Hospitals

Private charity and universal hospitality rendered refuges for the indigent and infirm unknown till ab. 350. Fabiola, a Roman lady, is said to have set the example, and under St. Jerome they were established in Palestine. Soon afterward the Byzantine hospitals are quoted as models, and as Christianity spread early councils directed that from one-quarter to two-thirds of the revenues of the churches should be applied to works of relief and hospitality. In France the first hospital was founded by Childebert at Lyons 542, and others were opened at Rheims and Autun soon afterward. The Arabs established a magnificent hospital at Cordova, Rome po e ed five in the 8th century, and the Hotel Dieu of Paris was founded 7th century. During the next 200 years the introduction of leprosy from the Crusades and St. Anthony's Fire nece itated special pest-houses, and 19,000 arose throughout Christen dom. The change of the early Hospitalers into military orders turned these refuges to vile use. The funds were misappropriated, corruption and abuses of all kinds crept in, despite the thunders of the Church, and the houses fell into decay till reform was seriously taken in hand in the 16th century. In 1579 a royal decree in France forbade any one to be on the governing boards who was a noble, archer, public officer, ecclesiastic, or any of their servants or nominees, and after the hospitals were secularized their advance in efficiency was constant. In England the most famous are St. Bartholomew's, founded 1102. St. Thomas's 1213, Bethlehem, or Bedlam, 1547, Guy's 1721, Westminster 1719, and London 1740. In the U. S. among the older institutions are Pa., Phila. 1751, N.Y. 1771, and Ma ., Boston 1811. Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, St. Luke's, N.Y., and Roosevelt, N.Y., are of later origin.