Magnificent Gift Declined

Event

2009

01:21:39

This is a lecture by Leonard Cusack titled “A Magnificent Gift Declined”, where he discusses growing up in Emyvale, Charles Dalton and his silver fox breeding,, the donation of a hospital/sanitorium, healthcare in PEI, lawyer’s involvement with hospitals and other stories to do with hospitals and healthcare.

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Held by Benevolent Irish Society

Introduction
The speaker describes growing up in Emyvale in the 1950’s and knowing that there was something different about the village. He tells about the big barn, the Doctor’s house, and a tall water tower. The locals' familiarity with these structures was reflected in that the local storyteller Jimmie Cudmore never told stories about the sanatorium and the speaker never asked him.
The speaker talks about his book, “A Magnificent Gift Declined” which he wrote about the sanatorium. It is a story about Charles Dalton, PEI healthcare and the donation of a hospital which was returned.
The speaker claims that to understand the story of the tubular sanatorium one needs to understand the Island way of life. In the early 1900’s rural PEI was poor, independent and self-sufficient even in health care. Religion and politics played a large role in Island life. To illustrate the speaker tells about Wilfred Bradley being born “a Conservative”.
In the early 1900’s the PEI government was small, but involved in some aspects of social good. The speaker talks about prohibition and PEI being a “dry” province. The speaker also explains about cars being prohibited on the Island roads.
In the early 1900’s Islanders believed they were healthy, but public health nurses such as Mona Wilson reported otherwise. The speaker reviews the symptoms of TB, its 20% death rate on PEI and families' response to TB. He also outlines treating TB in a sanatorium. Since Islanders felt health was a private matter, they saw no need for a public health system PEI paid with their taxes.
In 1913 Charles Dalton offered to donate a TB sanatorium to the PEI government. The speaker reviews Dalton’s life and his contribution to the silver fox industry on PEI from the late 1800’s until he retired as a millionaire in 1914. By then Dalton was a member of the PEI Legislature.
The speaker explains that TB being personal for Dalton he offered on April 4, 1913 to build, furnish and contribute to the initial operation of a TB sanatorium. The speaker details the construction and staffing of Dalton’s sanatorium in Emyvale. Construction started in 1913 and in March 1916 a tour of the completed sanatorium was given to government and religious leaders.
The speaker describes the leader of the opposition John Bell’s criticism of the sanatorium. Premier Matheson supported the sanatorium when it became the government’s responsibility in the summer of 1916, but was unsuccessful in getting Bell’s support for a tax to operate it. The speaker reviews the sanatorium’s patients and staff including head nurse Mary Campbell
By 1917 the federal government took over the sanatorium for soldiers with TB. They were allowed to expand the sanatorium and return it to the PEI government one year after the war ended. The challenge of an adequate supply of water continued. The speaker reviews some of the complaints from patients.
Side A ends Side B begins
The speaker reviews the expansion of the sanatorium in 1918 by the federal government. Efforts by the federal government to improve the water supply are also described by the speaker.
Around this time a 200 bed hospital was built next to the Lieutenant Governor’s residence in Charlottetown for injured soldiers. The cost of the Emyvale sanatorium was about $289,000 partly due to the difficulty of getting labourers and supplies to the site. By the end of the war the Emyvale sanatorium was a large hospital in an isolated location with a water supply challenge.
In 1920 the federal government wanted to give the Emyvale sanatorium back to the PEI government per their agreement. John Bell, now premier, did not want it and refused to negotiate with the federal government. At this time, Bell’s government had other financial pressures. By the end of 1920 the shuttered Emyvale hospital was returned to Dalton.
By 1922 Dalton gave the sanatorium to Charlottetown’s Catholic Diocese. Bishop Henry O’Leary, with the help of James Johnson and Father Maurice MacDonald reused the contents in Charlottetown’s new Catholic hospital and sold the buildings and land. Because the incidence of TB remained high the government built a new sanatorium in the 1930’s in Charlottetown due to pressure from PEI’s women.
End of lecture, applause, audience questions and discussion.