Our History
Our Founder
Dr. Theophilus Mack 1820-1881 |
Dr. Theophilus Mack was born April 22, 1820, in Dublin and at the age of 12 came to Canada with his parents. Dr. Mack was one of the first pupils of Upper Canada College.
During the rebellion of 1837-38, he was a lieutenant in the Provincial Navy and studied medicine in the military hospital in Amherstburg and then graduated from Geneva College in New York in 1843.
He obtained his provincial license and settled in St. Catharines in 1844. In 1845 he married Miss Jane Adams, a daughter of the first mayor of St. Catharines. Dr. Mack lived in a large house called Sunnyside in the vicinity of St. Paul Street and Yates Street.
In 1856, Dr. Mack became interested in the mineral waters of St. Catharines. In 1864 he erected Springbank, which was termed one of the finest establishments in America. Springbank in later days became the first Ridley College.
Dr. Mack was an outstanding surgeon and gynecologist and at one time was on the faculty of Buffalo Medical College. He was described as a man with energy and foresight - a tall, handsome man who wrote poetry and had a marked artistic ability, a scholar with a rare gift in the use of words and he possessed a keen sense of humour. He was proud of his nurses; he treated them as if they were his daughters and his nurses adored him.
In our archives, we have an autographed steel engraving that Dr. Mack gave to Annie Carline as well as the unruly lock of hair which she kept after Dr. Mack had it cut off because it fell over his forehead when he was operating. Dr. Mack was also loved by his patients and it is a small wonder the graduates of Mack are proud to perpetuate his name.
Dr. Mack died in 1881 due to complications of a ruptured appendix.
The History of the St. Catharines General Hospital
In the early 1860s, St. Catharines had a population of about ten thousand people. Matters of concern at that time were the possibility of a raid by the Fenians and a cholera epidemic. Springbank served as a health resort for wealthy patients, but there was no place for the relief of the "sick poor".
In July 1865 a meeting of subscribers to the Hospital fund was held in the Town Hall to make final arrangements for establishing an association called the St. Catharines General and Marine Hospital.
Committees were established and donations were made of sums not less than five cents and not more than fifty cents. In a few days $190.54 was collected and, with subsequent contributions raised by the Ladies Bazaar, the hospital began its work with a capital of $1918.46.
The first Board of Trustees was elected and Officers were appointed. The By-laws stated that the Society should have for its objective "the relief of poor, suffering from disease or accident". The name General and Marine Hospital was used because it was intended that sailors should be admitted upon payment of a sum barely remunerative. The poor of the town were to be freely received and it was expected that their friends would contribute a small sum.
The first Hospital report stated that "on the 5th of August 1865, a house in Cherry Street was rented for $8.00 per month and the first patients were admitted. The patients were cared for by a man and his wife who acted as steward and nurse. Operations might be performed "by a duly qualified physician at the request of the patient and the consent of the Trustees". The first operation was a leg amputation performed by Dr. Mack and Dr. Jukes. The house on Cherry Street had accommodation for just four patients.
In 1867 the hospital moved to a building on Hainer Street - where there was room for twelve beds.
In 1870 the present hospital site was purchased from Mr. Windsor Chase for $2,800 and alterations were made to the building. Further additions were made and by 1874 the hospital could take 25 patients. Because of the extension to the Welland Canal, a great many accident cases were brought in and increased accommodation was needed. Subsequent additions took place through the years.
In 1896 an operating room was added. Before this date operations were done in the Lady Superintendents office from which some of the furniture was removed.
In 1911 the New Hospital with three wards, A, B, and C, and the operating room were opened to the public.
In 1929 wards D,E,F and G were added as well as the Emergency Room, Administrative Offices, the Rotunda and an X-ray department. In 1934 the hospital had a bed capacity of 168 and a nursing staff of 12 graduate nurses, 40 student nurses and five probationers.
In 1945 an extension of F Ward was added above the rotunda and on the top floor they added a new operating room and Central Supply Room.
In 1949 the bed capacity was 225 with 48 full-time and 10 part-time graduate nurses and 58 students, as well as 10 full-time and 10 part-time nursing aides and 7 ward aides.
Miss Helen Brown |
Helen Beall Brown (fondly remembered as "Brownie") was a 1928 graduate of M.T.S having received her B.A. prior to entering training. She became teacher, mentor, friend, counselor to all those who trained at Mack. She was so proud of M.T.S. and its graduates. Mr. Bright (the pharmacist for many, many years) called us all Miss Brown's "chicks". She instilled in us a deep pride for our school and our profession.
It is to her that we must give our thanks and appreciation for researching and documenting the "History of Mack".
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