The Forgotten Sick of 1876
Dr. G.A. Weed’s ad for the Seattle Hospital promises care for those without homes, offering medical and surgical treatment at a time when the city was still finding its infrastructure.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
THE SEATTLE HOSPITAL, conducted by G. A. WEED, M.D., corner of Third and Main Streets, Seattle, W. T. To the sick who have no homes, and need nursing and skillful medical or surgical treatment at moderate prices, this hospital offers inducements superior to any other institution of the kind north of San Francisco. Apply either in person or by letter to G. A. WEED, M.D.
“To the sick who have no homes, and need nursing and skillful medical or surgical treatment at moderate prices, this hospital offers inducements superior to any other institution of the kind.”
In 1876, Seattle’s medical care for the unhoused was largely a private, localized affair run by individual doctors. Today, the debate over how to provide medical services to the unhoused remains one of Seattle's most persistent and complex civic challenges, shifting from private boarding-style 'hospitals' to massive public and non-profit health networks.
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