Evening star., 1897-02-01
.FREEDMEN'S HOSPITAL
Drs, Williston and Childs Write Letter to
Senator Mcmillan.
Some Of DR.. Williams Statements
Severely Criticised-RelntiOns of
Hospital and University.

! Another chapter regarding the pending
| fight over the management of Freedmen's
| Hospital has been contributed by Drs E
| D. Williston and C. W. Childs. These ply
| sicians have written to Mr.. Mcmillan,
chairman of the Senate committee on the
District of Columbia, severely cricising
some of the statements made by Dr. D. H.
Williams in regard to the management of
that hospital They refer to DR.. Villa ms
statement that a change OF management
would be a great detriment to the hos
pitel.
He cid not state" they say, wherein it
would do serious harm, but he stated that
in his efforts to reorganize the hospital
and bring it up to date he had established
nurses training school for the education
OF young colored women. He did not state
that the medical department of Howard
University, Which is occupying the same
premises as the hospital, had a nurses
training school in full operation, with 10
members enrolled, when he assumed charge
Of the hospital, and that this same training
school for nurses was broken up because
he started another, denying the former the
privileges of the hospital. Hence the med
1cal faculty of Howard University had to
close Its doors to nurses, as it was impos-
sibie for them to furnish the practica, /,
training necessary.
Freedmen's Hospital was not in such a
aepioraDie ana antiquated condition when
Dr. llliamS assumed charge as his letter
nllsht infer. His predecessors were men of
Sreater medical experience than he and it
does not stand to reason that their admin
lstration of affairs was so poor that If re-
CURED such great effort on the part of DR.
Williams to rescue it and bring it I'D to its
present status. go
Former Nurses Trimming School,
1t Seems as if DR.. Williams sole DIR
pose In his management of the hospital is
10 subordinate the purpose and aim of that
institution to his pet hobby, the nurses
training school. and his great surgical de-
partment- 1t is fact that only small
percentage of hospital cases require sur
sicai interference The poor and INDECENT
VINO are often denied admttance when suf-
fering for medical attendance wouId he
siadiy received there if their cases re-
CURED operative treatment This condi-
tlon initiates greatly against the hospital.
ana as result there are fewer cases treat
ed In Freedmen's Hospital today than ever
before.
Freedmen's Hospital and Howard Uni
VerSlty are the results of the Freedmen's s
bureau These institutions have lahored
sloe by side and have done heroic service
Ior the emancipated negro. The manage
ment OF the hospital has always been
friendly to the medical college until the
present incumbent, who was appointed nv
secretary Hoke Smith, began to antagonize
anu IN every way possible tried to place
the faculty and the students at a disad
vantage
"All the hospitals in the country are man
aseu ana controlled by boards whose duties
are 10 regulate their affairs and exercise
jurisdiction over them. Why shouId NOT
sucn course be of advantage to Freed
men 81 Why should there be a difference? I?
me interior department has the appointive
csio
trlct supervise its expenditures but no one
INQUIRIES INTO nor assumes responsibility for
the internal workings of the institution
leaving the surgeon in chief undisnuted
hhoHarch OF the entire realm with no one
to check his shortco mings nor to praise his
virtues.
college and Hospital RelatiOnshfD.
The colored physicians of this CITY are
denied the privileges of all hospitals except
Freedmens. The Howard University Medi-
cal College is the only one open to coIored
students Therefore. it is of paramount i'm
portance to the profession and students
That the management of the hospital be in
accord and friendly to the medical college,
We are only contending for right, Justice
and the fitness of things. We are not max
ing war on DIR. Williams. We simply want
Freedmens Hospital managed and con-
trolled in such way that it will rebound
TO the advantage and good of those who
are interested in 1t from a professional
standpoint The medical college has been
considered one of the best in the CITY, and
its clinical advantages surpass all others
because of Its relationship to the hospital
II these institutions are estranged there
will be no advantage to any one and lost
opportunities will be the result 1t is of
paramount Importance that there should
be supervision of this hospital by board
OF disintereSted citizens, who will shape its
policy and TO be responsible for it's meth
DDS You will find upon investigation that
neither the Interior Department nor the
District Commissioners have ever shown
any interest in the internal management or
workings of the institution. We only ask
that you accord to the same rights and
privileges granted to every other hospital
in the city as simple act of justice.
Dr. Williams seems TO be of the opinion
that his tenure of office is about to ter
inmate. as he now proposes that a super
intendent with salary of 81 200 be ap-
pointed, instead of surgeon-in-chief. This
recommendation was so strange that it
called forth an editorial in one of our
papers, which characterized it as some
thing astonishing. Had this been suggested
by Dr. Williams on his arrival here it would
have seemed phianthropic and economical
but his recommendation comes too late to
carry the stamp of sincerity