The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-05-09
IS INVITED
T00PEN House AT
SISTERS HOSPITAL
st. Alexius to Observe Hospital
Day Saturday; Early Days
Are Recalled

Allc 0lSCcIS VI Sot. AlcAluS uOS0lC6
will observe National Hospital Day
which occurs Saturday, May IL, By
having open house to which the gen.
eral public is invited, 1t was announc.
ed Wednesday by Sister M. Boniface
O.S.B., superior of the hospital.
Visitors will be taken on q tour Of
the building, during which the var
ious kinds of equipment will be de-
scribed and explained.
All babies born at the hospital dur
ing the year, together with their moth
ers, will be honored guests. Tea win
be served.
Climaxing the days observance will
be the commencement exercises for
the 1894 graduates, numbering 81,
which Is to take place at $3.50 O'Clock
at the Bismarck city auditorium.
Thomas Burke, Bismarck attorney,
will deliver the commencement ad-
dress.
Nurses of the hospital will assist
with l5-minute broadcast to be given
over KFYR at 2:l5 o'clock Friday
afternoon with DR.. H. A. Brandes as
the speaker.
Seek Public Interest
The main purpose of the observance
of Hospital Day, according to Sister
Boniface, Is to secure more public in
terest In the hospitals by giving the
public an opportunity to become bet
ter acquainted with the institutions,
their management and equipment.
National Hospital Day was orig
mated in 1921 by Matthew O. Foley,
managing editor of Hospital Manage
ment. The movement has spread
rapidly throughout the United States
and Canada and has been adopted in
some foreign countries. May IL was
chosen as a fitting time for the cele-
bration Is being the birthday Of Flor
ence Nightingale.
In connection with the Hospital Day
observance, 1t is recalled that St.
Alexius hospital was for many years
the only one between st. Paul, Mimi,
and Billings, Mont. The original
building was erected to serve as q ho-
tel in the boom days, by Mckenzie and
Mellon. AS times slackened some
what, however, the proprietors decid-
ed not to open up the hotel.
The building was purchased by the
Sisters and was remodeled to serve as
q hospital, being opened for that pur-
pose in May, 1884. Not long after
ward the house at the county poor
farm burned and the Sisters were ask
ed to take in the county poor, which
numbered at that time about IS per-
sons. The Sisters agreed to the prop
osition and the old people were taken
in at the rate OF As cents per day,
which included full maintenance.
Suffered Early Flood
One Of the first disasters which hap
pened was flood which resulted from
q cloudburSt near the hospital. There
were no sewers at the time and the
water rushed down the hill and col
lected in front Of the building, break
ing windows and flooding the base
ment, where q fresh supply Of groc.
cries and other necessities had been
stored the day before. The fire bell
was rung for assistance, but much
damage was done. Before breakfast
could be served that morning q trip
downtown had to be made to procure
food.
More recent history of the institu-
ton is recorded in the catalog for 1888,
q 40-page brochure with purple, green
and gold cover, which has just come
from the press. Full-page illustra-
tons mcluds view Of the building,
the chapel, portion of the nursery,
the delivery room and the nurses
home.
Statistics on the 1O45 male and
l,265 female cases show that there
were So ambulance cases and that in
the group Of 2,3l0 patients there were
q nationalities, Is religious denom-
nations and IS occupations represent
ed. Diseases Of patients treated are
detailed under AZ sections, surgical
operations are classified and causes Of