History of the Albany City Hospital, and Extracts from Addresses
THE ALBANY HOSPITAL. 186 S . HISTORY OF THE ALBANY CITY HOSPITAL, AND EXTRACTS FROM ADDRESSES DELIVERED IN ITS BEHALF, JAMES H. ARMSBY, M.D., IN 1851-1852. Albang: JOEL MUNSELL. 1868. THE ALBANY HOSPITAL. The Albany Hospital was incorporated April 11th, 1849, and was formally opened for the reception of patients November Ist, 1851. A temporary building was at first occupied, on the corner ofLydius and Dove streets, while the present edifice was remodeled and prepared for use. The first officers of the Board of Management, elected July 14th, 1.851, were, John C. Spencer, President. Ezra P. Prentice, Vice-President. Joel Rathbone, Treasurer. Franklin Townsend, Secretary. The late Robert Townsend was elected Secretary, August 2d, 1858, and held the office until 1860. Stephen Groesbbeck, the present Secretary, was elected November 21st, 1862. At the inauguration oftheInstitution, the late Hon. John C. Spencer, its first President, who had labored with unre- mitting zeal in its behalf, commenced the exercises with the following remarks : I congratulate you, fellow citizens, that, at last, a Hos- pital for the relief of the poor and the suffering is opened in our ancient city. The increase of ourpopulation, the extension of business, and the collection of travelers by land and by water, at this great central point, renders such an institution not only an act of ordinaryhumanity, but of absolute necessity. Our railroads West, North, East and South, the canals terminating here, the river navigation by vessels and steam boats, bringing each clay multitudes exposed to all the casualties of travel—in addition to those incident to the 4 extensive business of an active resident population of 50,000 who are building houses, working factories, excavating earth, and carrying on all the branches of mechanical art, must inevitably produce a vast amount of bodily injury and disease.
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