Rules for and so often, and also if the Treasurer shall depart this Life, the Managers shall nominate another of the Members of this Corporation, but not of their own number, to be Treasurer until the next Meeting for the annual Election, or other General Meeting of the Contributors. PROVIDED ALWAYS, any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, That before the Managers for the time being, proceed to erect any Building for the said Hospital, a Plan of such proposed Building, with an Estimation of the Expense, shall be prepared and laid before a General Meeting of the Contributors, for their Consideration; and their approbation shall be obtained before the same is carried into Execution. Signed by Order of a General Meeting of the Contributors. JOSHUA CROSBY, President. The following endorsement appears on the above instrument: Jan'y 17, 1752, The above Bill was read three Times at a General Meeting of the Contributors to the Pennsylvania Hospital, and passed by a very great majority. B. FRANKLIN, Clerk. WE approve this Law. WILL: ALLEN Chief Justice. ISAAC NORRIS Speaker of the Assembly. February 6, 1752, the Laws and Rules regulating the admission Admission of Patients having received the approbation of the Chief Justice of Patients. were also ordered to be recorded in the minutes of the Board. (See section entitled Patients.) Temporary On the same date, the wards being deemed sufficiently furHospital nished, an advertisement was inserted in the "Gazette" stating that Opened. the Hospital was now ready to receive patients. On February 10, a special meeting was called to consider the applications of patients for admission into the wards for treatment. The consultants, Doctors Graeme, Cadwalader, Moore, and Redman, were invited to meet the Managers and attending physicians of the Hospital to assist in determining the most deserving. The Overseers of the Poor were also present and offered a number of sick poor for admission. After an examination, the physicians reported that Margaret Sherlock's disorder was relievable and her case suitable; she was the first patient received and also the first one cured. Other cases thought relievable were postponed to a more favorable season of the year. Josiah Barnet's case was judged relievable, but queried "whether within the Rules of the Hospital." Hannah Shines, the first lunatic patient, was admitted on the poor list. Several other cases were referred to a committee appointed to meet the attending physicians weekly, whose duty it was to be present at the Hospital on Mondays and Thursdays of every week at ten o'clock in the morning. Alice Courtnet was engaged as a maid or nurse at the rate of Ten pounds per annum, "she was to be considered on trial for one month, in order that in case her services were not suitable she was to be discharged, otherwise kept the year.' The first lunatic pay-patient, a woman, was admitted on March 5, 1752-her son-in-law agreeing to pay Twenty Pounds per annum, in quarterly payments, for her board and care. The fitting up of the (Market Street) Hospital, cost more than Debt incurred had been anticipated and necessitated a debt of one hundred and fifty in furnishing the Hospital. pounds, over and above the available funds accruing from interest on capital. It was agreed that the deficit should be borrowed from the one thousand pounds given by the Assembly, and that the same be replaced as soon as it can be spared out of the interest of the remainder of the capital stock. August 20, 1752, the second instalment of £1000, voted by the Assembly, was paid, and it was decided to loan this amount, also, at interest with real estate security. As an example of economy, this item is worth recording: On November the 2d "the roof of the south side of the Hospital being much out of repair," it was agreed that "it be covered with cedar boards, reserving the right and privilege of removing them upon giving up the house." On September 29, 1753. James Kinsey agreed to let the house now used for the Hospital and Land thereunto belonging, for the term of Three Years at 38 pounds, 10 shillings per annum. In the early Hospital days, after patients had been cured and dis charged, it appears that sometimes they returned to express their thanks; no mention of the custom is found in the later records. On November 17, 1753, a patient returned and gave thanks for the benefit he had received and offered his promissory Note for Three Pounds, Ten Shillings, as a substantial token of his gratitude, which was duly acknowledged. Remainder of appropriation received and invested. Kinsey Mansion again leased. Patients return thanks, and make contributions. The Managers, probably at the suggestion of Franklin, realized Patients to be that the inmates of the Hospital who were able to perform some light employed. manual labor, should be employed, if only to keep them out of mischief; so they were provided with large and small spinning wheels, and two pair of cards, with some wool and flax, "to employ such Persons as may be capable of using the same." Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin, at a meeting held July 12, Official Seal. 1751, had been appointed a Committee to prepare a seal for the corporation. In order to secure a creditable work of art, Franklin wrote to Boston to have designs for a seal prepared. Subsequently he submitted, for the inspection of the Managers, four different draughts of the Good Samaritan, proper for a Seal, which had been sent by the Design for Seal. Engraver. After some slight alterations made by the Board, one was selected and approved. The seal, made of silver, was not received until February, 1754. It was circular and two inches in diameter. The device was the Good Samaritan taking charge of the sick man, and delivering him to the inn-keeper, with the inscription beneath :-TAKE CARE OF HIM, AND I WILL REPAY THEE. The name of the artist or engraver does not appear on the records of the Hospital. This seal was destroyed (being worn out) in June, 1833, and the one at present in use, of exactly the same design and proportions, but made of steel, was substituted. The Franklin Seal of Pennsylvania Hospital. second one was engraved by Christian Gobrecht of Philadelphia; a native of Hanover, York county, Pennsylvania. Believing that benefit would accrue from the circulation of a brief account of the Hospital, Franklin was requested to prepare such a history. On May 28, 1754, Franklin presented his manuscript, "Some writes a Account of the Pennsylvania Hospital from its First Beginning to the History of Fifth Month, called May, 1754." It was ordered that the Clerk, the Hospital. John Smith, get Fifteen hundred copies printed, in Quarto, and, on July 27, he reported that he had had the account of the Hospital printed. The Board previously (May 28) had desired the President with two other Managers to "wait upon the Governor, James Hamilton, and acquaint him with our design of publishing the account together with a list of subscribers, and with our desire of having his name added to said list." The result of this interview with the Governor is briefly recorded. The gentlemen appointed to call upon the Governor reported, June 29, 1754, that they had waited upon him and delivered the message of the Board to him, but without the desired success. February 23, 1754, the accounts were presented to the Assembly, by Franklin. Soon afterwards, Mahlon Kirkbride with others who were appointed a committee, visited the Hospital; they declared themselves "well satisfied and pleased with what they had seen," and reported to that effect to the Assembly. At a meeting held August 14, 1754, a report was made by several Managers who had been endeavoring to raise money, showing the advantage of systematic effort. It was stated that several subscriptions had been obtained since the last meeting, which, with those previously received, was the result of the adoption of "A method of soliciting sundry inhabitants of the City and County for subscriptions;" it was agreed to be very careful in asking others. This method provided against an unpleasant coincidence in solicitation. Many subscriptions were now secured which formerly might have been lost; as persons were likely to be annoyed or angered by repeated requests for donations, especially when coming from more than one person. Sufficient funds having at length been accumulated to warrant the Managers taking up the project of building a Hospital, an effort was again made to secure a suitable lot of ground, but this time the Managers appealed to the public instead of to the Proprietaries and with much better success. Franklin gives the following interesting account of the early efforts of the Managers to secure the means to buy the ground for the erection "of a proper building to accommodate the sick and injured and the lunaticks," under their care. In his "Brief Account (page 42) appears the following: Accounts submitted to Assembly. A Method for soliciting sub scriptions. Pine Street When the Nature of this charitable Design became known to the generous Franklin's Pennsylvanians, considerable Sums were soon added to the Stock, particularly by "Brief the Citizens of Philadelphia, where few of the Wealthy, or those of a middling Account." Rank, failed of contributing according to their Circumstances: Some Benefactions were also obtained from London, and some Parts of the West Indies, which encouraged the Managers to attempt the important Task of Building; a Task the more difficult, as they were not authorized (for good Reasons) to apply any Part of the Capital Stock to that Purpose; the Sum of Money given by the Assembly not being half sufficient, and the certain Prospect of a War in America, while it was like to increase the Occasion, lessened the Expectation of any further Assistance from them. Nevertheless, confiding in the same Divine Providence, which had hitherto blessed their pious Endeavours beyond their most sanguine Hopes, for Ground Assistance to perform that Work, which was now found necessary, not only from the Increase of the Number of Patients, but the Want of Conveniences, which no private House in the City could furnish them with, they again sought for a suitable Spot of Ground to erect an Hospital on; and, after various Enquiries and Consultations, had the Satisfaction to purchase, on moderate Terms, the Lot which of all in or near the City, was judged the most proper for such a Design: It is bounded on three Streets, the south front 396 Feet, and contains between three and four Acres of Ground. (Our Proprietaries are Owners of near one Acre on the North, which, if obtained, will compleat the Square, and the Prospects of four Fronts open to so many Streets, encompassing the whole Piece of Land, would then be secure.) On September 11, 1754, the owners, who had demanded £600, purchased. made a reduction of £100, and the Managers accordingly purchased the desired lot of ground. The Penns, later, (by a patent dated November 10, 1767), donated the adjoining strip of ground on Spruce Street, which gave the Hospital the entire square between Spruce and Pine and Eighth and Ninth Streets, the area of the square included being about four and three-tenths acres. Plan of This purchase being made, a complete plan of the buildings was Hospital directed to be so prepared, that a part might be erected, which could presented. be occupied the ensuing season. Samuel Rhodes, one of the Man agers, was very zealous in the work and, after consulting the physicians in regard to the situation of the cells and other conveniences, he presented a design of the whole building, in such form, that one-third |