Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-09-27
COLUMBIA HOSPITAL.
Annual Meeting Of The Directors

The seventh annual meeting OF TINS board OF
directors Of the Columbia Hospital for Women
was held last evening At the hospital building,
corner Of Twenty .hOh street and Pennsy lvanla
avenue; Rev. J. N. COombs presiding. Present,
Gen. J. X. Barnes, Rev. DIR. watkins, Gen.
Babccck, Drs. Noble Young, q. Il. OragIn, J. II.
Thompson, =. A. Ashford, MessrS A. s. Solo.
mons, y. II. Smith and A. X. shepherd.
Tho following report was submitted by DR.. J.
Harry Thompson, tho surgoOn.in.chief
AEKUAL REPORT or THE INSTITUTION.
GENTLEMEN l have the honor 10 submit here.
With the seventh annual report Of the Columbia
Hospital for Women and Lying In Asylum, with
a resume Of tho operations OF the Institution
from It's commencement In March, 1890 10 the
end Of June, lS12
cannot permit this opportunity to pass with.
out cungratulatlng most cordially tho directors
upon the prosperity OF al Institution they
have labored to establish upon It's present hasis,
and to rejoice With them in the consciousness
that the Institution Is free FROM debt, its build.
ings and grounds paid Tor, and its future sup.
port secured by the fostering care Of benefcent
Government
Al ibis important epoch In our existence ns a
corporation, Il may bo we'll hrlehy tn review
TuE HISTORY OF THK HusPITAL,
and the efforts made for Its establishment, from
the time when its necessity became apparent
and It's Inauguration fully determined upon.
The year 1901 found the city OF Washington,
tho capital OF the United States, with popula.
ton OF over 100000 SOULS without aclyil hospital
floating population could apply for medical
assistance IN disease or accident. Such = condl.
tinn Of things constituted an anomaly In tire
history Of municipalities.
Large numbers Of females were attracted to
this region during the war In search Of relatives
and friends, or for inform itiUn In tho Depart.
ments. Anxiety and fatigue, rs = natural con.
sequence, caused suffering aud disease, aud
hundreds Of women, Frustrated by sickness and
without means, were tArOwn upon the charities
OF the residents Of Washington, and the Repre-
IA Tho uifIRFant Afntnn a oh
they belonged. with the perseverance and zeal
ohaTactetlstic Of their Order, tho Sisters Of
charity sucoeeded IN opening Providence hos.
pltal, which took the place OF the old lnnrmary,
previously consumed by fire; but although It's
accommodations wero strained to their utmost
capacity, they proved vastly inadequate to the
the absolute want OF a hospital exclusively
for women was apparent, but the exlgoncles Of
the war were 80 vast, and the demands upon
| private resources so great, that y was deemed
! ineNpedient to attempt It's establishment until
| the fall Of 1895. In November Of that year
| laid my plans before the Rev. Drs. A. d. Gil
lotte, Q. II. Hall and Moses Kelly, whom Ia.
ylted to Join 10 tho enterprise, They rendered
| their valuable influence and services most
| promptly and, upon consultation with Surgeon
| General Barnes, Il was decided TO lay our plans
| War. His comprehensive mind required no
| argument to convince him that such an instltu.
ton was needed, and To be successful must be
lOstsrcd by the Government as nino tonths Of
! lts bonehciaries must necessarily be wards Of
! tho nation, coming, Us they did aud still do,
! from all portions Of the country, becoming TEN.
! porAriy resident here, but still claiming citi.
! IGnship IN the respective states from which they
! came. with characteristic promptness no un-
/ hesitatlngly authorized the Surgeon General TO
furnish my bods, and 10 Issue full supply Of
medicines and medical stores, insisting, how.
| ever that twenty OF the beds should be used eN.
cluslyely Tor the wives and widows OF soldiers Of
! the United States army. Liberal contributions
from Messrs. Chls. Knap, II. d. Cooke, Philip Il
SDOmOns and others enabled US 10 lease the Hill
! mansion and grounds, on the corner OF Four
! teenth street and Massachusetts, avenue, into
: the possession and occupancy Of which Wo en-.
1 tered In the month Of February, 1880.
! Mrs. A. J. Brown, foremost In every obarita.
! BILE enterprise, became warmly enlisted In he
! halt OF tho institution and BY her peTfOnal
efforts secured donations suficient to furnish
the paror and executive portion Of tho build
Ing. A board Ol directors was organized, Of
! which the Rev. Dr. Gillette was president, q.
4 II. Hall, u. d vlco president, and Rev. J. N.
! UOOmbs secretary, and on the 9TH day OF March,
1850, tho Columbia hospital opened It's doors for
tho reception Of patients, with heartfelt prayer
that God would bless and prosper tho under.
| taking.
Application was made to Congress for a char
ter, which was granted and approved June 1,
In the same year Congress appropriated 90,
900 to assist Ia tho support Of the institu tion,
aud each year since that time, TO the present,
! the appropriation has been Increased In proper.
