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a a vey Sr ae Awe al smesnid:einis vathered in April at the Country Mill to salute the new lluronia District Hospital and to say farewell to the old St. Andrew's Hospital. Stan Martin, former Deputy Minister of Health and present chairman of the Ontario Council termed the new hospital "a sophisticated house of healing" in his address to the 265 people. Martin stressed that the continually rising costs of health care have pul the government info a health funding dilemma. "'The government spends almost $400) per man, woman and child in this province for health care,' said Martin. "And yet, we are just as unhealthy A source of pride for area residents as we everiert Way back when cannot buy health," he said. "There is a need for personal "We were all like one big happy When Miss Emma Uaker was the superin- tendent of the original Midland Penetanguis- hene Marine Hospital in Sunnyside, she super- vised everything in the 12 bed hospital. If the cook had a day otf, Miss Baker took over at the wood stove in the - kitchen. She attended to the mending in her spare moments. Her evenings were often spent in the kitchen as she made pickles and preserves for the patients. She ordered supplies and on occasion. mopped floors She supervised nurses and patients and was on call 24 hours a day. For this she was paid about $100 per month But then, the daily rate for ward patients was fifty cents. Those in private rooms paid $1.50 Miss Baker's prime concern was the well heing of her patients and she took this seriously One night, a thyroid patient! was restless. Hei sleep had been disturbed by one of the hospital cows which had wandered close to the building. its cow bell swinging. Miss Baker took a dim view of such noisy goings- om, She rose from her bed. fol a carving knile trom the kitehen and marched out to the offending cow and cut off the bell. She did the same tg the other bovine wanderers When Mis$ Baker relired in 1942, 'after 30 years of service, she wrote down some of her memories of the early days in the three storey brick building which was the forerunner of ow present St Andrew's Hospital "The building was erected in 1903 for $6,700, and there was a lireplace in each of the two public wards. There were 12 beds in the hospital. The nurses and the maid lived on the top floor. A ein cular drive led up to the building and there were tlower beds, cared tor by the Midland Horticultural Society There was no nursery because most babies were born at home. Those who did arrive in hospital either stayed in the room with the mothers, or were kept in baskets in the shelves of the linen room. If there was an overflow. dresser drawers were pressed into service The first' baby born in he Midtand Penetanguishene Marine Hospital was Chris foster. Born on March 2, 1906, Mr. Foster now lives on a farm in the rural area In those carly days, there Was no steriliser Miss Baker described sterilising methods this way: "We used a wash boiler and tied cotton to each handle and placed the wrapped goods inside We held the lid down with flat iron. We let everything boil for one hour and then put the bundles in the oven of the wood stove to dry oul overnight "We had two large tin cans with spouts for sterile water. One was boiled at night, and the other in the daytime. so we always had hot and cold sterile water A hospital auxiliary was established in 1906 and these ladies furnished many of the rooms. Wher the kitchen was moved was that the new hospital from the second floor be named St. Andrew's down to the basement, u The hospital inspector dumb-waiter lift) was suggested a few changes added to ease the work in the building, and the loacLof the nurses gradual moving of fur Doctors who worked in nilture and -- patients the first hospital were Dr. began Raikes. Dr. MeGill, Dr 'The post war epidemic MaeDonald, Dr, Tanner, of -- influenza -- struck ly. Walbridge, Dr. Clark, Midland in 1918 and the Dr Johnston, Dr. new hospital was filled to McPhee and Dr. Spohn overflowing. Ships and his son Dr. Howard arrived in Midland with Spohn desperately ill crews and "They Were all won- there was no place to pul derful,"' said Miss Baker, them "and so were the nurses. Many patients were We were all like one big bedded down in Midland's happy family." public schools. The In those days, when townspeople rallied to the most water came fron emergency by cooking wells, typhoid was a great pots of soup which serious problem, A small they brought to the frame house was bought. hospital and, pul on the property Said Miss Baker, "the next door to the hospital doctors were so busy we to form an overflow hardly saw them isolation ward