The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-06-15
|G|FT Of THE ELKS
TO THE GOVERNMENT.
RECONSTRUCTION HOSPITAL At BOSTON, FIRST OF
ITS KIND IN AMERICA

Boston, Mass, June 15.-The cor
lnerstone of reconstruction base hos
pital No. /. the first of its kind in the
United States and the gift TO the
government BY the Benevolent and
Protective Order Of EIks, was laid to-
day i'm the presence of a distinguished
lassembIy of citizens. Representatives
of the nation, state and city, with
eminent men Of the medical profes-
sion and thousands of Elks and prom
inent citizen from all parts of the
east, participated IN the ceremony on
Parker Hill and signaized by their
presence and words the notable inn
portance of the event.
This first reconstruction hospital,
which viii serve as a model, the
standard maker for similar ones to be
established throughout the United
States, viii give the manned and dis
abled American soldiers and sailors
the best of expert attention and oc-I
!cupational instruction. 1t viii re-
build human wreckage into able
bodied men and viii educate them in
occupations which viii best qualify
them not to become a burden TO So
ciety. The aim Of the hospital IN
brief may be said TO be TO minimize
the sufferings and disabilities caused
by the war and to protect the COM
nunity from an undue number of
crippled citizens.
TIE rx<.xxo,-~,v..<xz,< @E,.-vx,4<wT, <1nn -.,~
geon generals department in Novem-
Der last accepted the reconstruction
hospital plans as a gift from the
Elks. The Elks War Relief Commits
sion is building the reconstruction
hospital at a cost of $3.50, 900, the
money being taken from the Elks'
81 DOC, 900 war relief fund, voted by
the Elks' 1917 convention The hos
pital viii be ready to receive the
wounded American soldiers and sail
ors IN the early September.
The laying of the cornerstone was
under the direction of grand lodge Of
fcers of the Elks The departments of
the secretary Of war and the surgeon
general were formally represented.
His excellency, Samuel W. Mccall,
governor of Massachusetts, extended
the greetings OF the commonwealth,
and Mr. Andrew J. Peters, mayor OF
Boston, represented the city.
Fred Harper, grand exalted ruler
Of the Elks, delivered the principal
address of the occasion, tellfns, Of the
benevolent and patriotic purposes
that prompted the Elks TO make the
gift to their country and dwelling on
the blessings that seem certain 70
await the war-affieted soldieEy that
court the benefits of the institution.
The subordinate lodges of Elks IN
New England were represented by E.
Mark Sullivan, exalted ruler of the
Boston lodge of Elks.
The EIks War Relief Commission,
that has charge Of financing the
achievement of this great war work,
attended the exercises and included
John K Tener, P. G. E. R., OF Char
leroi, Pa, chairman; Joseph T. Fam
ming, P. G. E. R.. Of New York, sec
retary; jerome B. Fisher, p G. IL. r.,
of Jamestown, u. Y; James r. Mich
olson, P. 6. E. R., Of Boston, and Ed
ward Fighter, p. G. e. r, of New Or
leans, La.
Eery device and resource known to
medical science viii be at hand at the
reconstruction hospital TO rebuild
every part of the human frame. Men
with half their faces shot away by
shrapnel win get new jawbones from
their ribs ond new noses and new
cheeks from the eartilages and tisi-
sues ON other parts Of their bodies.
Thousands Of men who would be
human wrecks without proper treat
ment win be rebuilt at the new recon
struction hospital and taught trades
that make them economic assets In
stead of liabilities. The men with
fractures that have not rightly knit
ted, with stiff joints, with nerve pal
sizes from shock or from injury
these are the cases the reconstruction
hospital VIII help. They viii have had
the regular base hospital treatment
just behind the firing lines, where
the first surgical work viii be done.
Manned and disfgured men viii be /
reconstructed by operation, BY ap-
paratus, by education. Treatment win /
be given not only to the classes al |
ready mentioned but also to those
that need plastic operations 70 rem
|edy contractures or defects or who
need appliances TO suppIant missing
limb. Those given artificial limbs
viii be educated in their industrial
use.
No agency Of the United States