The New York herald., 1921-11-27

2,Ot5,OOOPATIEN7S
TREATED since 1891
That's the Record for the
New York Hospital,
Second in Country.
EXHIBIT AT LIBRARY
$4,000 Volumes on View,
1896 Edition of Hippoc-
rates Among Them.
HELPED IN FOUR WARS
Wounded C0ntinentals Were
Received There; Aided in Epi-
denies Which Swept City.

Something OF the work of the New
York Hospital during its century and
half of caring for this city's injured
and sick may be realized by visit to
the main exhibition room of the New
York Public Library There are dis
played portraits Of the presidents and
surgeons Of the institution since is
founding, old surgical instruments
used in many dangerous operation
and books from its library which trace
the course of medicine from Aristotle
and Hippocrates.
These books are selected from the
library Of $4,000 volumes which the
New York Hospital presented to the
Academy OF Medicine twenty-three
years ago so that they might be avail
able to larger group of medical men.
Some appeal more TO the lover of old
books than to the student OF medi-
cine. for their preachings are some
what out of date and they are printed
In Latin and Greek
One interesting old tome is the COLI
lected works of Hippocrates the Great,
Of the fifth century B. c.. edited by DR..
Amuce Foes, and printed in Frankfort
in 1895. There are also the writings oil
Aristotle. Asclepiades of Bilhynia.
Claudius Galenus court physician Of the
Emperor Marcus Aurelius Ishak Ben
Soleiman-el-Israel. a Jewish physician
of Egyptian origin of the ninth or tenth
century. Vincent of Beauvais. tutor of
the children of Louis TX, and many
others
The portraits and surgical instru-
rn ne n time Ono Of
the most interesting of these paintings
Is that of John Watts. who was presi-
dent of the organization when IL received
It's charter in 1771. He was a sturdy
old gentleman with a benevolent face
framed in powdered hair, and white
stock There is also q portrait of Ben
jamin Franklin, who, in addition to his
many :. other services. was one Of the
founders OF the Pennsylvania Hospital
IN 1851. This was the first general hos
ptal in this country, and the New York
Hospital was the second.
Start of the Hospital.
In 1867, the medical department Of
Kings College, now Columbia, was
started. Two years lc graduating
exercises at which two Il. a. degrees
were awarded were held III Unity
Church There. before Sir Henry Moore.
Governor Of the colony and other prom
inent men Of the 10000 citizens of New
York city, DR.. Samuel Bard. professor
Of the practice of medicine III Kings Col
1ege, urged the great need OF general
hospital subscription list was i'm
mediately started. On June 13. 1771, a
royal charter was granted to "The So
ciety Of the Hospital In the city of New
York in America" a seal with the
legend of the Good Samaritan was
adopted. and an annual appropriation OF
$500 for twenty years was voted by the
Colonial Assembly.
The cornerstone OF the hospital was
laid by Gov. Tryon. Sent 3. 1878. on n
site OF five acres on the west side OF
Broadway opposite Pearl street On the
2sth OF February. 1875, just as the
building was 70 be opened for patients,
II was destroyed by fire Undaunted,
the founders reconstructed the building.
but meanwhile the greater fire Of the
Revolution had swept the colonies from
end 10 end. The first patients to be re-
ceived in the New York Hospital were
American soldiers wounded in an en-
Ragement on July 12. 1916. between
shore batteries and two British warships
forcing n passage UP the Hudson River.
With the capture Of the city In Sep
ternber. 1875. British and Hessian troops
uStu NIt uOSDllai as u
occasionally as q hospital.
After the war the building did not
reopen for patients until 1871, although
It was being used for medical instruc-
ton. II was not until 1870 that the
governors OF the society, realizing that
the beautiful and spacious site was too
valuable for a hospital. leased this
ground and built n new hospital on the
present site on Fifteenth and Sixteenth
streets. west of Fifth avenue. In 1875
the city abandoned the Park Hospital.
at Centre and Chambers streets. so the
New York Hospital provided emergency
service for many years in n disused
police station at 1G0 Chambers street
In 1894 II constructed the House OF Re-
lief at Hudson and Jay streets. The
ambulance service was begun in 1877
and has responded TO 245.0O0 calls.
Helped I'm Epiaemics.
In the thirteen yellow fever epldemics.
In the typhus outbreaks and in the
cholera scourge OF 1S47. the hospital
played Its part. and when in 1915 in
fantile paralysis visited the city a
special hospital OF 100 beds was pro-
vided. From the opening for patients
IN 1901 to Jan. I, 1921. 2,O15.0O0 pa
ticnts have been treated In its various
departments.
Inc many services rendered, and
smaller institutions aided or incorpor-
ated In the larger hospital are too nu-
norous FOR mention. with the excep-
tion OF perhaps Bloemingdale Hospital,
separate department OF the New York
Hospital. established IN 1916 for the
treatment Of mental diseases
The hospital Is renowned throughout
this country and Europe. not only for
the cure OF disease b,it for the insfruc-
tion Of medical students The hospital
was second In tho establishment in this
country Of training school for nurses
(in 1S77).
In the Wars OF 1S12. 1865. 1898 and
IN the World War thousands OF
wounded were cared for. and In addi-
tion a hospltal unit Of twenty-three
medical officers. sixty graduate nurses
and 1876 enlisted mon. went 20 France
in July, 1917 and maintained az cha
teauroux United STATES Base Hospltal
NO. 0. Fifteen thousand patients were
Neated here.