! ton 10 tho growing demands OF the hospital
! At the expiration VI the lease Of tho Hin man.
sion the proprietor disposed q the building and
grounds, and we were compelled to leave.
Tho present hospital building was thon leased
| from Dr. Maynard for two years, at tho end OF
| which lease conditional purchase OF tho build.
! Ing aud grounds was effected upon most ndyan
tnSeous terms TO tho hospital, the details Of tho
: negotiation having been conducted by MOgrs
Kelly and A. y. SOlOmuns, eggs.
Al the last session Of Congress Wo succeeded
in securing a SUN sufficiently large to enable
US to complete the purchase and deed the prop.
| erty TO the United states In accordance with
tho conditions accompanying the appropriation
| Thus, aiter six years OF untiTing efforts, We
| have accomplished what all have 80 earnestly
| deslrod-"The permanent Organization In Wash.
lngton Of hospital devoted exclusively to the
| treatment Of diseases peculiar To women"
| Accompanying the appropriation for the pur,
chase was one for repairs and alterations, which,
with the amount 10 tho hands Of the treasurer,
| Is SUFFICIENT TO provide for tho present alteFa.
lions These, when oompIeJoi, viii give Us an
abundance OF room for the accommodation Of free
patients, and provide q number Of private rooms
| for pay patients.
The c6mmItteo appointed TO carry out these
repairs and alterations consists OF General J. X.
Barnes, chairman, j. T. Mitchell, esd, and Hon.
| George Taylor. They have secured tho services
| OF Mr. CLARK, architect Of the Capitol extension,
who has generously taken charge Of the work
| without charge.
The design for tho alterations was made by
! General Barnes, and Is comprehensive and emil.
nontly practical. The Objectionable features OF
| the hulldlng have bOen removed valuable add
| lions been made, thorough ventilation and sew.
NIhkN bNNuIthF anu Nubu ull snail DO Completed,
we will possess building OF which We may
Justly DO proud.
a WORD FoR TuE DISTRICT.
| Much has been said by the enemies Of the Dis
| ttlct as TO the unWlillngness Of the people To
| support their poor and render proper aid 10 such
| charitable Institutions as have sprung up ia
thelr midst, designed to benefit that unfortunate
| class OF population, but our experience has
| proved the contrary disposition. The old city
| government and the present District govern.
| ment have done their lull share towards the sup
NaFa - I0Vsa ~
| were properly ohargoable to the District and
| have made the necessary npprOpTlat lOns prompt
| " aud generously, never appealing 10 the Gen,
oral Government for tho support Of tho local
| poor.
by comparing tho reports Of this institution
| for tho last two years with those Of similar in
sttutions In other parts Of the country, II will be
| found that In proportion to our fixed pOpul alton
medical and surgical relief Is gratultOusly lur,
nlshed TO AZ least twenly per cent. more patlentl
than are relieved at the hospitals In New York
| Philadelphia, and other large cities,
| The deaths that have occurred In tho hospital
arc very much below the average, aud during
tho last four years not ono single death has Oc,
CURED ascrlbablo 10 or the result Of surgical In
teriorcnce, although during that time large
number Of very important operations have beer
| performed.
The lylng.ln wards Of this hospital have beer
free from any epidemic disease during the whole
period Of their occupancy, and not one death hal
occurred from dihlcult or natural labor where
| tho patient has been under observation for a
| THE NUMBER OF PATIEHTs TREATED
| at tho hospital during the last year has or
| Ceeded by more than double that Of the former
year, and Is about equal TO the aggregate Of thu
| four preceding years.
The number OF patients under treatment OF
| June 80 1871, was 1885, number admitted during
tho year ending June 80, 1871, as outdoor pa
| tlonts, 400; number Of Indoor patients sol,
Total 4,5ie. Number OF prescriptions com
pounded, S,loj.
| INSULTS.
Number cured, 3,T0s; relieved, SOL; dIed, II
ineurable, So results unknown, lOl; under treat
ment, 100. Total, $50.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., $3.50; English, 10; Irish
| l,0sOi German, 2l2; French, 3; Spanish, o; Rus
Sian, Il Canadian, Il Scotch, 81 West Indian,
Total, 4,b7S.
States and Territories opressntsd-Dlstric
| Of Columbia, Z. 3l2; Virginia, lOlsi Maryland
No. Texas, 8, Ohio, 10 Massachusetts,, 20
Maine, ~; Vermont, 2; Connecticut, 7; Illinois
ISL New York, 10; Michigan. s; indiana, u
New. Jersey, 90 Delaware, 23i unknown, IO2
| Total, I,5T6.
Summary Of the entire operations OF the hos
pltal from March, 1855, TO June 80 1872:
| Total number Of patients admitted, ll,455.
Results-NumbeF cured, O,I5T; relieved, / ,Osl
incurahle, Isl; died, 81; sent TO Insane asylum
| I; results unknown, az under treatment jun
| 20, 1874, $50. Total, ASS.
Natiyity-AmeTioAn, B,ll6, Irish, 2,l32; Ger
man, sg9i Scotch, 100; English, li7i French, II