The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-17

If the people of Birmingham could
see the daily work of the University
of Alabama dispensary as it goes on
now with it's cramped quarters in
small cottage; if they could realize the
far-reaching benefits to follow from
the proposition to provide suitable
quarters for this great practical, far
reaching charity. the raising of the
needed fund would be quickly and cas-
lily accomplished.
l. as the son of surgeon and
physician, have had much experience
with the afflicted; have stood by the
operating table when anesthetics could
not be safely administered and have
tainted. after assisting in operations
where the patients life hung by a
thread, from the great nervous strain
l have visited with my father the pen
niless poor and afflicted and lasting
impress has been left upon my mind
of this work, and particularly the graf
itude, that is a benediction, fell upon
the physician after his ministrations
I believe that every man, woman
and child, who gives something to this
practical charity, will always feel for
years to come that, like the refreshing
showers, or the gentle dews of heaven
that fall upon the thirtsy harvest
fields, they are receiving within their
minds and hearts the benedict'on of
the hosts of silent sufferers who come
to the pool of Bethesda made ready
by the charitable and God-loving peo-
pie of Birmingham.
eI from the stI n
light of Hope, the handmade of Faith
and of Charity, must come into the
sacred cloisters of the temples of God
within us If when called we shall find
so many of us enrolled, like Ben
Adhem, as those who loved, healed or
bound up the wounds of our fellow
man. And we should hasten to do the
things set before us-duty--for 1--WE
shall pass this way but once"
Practical Work of Dispensary
The first and foremost call of the
| free dispensary is to minister to the
INDECENT poor who are able to come
within it's present limited quarters
during the hours for clinics. These
! hours are necessarily limited by reason
| of the inability of the skilled physi-
clans, surgeons, dentists-all men of
the very highest rank in their pro
(, fessions-to give to charity more than
! two hours per day. Let him that is
able give his $10O and then he will not
have done one-fifth as much measured
4 by dollars as the specialists, who are
treating free, daily, men, women and
] children in this splendid charity. Many
of the operations are of the most deli
cate and complicated class some Of
them would cost hundreds of dollars In
/ the ordinary course of medical and
surgical practice.
/ have day after day attended the
clinics of the sfree .dispensary ana
1 W hile there have been some classes OF
!. patients that it would not be proper
/ for me to see treated, yet / have been
duly informed that l may bear this
/ message to the minds and hearts OF
! Greater Birmingham. Little boys and
/ girls -hano capped in the pursuit OF
knowledge in attendance upon the
! schools, have been brought here for
/. treatment. Many childrens eyes have
! been corrected; in some cases their
/. vision actually saved, for total blind
4 ness would have supervened had the
! cataracts not been removed in time
4 Ear troubles. that would certainly have
1 caused complete loss of hearing, have
/ receixed timely treatment Incipient
diseases, some of which would have
surely led to tuburcular affections
rheumatism. or other ills. have been
cured.
of whom l would speak with reverentia