an
Importance as anything city needs,
and of much more Importance than
many of the lesser needs which re-
ceive so much support and attention.
Let us have a new hospital, and that
as soon as possible.
I speak advisedly, not from any de-
sire to give the public hot air, but be-
cause it has been my good fortune to
receive their services and their atten-
tion, without which | feel confident
that / should not be here writing to-
day. You note say good fortune, :
/ do not mean that it was my good
fortune to need il, but needing their
attention it was my good fortune to Sc
cure the services of the trained nurs-
es and the conveniences so necessary
to my recovery.
respectfully yours,
MRS. NJ. Il. BARBER.