The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-12
NEXT SATURDAY IS FLAG DAY
 FOR ST. VINCENT'S FREE CLINIC

Saturday, March IS, is to be flag day in Birmingham. This, like tag day. the charity ball, the doll bazaar, and several other big charity events, are the things that Birmingham has be- gun to look upon as part of her city activities and there has long ceased to be any question of the right of them or the need of them They are the recognized backbone of the insti- tutions they support and assist in making up the budget of money spent for the upkeep of the social service activities of the community
 One is so apt to conflict the thought of charity with service when they really are so different. We of this age have outgrown the word charity and have substituted the word service in its stead.
 Flag day then is the medium of do- ing service at the St. Vincent Tree clinic. And the clinic is splendS example of this change in the atti- tude of the public mind.
 The whole place, immediately clean, beautifully equipped with every mod ern appliance, is regularly attended every afternoon from to by two
  fty a nurse and an orderly, and nere' instead of making the patient feel that he is an object of charity, he is inn pressed with the spirit of Kindness and service.
 St. Vincent's free clinic is but five wears old. After the new wing was added the basement was equipped TOT this purpose. It directly communicates with the hospital, but is separate from if. Patients are treated that are able to come to the clinic, but, however, should a patient be found to need spe- cial attention, medical or surgical, ne or she is admitted as a patient 10 the free wards of the hospital
 The clinic has a free dlspensary' Visi.- snS days for certain diseases and treats both black and white. The stan or phy- sicians is changed every three mohths'
 During the last year-1915-2994 patients visited the clinic; 17e0 were treated TOT a given length of time and Sz were trans- ferred to the hospital. Twenty-two nun Bred and forty-five surgical dressings were made.
 Persons visiting the clinic are treated without regard to their religion thelr residence or their nationality. The clinic is entirely separate from the hosplta!' as far as it's maintenance is concerned, 1t being entirely supported by the dues of the Ladies of Charity society and flag day contributions.
 The Ladies of Charity is an organiza- tion that for sometime was called the Ladies auxiliary to the St. Vincent nos pital, but it was found better policy to work separate and distinct so the band organized as the Ladies of Charity. They are organized into committees and through these committees work in the different districts of the city following up cases from> the clinic and sending pa tents to the clinic.
 Although the clinic is under the direc- tion of the forces of St. Vincents hos pital and supported by the efforts of the Ladies of Charity, it 'is for the use of your needy friend and my sick neighbor It is for the use of the unfortunate of the community and the means of dis tr.buting to countless homes medicine that would be otherwise unattainable.
 It is to be hoped that on flag day every coat will wear a green flag and every woman buy an emblem. We have too long expected the men of the city to be the only persons asked on the street when the flags and tags are for sale. It is high time to ask the women to buy, too. Their little will help to make the sum at the end of the day big.