provided for the sick."

From the Roman word "hospitalia" (apartment set apart for guests),
our word hospital is derived.

In the writings of St. Jerome, who established several, the word
"hospital" is first used for a curative institution.

It is of interest to know that the oldest hospital now in use in
Europe, the Hotel Dieu, was founded in Paris, in 600 A. D. by the
Bishop of Paris.

All the early hospitals were church institutions, and the wards
were clustered about the chapel, as may be seen to-day in the
arrangement of beautiful St. Luke's hospital in New York City.
Thus we find that religion, not medicine, gave birth to hospitals.

An accelerating influence in their growth came through the
necessities of war, which threw large numbers of the injured and
suffering upon communities quite unprepared to receive and
minister to them.

It was to meet such a need that the first hospital was established
in the United States on Manhattan Island in 1658.

The "New Netherland Register" says "This hospital was established
at the request of Surgeon Hendricksen Varrevauger for the reception
of sick soldiers--who had been previously billeted on private
families."