Franklin's it so as to make the important clause a conditional one, viz.: "And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that when the said contributors shall have met and chosen their Managers and treasurer and shall have raised by their contribu- Account of tions a capital stock of two thousand pounds value, the yearly interest of which Founding the is to be applied to the accommodation of the sick poor in the said hospital, and Hospital. free of charge for diet, attendance, advice and medicines, and shall make the same appear to the satisfaction of the speaker of the Assembly for the time being; that then it shall and may be lawful for the said speaker, and he is hereby required to sign an order on the provincial treasurer, for the payment of two thousand pounds in two yearly payments, to the treasurer of the said hospital, to be applied to the founding, building and finishing of the same." This condition carried the bill through; for the members who had opposed the grant, and now conceived they might have the credit of being charitable without the expense, agreed to its passage; and then in soliciting subscriptions among the people, we urged the conditional promise of the law as an additional motive to give, since every man's donation would be doubled; thus the cause worked both ways. The subscriptions accordingly soon exceeded the requisite sum, and we claimed and received the public gift, which enabled us to carry the design into execution. A convenient and handsome building was soon erected, the institution has by constant experience been found useful, and flourishes to this day, and I do not remember any of my political manœuvres, the success of which at the time gave me more pleasure; or wherein, after thinking of it, I more easily excused myself for having made some use of cunning. After taking up the project, Franklin soon became enthusiastic and was always a zealous worker in behalf of the Hospital. He was intrepid, forcible, and logical. His appeals supported by plain statements of facts were irresistible, convincing his hearers and readers of the necessity of establishing such an institution. The fact of its support by voluntary contributions, heretofore considered impossible, he demonstrated to be no longer a matter of doubt. In his "Brief Account of the Pennsylvania Hospital," Philadelphia, 1754, he makes the following statements: About the end of the year 1750, some Persons, who had frequent Opportunities of observing the distress of such distemper'd Poor as from Time to Time came to Philadelphia, for the Advice and Assistance of the Physicians and Surgeons of that City; how difficult it was for them to procure suitable Lodgings, and other conveniences proper for their respective cases, and how expensive the Providing good and careful Nurses, and other Attendants, for want thereof, many must suffer greatly, and some probably perish, that might otherwise have been restored to Health and Comfort, and become useful to themselves, their Families, and the Publick, for many years after; and considering moreover, that even the poor inhabitants of this city, tho' they had homes, yet were therein but badly accommodated in Sickness, and could not be so well and easily taken Care of in their Separate Habitations, as they might be in one convenient House, under one Inspection, and in the hands of skilful Practitioners; and several of the Inhabitants of the Province, who unhappily became disordered in their Senses, wandered about, to the terrour of their Neighbours, there being no place (except the House of Correction or Almshouse) in which they might be confined, and subjected to proper treatment for their Recovery, and that House was by no means fitted for such Purposes; did charitably consult together, and confer with their Friends Sick and Insane Poor without proper Care. Petition Made to the Assembly. and Acquaintances, on the best means of relieving the Distressed, under those To the honourable House of Representatives of The Petition of sundry Inhabitants of the said Province, Humbly showeth, THAT with the Numbers of People, the number of Lunaticks or Persons distempered in Mind and deprived of their rational Faculties, hath greatly encreased in this Province. That some of them going at large are a Terror to their Neighbours, who are daily apprehensive of the Violences they may commit; And others are continually wasting their Substance, to the great Injury of themselves and Families, ill disposed Persons wickedly taking Advantage of their unhappy Condition, and drawing them into unreasonable Bargains, &c. That few or none of them are so sensible of their Condition, as to submit voluntarily to the Treatment their respective Cases require, and therefore continue in the same deplorable State during their Lives; whereas it has been found, by the Experience of many Years, that above two Thirds of the Mad People received into Bethlehem Hospital, and there treated properly, have been perfectly cured. Your Petitioners beg Leave farther to represent, that tho' the good Laws of this Province have made many compassionate and charitable Provisions for the Relief of the Poor, yet something farther seems wanting in Favour of such, whose Poverty is made more miserable by the additional Weight of a grievous Disease, from which they might easily be relieved, if they were not situated at too great a Distance from regular Advice and Assistance; whereby many languish out their Lives, tortur'd perhaps with the Stone, devour'd by the Cancer, deprived of Sight by Cataracts, or gradually decaying by loathsome Distempers; who, if the Expense in the present manner of Nursing and Attending them separately when they come to Town were not so discouraging, might again, by the judicious Assistance of Physic and Surgery, be enabled to taste the Blessings of Health, and be made in a few Weeks, useful Members of the Community, able to provide for themselves and Families. The kind Care our Assemblies have heretofore taken for the Relief of sick and distempered Strangers, by providing a Place for their Reception and Accommodation, leaves us no Room to doubt their showing an equal tender Concern for the Inhabitants. And we hope they will be of Opinion with us, that a small Provinical Hospital, erected and put under proper Regulations, in the Care of Persons to be appointed by this House, or otherwise, as they shall think meet, with Power to receive and apply the charitable