THE Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital was chartered by the Legislature of the State of New York, May 5, 1869. The society began its work in a temporary building, No. 233 East Thirty-fourth street, on the 15th of October, 1869, by opening a daily clinic for the gratuitous treatment of the poor, and providing thirteen beds in suitable wards for such cases as might require surgical operations or other careful in-door treatment. The society, thus far, has neither asked nor received State or municipal mid, its funds being generously provided by the benevolent men who planned the enterprise, and their friends. The board of directors, its officers, and the surgical staff serve gratuitously.

The directors have purchased a plot of ground on the south-east corner of Park avenue and Forty-first street, having a frontage of one hundred feet on the avenue and eighty feet on the side street, at a cost of $50,000, and $15,000 have been paid on the same. Upon this they purpose to erect suitable hospital buildings as soon as the funds can be secured.

On the first day of January, 1871, the society issued its first printed report, detailing the account of its proceedings, and showing that, during the fourteen and one-half months of its active existence, 1,227 patients with diseases of the eye had been treated, and 430 with diseases of the ear. The Hospital is always open for the reception of in-door patients, and on every secular day at two o'clock P.M., for such as may attend gratuitously the Dispensary for the out-door service.

Many cases have occurred in the experience of the year to illustrate the beneficent character of the work done by the Hospital. We append a few:

"An old man, who was once in affluent circumstances, but had lost his property, so that he was an object of charity, was brought to the Hospital blind. One eye was found to be hopelessly disorganized by disease, and the other fast becoming so. An operation was at once performed on the eye least diseased, and in which he could just distinguish light from darkness; it did not avail much, however, and then, on consultation, it was decided to remove the most diseased eye, trusting that this radical procedure might be of benefit to the eye which was rapidly becoming as hopelessly affected. This was done; in a few days the sight of the remaining eye began slowly to improve, and continued to do so until in about three months he was again able to read and write, and he is now earning his bread. This poor man was so destitute of meant that he was not able to pay his board for one day of the three months he was in the Hospital, and but for its charity his eyes would have very soon been beyond all hope.

"A day laborer, with a family dependent upon him, had been blind for a year. He was led to the Hospital by a friend; he was found to have a cataract, which was removed by an operation, and in six weeks he was able to leave the Hospital with sight enough for all ordinary purposes, and has now been at work for a year. He was also unable to pay his board.

"A poor man, a widower, and his four small children, came into the Hospital with Ophthalmia, contracted in their overcrowded tenement from a child that had returned diseased from the Westchester Reformatory. They formed a piteous group, and were in immediate danger of blindness. They were ragged and unclean; special arrangements were made to cleanse, clothe, and treat them, and after prolonged and painstaking care they were all saved from blindness.

"An old lady, in reduced circumstances, was brought in blind with cataract; she was operated upon, and her sight restored, so that she could read and write the finest print or writing.

"A man who had for many years occupied a fiduciary position became blind and was brought to the Hospital, where he was operated upon for cataract, and his vision restored.

"A poor seamstress, blind with cataract, was operated upon and her sight restored.

"A poor old man, who had for some years been shut up at his house by his relations as hopelessly blind, was brought to the Hospital, operated upon for cataract, and useful vision restored. So we might go on to narrate several scores of cases in which blindness was either cured or prevented.

"What is said of the cases of disease of the eye holds true also with regard to cases of diseases of the ear."