The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1917-02-02
THAT BAPTIST
STATE. HOSPITAL
Is The Committee Getting
Busy on the Propositions?

The Baptist people of Florida have
about made up their minds to estab-
lish a State Hospital, and Palatka has
decided that this city is the proper
location. A committee of the board
Of trade has been appointed to find a
suitable location.
Do the people realize the importance
to this city of securing this institu-
tion?
Orlando is going to have an ade-
quate modern hospital. The people
of that city are going after it with a
determination that is bound to win.
The Orlando papers are full of it.
Citizens are writing for the papers
urging the Importance of the hospital.
Here is one letter from A. D. James,
published in the Reporter of one
day last week:
In the realm of medical science,
knowledge has been translated into
action, faster and with more benef-
cial effect to the human race, than
any other. Which is to say that
Therapeutics has made most progress
of all the sciences.
Why?
Quite obviously because humanity
chiefest interest lies that way. Most
brains and energy have been expend-
ed in that direction. And secondari-
ly because an era of business has pro-
duced the money to put the brains be-
hind the science.
Business is not so closely allied
with any other branch of learr
When we come to talk hospitals
there is much to be said, and then
some. 1t is in hospitals, both pri-
vate and public, where the marvels OF
medicine materialize. Clinics are to
the progress of medicine, what ope-
ra is to the progress OF music. You
can have music without opera, and
medicine without clinics, but it is as
clear as monday that no great mu-
sic loving people exist without pub
lie expression of melody, and by the
self same token, enthusiasm is ey,
pended in the realm Of Therapeutics
by the operations by great physicians
in the presence of their fellows.
Now, briefly, the point of this little
skit is this: that if Orlando is going
to clear decks for a hospital-whicf
it is undoubtedly going to do-the
more modern the hospital that is built
the more up-to-date its equipment, the
more attractive its exterior, just that
much more prestige is the town going
to secure from it.
That is clear of course, to every
one. but it needs emphasis from this
standpoint: that there are people not
few who believe that if a thing is
reasonably good it's all right. Ev-
ervone doesn't think in terms of ex-
cellence. which is very we'll and good.
Otherwise there'd be no excellence.
We eat beans instead of beefsteak
plenty of times, and plain, fried eggs
in place of pate de foie gras, and get
away with it.
But you can't talk that way about
hospitals, battleships and bath tubs.
If Russian invents a projectile
that will pierce the armor of the bat
tleship California, like the Democratic
projectile pierced the G. o. P. out
there last November, it's good night
California. And the creek looks bet
ter to us than some of those tin lined
tubs that we used to get into at the
point of the slipper in the good Old
days gone by.
And as battleship must be the last
word in fighting Turks. so a hosnital
must be the last words in fohting
bugs. When man gets the pin, ard
his friends countenances become elon-
gated and painful to observe. an'
looks as though his engagements will
have to be indefinitely postponed, not
if he can help. it is he going to take
up in some sort of made over insti-
tuition that looked good enough
He wants a sunshine place that
smiles at him, walls spick and span
that remind him of energy and hope.
and appliances that look efficient and
made for the particular purpose Of
cutting out the pain in him.
A fine new hospital means more ad-
vertising.
bigger business and all that; but leave
those considerations out for a mo-
ment. You live here. Suppose YOU
were about to croak, what sort of a
place would you prefer?
That Baptist Hospital is Just as i'm
portant to Palatka. Let us go after
it with a determination to secure it.