Benefactions of good People towards enlarging and supporting the same, and some other Provisions in a Law for the Purposes above mentioned, will be a good Work, acceptable to God and to all the good People they represent. it so as to make the important clause a conditional one, viz. : “And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that when the said contributors shall have met and chosen their Managers and treasurer and shall have raised by their contributions a capital stock of two thousand pounds value, the yearly interest of which is to be applied to the accommodation of the sick poor in the said hospital, and free of charge for diet, attendance, advice and medicines, and shall make the same appear to the satisfaction of the speaker of the Assembly for the time being; that then it shall and may be lawful for the said speaker, and he is hereby required to sign an order on the provincial treasurer, for the payment of two thousand pounds in two yearly payments, to the treasurer of the said hospital, to be applied to the founding, building and finishing of the same." This condition carried the bill through; for the members who had opposed the grant, and now conceived they might have the credit of being charitable without the expense, agreed to its passage; and then in soliciting subscriptions among the people, we urged the conditional promise of the law as an additional motive to give, since every man's donation would be doubled; thus the cause worked both ways. The subscriptions accordingly soon exceeded the requisite sum, and we claimed and received the public gift, which enabled us to carry the design into execution. A convenient and handsome building was soon erected, the institution has by constant experience been found useful, and flourishes to this day, and I do not remember any of my political manœuvres, the success of which at the time gave me more pleasure; or wherein, after thinking of it, I more easily excused myself for having made some use of cunning. After taking up the project, Franklin soon became enthusiastic and was always a zealous worker in behalf of the Hospital. He was intrepid, forcible, and logical. His appeals supported by plain statements of facts were irresistible, convincing his hearers and readers of the necessity of establishing such an institution. The fact of its support by voluntary contributions, heretofore considered impossible, he demonstrated to be no longer a matter of doubt. In his "Brief Account of the Pennsylvania Hospital," Philadelphia, 1754, he makes the following statements: Franklin's Sick and About the end of the year 1750, some Persons, who had frequent Opportunities Insane Poor of observing the distress of such distemper'd Poor as from Time to Time came to without Philadelphia, for the Advice and Assistance of the Physicians and Surgeons of proper Care. that City; how difficult it was for them to procure suitable Lodgings, and other conveniences proper for their respective cases, and how expensive the Providing good and careful Nurses, and other Attendants, for want thereof, many must suffer greatly, and some probably perish, that might otherwise have been restored to Health and Comfort, and become useful to themselves, their Families, and the Publick, for many years after; and considering moreover, that even the poor inhabitants of this city, tho' they had homes, yet were therein but badly accommodated in Sickness, and could not be so well and easily taken Care of in their Separate Habitations, as they might be in one convenient House, under one Inspection, and in the hands of skilful Practitioners; and several of the Inhabitants of the Province, who unhappily became disordered in their Senses, wandered about, to the terrour of their Neighbours, there being no place (except the House of Correction or Almshouse) in which they might be confined, and subjected to proper treatment for their Recovery, and that House was by no means fitted for such Purposes; did charitably consult together, and confer with their Friends To the honourable House of Representatives of the Frovince of Pennsylvania. The Petition of sundry Inhabitants of the said Frevence Humbly sheweth, That in. Mend and depuid of their rahonal Secuttive, bath, That none of them going at large and a Teveer to their Neighbours, who an caily appichoakin of the Violences they may commit : And other. au continually ting ther Substance to the great Injury of Comfelves and Families, ill-disposed Pensas archidly taking, Svartio of thier unhappy Conditer, and drawing them into conreasonable Bargains, Je of them in the. That few. are sostauble of their Condition, as to submit voluntarily to be content Their respective Cows require, and thespins continue in same deplemble statis Brewing incir Lives whereas it has been found by the Expresence of many Sears, that above Two third of the Mad Seople won ceived into Bethlehem Hospital, and these treated property have been profully cúnd. – Your Petitioner big Leave farther to represent, that the the good laws of this Sovinu have made many compafciinate and charitable hovisions for the Ribaf of the Fire, get fome the farther Sums wanting in favour of such, whose Socorty is made more miserable by the additional Wright of a precorus Discuer, from which they morupt easily be retions if they Distance from regular e Advice. ande Aktistance; whereby many languish out their Lives, Inter? peshape with the Stone; devound by the Cancer, deprod zy light by bakrenits, es gradually deaying The kind Cave our flamblies have horah for taken for the Relief of Fick and distempord Mangere, by providing a Store for their Raception and Accommodation, Caves we ne keen to doubt their showing. lender Concern for the Sahabitants. & Aid we hope they will be of Opinion with us, that a small Strand Hospital erected and put weder proper Regulations, in the Exce of Berrons to be appointed by this Hörf, otherwife as they shall think meet with Sower to receive and apply the charitable Kone factions of gord Raple towards salarying and supporting the fame and fome other Perisions in eden fr.. the Purposes above mentioned, will be a good Mack, ausptable to God and to all the good Imple they represent ? Morris &n. We therefore humble recommand the Promises to their corious Cexsidnation I pre Evans John Krapety Edware (athrate ORIGINAL PETITION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT (F THE PENNSYLVANIA HOSPITAL. THE F. GUTERUNGY CO., PHILA. |