Through God's great In 1914, James Playfair mercy and help, we were donated the spacious able to earry on.' One Manley Chew home on nurse, Miss Atkinson Kay Street tobe used as a died in the epidemic hospital. Because of the In the post war years, a view of the water, if rum-running ship was reminded him of his caught in Midland har- ancestral Scottish home, bour. The alcoholic cargo St. Andrew's by the Sea. Was confiscated by the and his only stipulation local police who gave it to responsibility for per- sonal health, as_ that applies to the misuse of tobacco, alcohol, and the driving of automobiles." Ile praised the spirit of cooperation that was evidenced in the building of the $11 million hospital. "Future effective ad- ministration will depend on COunetan iu, end cooperation," Martin, who was_ in- troduced by MPP Gé6rd Smith and thanked by Dr. James. Small, was one ol several speakers at the head table Dr. IA Grise proposed a toast to the ; ' ladies of the hospital auxiliary Auxiliary president Mrs Bert Nicholls reminded the /audience that Huronia was the site of the first hospital and the first pharmacy in Ontario at Saint Marie __ Residents gathered to _ salute St. Andrew's Among the Hurons. "For this reason, " she said, "I consider the name Huronia District Hospital to be the most ap- propriate." Board secretary and auxiliary member, Mrs. Rena Bell gave a briel history of hospitals in Midland, and noted that the Midland Marine Hospital (which was built in Sunnyside in 1909) cost just $6,700 'The decorations for the dinner were created by lev Hunter, whose four large paintings of the Marine Hospital, the Chew-Playfair building, the present St. Andrew's and the new facility of the town's western limits, were the focal point and theme of the evening. The large framed pictures will be hung in the new™ hospital when it is open. amily then" Miss Baker. She hid it under the eaves of the new hospital, and doled it oul for medicinal pur poses as needed By 1922. a south wing was added to the hospital and the first' electric range had been installed There were extensive vegelable yardens and Rena Bell, secretary ol the St. Andrew's hospital board, remembers thal there were thriving raspberry patches behind the nurses' residence Nurses lived in a neigh hbouring house which had been purchased by Mrs Playfair in 1922. She furnished if completely with her private funds There were student nurses in those days. who learned not by any curriculum, but by doing what had to be done. They were paid six dollars a month in their first year seven in their second, and eight in their third year It Was real ap- prenticeship training In 1922, a cow was added to the hospital's facilities, and the milk was sel in pans and the cream skimmed off for the private patients There were chickens too, to assure patients ol < supply of fresh eggs There were other big doings in 2. The first electric range was in stalled and a new south wing added, and opened by Royalty (The official St \ndrew's opening had been delayed by the flu epidemic), The Duke of Devonshire and his daughter-in-law the Duchess of Devon- shire officiated, and the Duke's aide-de-camp was a pentleman called Harold MacMillain, who later became' lrime Minister of Great Britain kmma_ Baker's name was commemorated nn the. opening of the new west wing in1936. The sod was turned by Lord Tweedsmuit The newest part of the hospital was opened in 1955 and in 1956 the renovated older part. named the James Playfair wing was opened Now the 101 bed hospital on Dominion Avenue is part of history To everyone who helped make this day a reality ! Congratulations ! Agnew-Peckham & Associates 200 St. Claire Ave. West. Toronto Ont. Powers Regulator Company Congratulates Huronia District Hospital on its Opening and wishes to thank them for the opportunity of providing a Powers Pneumatic Tube System. Powers Regulator Company Transitube Division 150 Skyway Ave. Rexdale, Ont. Susan Jennings _ Respiratory Technologist Lorna Davis Co-ordinator special areas re Beulah Bramah Administrative Supervisor Pharmacy Patricia Plaus Co-ordinator Medical, chronic Director of Physical Medicine \ Yvonne Wells ~ Admitting Officer Esko Vainio Assistant Administrator Edward Rusiewicz Head x-ray al Brian Alves Marie Joyner ker Discharge Planning Coordinator _ Director of Nursing Robert Morton Personnel Manager Ruth Jenes = Huronia Office Services Limited is pleased to be the suppliers of Office Desks Files and Draperies to the new Huronia District Hospital Congratulations Congratulations and Best Wishes from The Midland Times Jean Baker Linda Dumais Head of OR Margaret Wilson Head Nurse, OPD, Emergency Co-ordinator obs- gyn surgical