National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-10-18
A CITY HOSPITAL NEEDED.

. We are glad to see that the Board of
Health seems disposed to take some action
towards the establishment of hospital ac-
commodations for our sick poor. We
have long felt the need of city hospital,
and are surprised that no effort has ever
been made by the medical profession here
for its establishment. Certainly city with
population of 100000 should be pro-
vided with some hospital facilities, especi-
ally as the percentage of poor IN Washing
ton is greatly in excess of that of other
cities having an equal number of inhabit-
ants. Baltimore, New York, Philadel-
phia, Boston, Pittsburg and almost every
city in the country above 1000 inhabit-
ants, are provided with some hospital
where their sick poor are cared for, and it
is disgrace to our city that although mil
lions of dollars have been expended in
identifying our streets and avenues, so
that the equipages of those blessed with
wealth may roll more smoothly along, yet
no provision has been made for properly
supplying the wants and necessities of our
sick poor. True, we have an aims house,
but, as the ward physicians say in their
paper read before the Board of Health at
their last meeting, placed as it is in close
proximity tos extensive marshes, emitting
unhealthy miasmas, bordered by the river
and exposed to the strong northwest wind
which in the cold season sweeps across
the plain with unmitigated violence, is SO
situated as rather to aggravate than favor
the recovery of disease"
We can but look with disfavor upon the
erection of buildings adjoining the poor
house to be used for hospital purposes. 1t
seems to US useless expenditure of money,
while the objections set forth by the ward
physicians seem sufficient to us to condemn
the locality.
DR.. Hammond, in his admirable work on
hygiene, in speaking of the selecting of
sites for hospitals, says ut Is especially
necessary that the utmost care should be
"taken to secure every hygienic advantage
Sin the location and construction of hos
"pitals, for, unlike other institutions, with
"the exception of prisons, the inmates are
incapable of going out to obtain fresh air
"and light. They must submit to the
condition in which they are placed, and
eff these are such as are inconsistent with
1.-THE requirements of sanitary science, the
"evil falls upon them with much greater
"force than upon those able. bodied per-
'sons who, though they may reside in
"insalubrious habitations, are within the
walls but small portion of the day."
He further states that great pains should
"be taken to secure advantages in other re-
aspects, such as seclusion from noise and
"bustle, facility for the supply of water
land gas, accessibility, &C., &c. The
VICINITY of rivers, canals, ponds, marshes,
"mouths of sewers and other places Of the
"kind which ordinarily give rise to ma
"larious emanatiOns, or those due to the
decomposition of organic matter, should
likewise be Stunned"
We might go on citing eminent hygienic
authorities for substantiating our objections
to the squandering of money for hospital
purposes at the poor house, but we are
satisfied that reasons sufficient have already
been given to condemn it in the minds Of
the people. 1t now remains for the Board
of Health TO see that this most excellent
object, inaugurated at their last meeting,
be pushed TO completion. The winter will
soon be upon us when the want will be more
seriously felt, but if the board fails 10 prop
erly appreciate the necessity, and show any
disposition 10 lag in this movement, we
hope the medical profession, either the
college faculties or the medical society, will
take up this subject, and do what lies in
their power towards accomplishing this
object. We hope before the Centennial to
see such a hospital erected for our poor
that, besides being an ornament to our
city, will redeem the credit of the city and
the city government.