The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-01-30

worth of good, not only in the way oil
treatment, but vastly more in the way
OF prevention, for the sanatorlum will
act as health university. When per
sons graduate they will go into their
home communities and spread wider
knowledge of the fundamentals of cor.
rect living. This education will deal
not only with tuberculosis, but with al
most every other condition that is
brought about by incorrect living"
Praise Worth Considering
This is a case where praise from
Sir Rupert is praise indeed for
though DR.. Nichols may not be widely
known in local circles, among physi.
clans and tuberculosis specialists he
is considered a bright and shining
light. The dining room, to which he
refers with such warm praise, is the
particular pride Of the architect, Mr..
Packard, and his assistants in the
work at Mt. Vernon, Ralph Snyder and
e. f. Babbitt. When touring Europe
for ideas, Mr.. Packard was struck by
the Danqueting hall in the Castle of
Edinburgh and the somewhat similar
dining hall of Kings College, Cam
bridge. He determined to use the eff.
feet these great places gave, If ever the
opportunity presented ITSELF
II was the wish of the commission
to make the dining hall the salient fea.
ture of the building. Extending to the
south in the form Of q great bay, with
full side exposure to the east and
west, It is carried out in the same In
spring proportions as the halls that It
follows in general style, rs feet long,
35 feet wide, 3S feet high, and with a
seating capacity of $50. The easement
windows, in series, 20 feet high, ad-
NIT flood of sunshine and air. To
the north is a fireplace with capacity
for burning full-sized logs. The mantle
is high and imposing
Cheer the Main Idea
The thought of the commission was
to gain as much brightness and cheer
from the dining room as possible. Pa
tients thus have their appetite quick
ened They look forward to the meal
hour and receive the greatest food
values from what they eat. This is an
essential feature of the cure.
The place over which DR.. Nichols
presides is not so large and imposing
as the Ohio Sanatorium which he so
much admires, but 1t has more ro-
mantle history. r
DR.. Nichols Is stillsa young man,
considerably on the sunny side Of SO.
He is the son of wealthy parents, but
cloud was cast over his life by the
death of dearly loved sister from
tuberculosis. This and the fact that
he once suffered from the same dis.
ease determined him to devote his life
and his fortune to the suppression and
cure of the white plague y
Drawing about him a few men Of
wealth, who entertained the same
ideas that he did, a stock company
was organized, of which he became the
head and this company acquired q
tract of $50 acres of land near Hebron,
Me-, close to the famous Poland
Springs. He spent two years in study
ing tie various methods of treating the
disease and preparing himself to take
up the work.
In 1904 the company borrowed $10,-
900 and put up it's first building. For
two years this building had to serve
all purposes, administration, hospital,
sleeping, etc. At the end of that period
the institution was presented with an
administration building that cost $780,
600, the memorial gift of Boston man
of wealth, who had lost son by tu-
berculosis. The same year they erect
ed cottage for women patients, and in
1910 they completed $4,000 COM
bined reception building and infirmary.
AT present the capacity is only 80 pa
tients and it is always taxed.
That of the Ohio institution is to be
$50, but actual provision has been
made for only $50 patients, while the
number usually in the sanatorium is a
few under 100.
The Maine work has progressed so
well that while it started as private
venture, it has attracted statewide at
tention and the legislature now votes
it an allowance regularly. In order to
keep it out of politics, however, it is
continued as a corporation not for
profit.
Ohio has much larger investment
in the idea than Maine. The Mt. Yer
non proposition, first and last. has cost