The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1915-02-18
IN BEHALF OF
FLORIDA INDECENT
CRIPPLED CHILDREN
State Board of Health Issues a
Timely Bulletin
A WORK ALREADY STARTED
How Appropriation Has Been
Used and the Purpose for Which
it was Made-Further Legisla-
tive Action Needed.

Save the childrenl
Every child is born with the
right to health and happiness. Pre-
natal influences and causes follow
ing birth deprive many of them
more than the world suspects
of physical strength and hand
leap them in their equipment to
face life's problems with any very
large chance of success. When
they are born in impoverished
surroundings, their chances for
cure are small, because surgical
and medical attendance, proper
care and nursing and nourishment
cost money, big sums often, which
only the well-to-do can produce.
No state has spent of its moneys
more wisely or more humanely
than Florida, which in 1911, pro-
vided the appropriation of twenty
thousand dollars for the erection
of a hospital for the free treat
ment of INDECENT crippled children
Of the state, and set aside ten
thousand dollars annually for the
maintenance of the institution.
1t provided further that until the
number of children under treat
ment should require a separate in
stitution, they should be cared for
in some institutions already in op-
Grafton. Thus it happens that the
hospital has not yet been built
and the little white patients are
cared for at St. Luke's hospital,
and the colored at Brewster Hos
pital, both in Jacksonville,
The services of skilled physi-
clan have been given free and
splendid results have follow
ed. Some children seemingly
hopelessly crippled, have been
made whole and strong and given
a fair chance. Others also ap-
parently beyond the reach of
medical science, have been profit
ed almost beyond belief. And
some have been turned away be-
cause, with facilities that could be
provided under the state appro-
priation, their substantial better
ment was impossible. The ten
thousand dollars a year could not
be made to include the treatment
of those who might be helped or
cured by surgical attention, and
of those who nodded more than
that.
The annual report of the State
Board of Health for 1914, soon to
be issued, will contain the report
Of the physician in charge Of these
little cripples. This shows that
thirteen cases remained under
treatment from 1918; thir-
teen were admitted during 1914,
and twenty-three were examined
but had to be turned away be-
cause of the lack of facilities for
treatment. During the year,
1914, nine were discharged cured,
and seven were discharged i'm
proved, but the facilities for their
entire cure were inadequate.
The physician in charge saws
$50 many of our cases present
deformity due to some form of
paralysis, that even after success
full operative correction, it is ne
cessary to institute gymnastic ex-
ecies, joint manipulation, muscle
training, etc, to develop the
greatest possible function as well
as to prevent recurrence Of the
deformity. Accordingly, in ac-
cordance with the instruction of
the State Health Officer, / have
recommended for admission only
such cases as seemed amenable to
reasonably prompt operative cure.
Including cases recorded in
the state work, / have records of
more than fifty children in F1ori-
da, who need at the present time,
Institutional treatment for paraly-
tic or other deformity not curative
by surgical operation alone, and
these certainly form but a small
percentage of the total number of
crippled children in Florida.
We need a ward or hospital
completely equipped with a
gymnasium, kindergarten, a
training shop, a sun parlor
and play room. Many of the
while incurable so far as
a complete restoration to full