The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-04-10
NATIONAL HosPIrAI pAY.


The IT, 8. public health service found
the celebration OF National Hospital
Day SO popular and so generally salts
! factory last year that 1t heartily ap-
proves it's repetition this year on FRI
day, May IL, the anniversary OF the
birth Of Florence Nightingale, founder
of modern nursing. On that day the
public will be again invited to visit the
hospitals in their vicinity as guests and
to famiIiarige themselves with their at
mosphere. methods and aims.
Last year Surgeon General Cumming
of the public health service, In accept
ing for the service hospitals the invi-
tation to join IN the observance OF the
day, took as text the existing scare
ity Of hospitals and the great difficulty
everywhere met OF finding hospitals or
even buildings. that were capable Of
being converted into hospitals. During
the year much progress has been made
In solving the hospital question, and
the surgeon general bases his accep-
lance on the great work which the hos
pitfalls are doing in the war against dis
ease.
In writing to Mr.. M. o. Foley, of
Chicago, secretary of the National
Hospital Day committee, he says:
Familiarity with hospital work is
rapidly becoming of more Importance,
than was foreseen q year ago. The
World War has for a time at least end
ed wars OF destruction; and IT is ap-
parent that the great war to be wased
during the next half century is to be
one to eradicate disease, to- conserve
health and lenstl1en life.
This war has indeed already begun
and has not a few triufnphS to it's
credit Some Of thes6 are well reflected
IN the annual deatfi rate in the United
States. Which during the last twenty
years has dropped. per hundred thous-
and OF the population, for typhoid fever
from S5.S to 81; for measles from 12.5
to SO; for scarlet fever from 1913 to
rs; for dfphtheri4 from 433 to 14T;
for tuberculosis from 261.S to 1855;
FOR pneumonia from 1905 to 1885; and
dentally, yellow fever has been eradi-
Gated, and smallpox, plague and typhus
are being held at bay.
"The hospitals, of course, did not
bring about these great life saving re-
auctions by its sole efforts. But 1t did
and does begin the modern .attack-the
first really efficient attack-on nearly
every disease of Importance. In its
wards and it's laboratories it has
fought for the lives Of its patients and
1t has Also taught and trained and pro-
vided the weapons for those who later
went from its doors to takeup the
fight.
Looked at in this way, every hos
pital has become a fortress in a war
waged for the health Of the people and
must more and more lead in the IN
structfon of the peopIe-a task for.
which it is wen fitted by reason Of its
numbers, its universal establishment,
Its PERSONAL contact with individuals,
and the ease with which it coficer-
trates the latest triumpfs OF surgery
and medicine, the newest tools Of re-
search, and the most highly trained
specialists in each and every disease.
Acquaintance with hospital work
ingswill show, first. that a hospital
is not place of suffering, sorrow and
death, but a place of relief from pain,
rejoicing and restoration to active life
1t will show, second, that hospital is
great human laboratory where dis
ease is studied and where soldiers are
trained to save and prolong life.
Anything that forwards such
knowledge marks a distinct advance
in the war of wars-the war for health
and life against diseases"