The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-06-21
RECONSTRUCTION HOSPITAL
CORNERSTONE IS LAID

Boston, Mass, June 20-The Cor
nerstone 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 Elks, was laid to-
day IN the presence of a distinguished
assembly of citizens. Representative
OF the Nation, State and CITY. with
eminent men of the medical profess
sion and thousands of Elks and prom
1nent citizens from all parts of the
east, participated in the ceremony on
Parker Hill and signalized by their
presence and words the notable inn
portance of the event.
his hrSt reconstruction hospital.
which will serve as the model. the
standard-maker for similar ones to be
established throughout the United
States, will give the manned and dis
abled American soldiers and sailors
the best of expert attention and oc-
cupational instruction. 1t will re-
build human wreckage into able-bod-
led men and will educate them in oc-
equations which will best qualify
them not to become burden to So
ciety. The aim of the hospital in
brief may be said to be to minimize
the ssutterings and disabilities caused
by the war and to protect the COM
munlty from an undue number of
crippled citizens.
The government through the sur
geon-generaPs department in Novem-
Der last accepted the reconstruction
hospital plans as a gift from rthe
Elks. The Elks War Relief Com
mission is building the reconstruction
hospital at cost of $250,000 the mo-
iney being taken from the Elks ST.
OO0,OO0 war relief fund, voted by the
Elks 1917 convention The hospital
will be ready to receive the wounded
soldiers and sailors in the early Sep
TENDER.
The laying of the cornerstone was
under the direction of Grand Lodge
Officers of the Elks. The Depart
ments of the Secretary of War and
the Surgeon-General were formally
represented. His Excellency, Sam
uel w. Mccall, Governor of Massa-
chusctts, extended the greetings of
the Commonwealth. and the Hon,
Andrew ]. Peters. Mayor of Boston,
represented the city.
Fred Harper, Grand Exalted Ruler
lof the Elks, delivered the principal
address of the occasion, telling 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 to await
THE war-aff1icted soldier that court
the benefits of the institution. The
subordinate lodges of Elks in New
England were represented by Z. NJ
Sullivan, Exalted Ruler of. the Bos-
ton Lodge of Elks.
The Elks War Relief Commission
that has charge of financing the
achievement of this great war work
attended the exercises and included
the Hon. John K. Tener, P. G. E. R..
of Cahrleroi, Penn, chairman; 10
seph t. Tanning, P. G. E. R., of New
York, secretary; the Hon. Jerome B
Fisher, P. G. f. R., of Jamestown
N. Y; James r. Nicholson, P G. E
R., of Boston, and Edward RICHTER
P, G. E. r., of New Orleans, La
Every device and resource known
to the medical science will be at hand
at the reconstruction hospital to re.
DUliN SNCty pdlt Vi tliS lullldll IL dlllC
Men with half their faces shot away
by shrapnel will get new jawbones
from their ribs and new noses ant
new cheeks from the cartilages and
Tissues on other parts of their bodies
Thousands of men who would be
human wrecks without proper treat
ment will be rebuilt at the new re-
construction hospital and taught
trades that make them economic as.
sets instead of liabilities. The mer
with fractures that have not rightly
knitted, with stiff joints, with nerve
palsies from shock or from injury
these are the cases the reconstruction
hospital will help. They will have
had the regular base hospital treat
ment just behind the firing lines whel
where the first surgical work will be
done.
Manned and dis6gured men will be
reconstructed by operation, by appa-
ratus, by education. Treatment will
be given not only to the classes al.
ready mentioned but also to those
that need plastic operations to remedy
contractures or defects or who need
appliances to supplant missing limb
Those given artificial limbs will be
educated in their industrial use.
| No agency of the United States
Army or Navy is able to supply this
treatment, The government has
frankly admitted it and for this rea.
Son has turned with eager grateful.