Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-16
LOCAL NAVAL ESTABLISHMENTS.
Cases of Illness and Their Cause
During the feHr.

Cuses of Illness and Their Cause
During the Year.
The annual report of Surgeon ]. c. Boyd,
acting chief of the bureau of medicine and
surgery, Navy Department, just made
nj, bile contains many matters of local in
tel est.
The necessity of increasing the naval hos
pital accommodations for sick and wound
ed officers and men of the navy becomes
NC re imperative with the enlargement and
growth OF the naval establishment on this
station.
Patients are received at this hospital
chiefly from the navy yard and marine
headquarters, but from time to time they
are transferred here from other hospitals.
fro m coast survey vessels and from other
vessels, foreign or belonging to our own
navy which may be in port. also old sail
ors and marines on the retired list who have
no suitable home, and when taken i'll find
a refuge here.
There is but one separate room in which
a sick officer can be isolated. Additional
accommodations should be provided, SO
that the two principal floors could be al
lotted to patients, the lower or main floor
to officers and the second Hoor to enlisted
men.
The administrative part of the building
should be assigned to an annex. whic..
could be easily built within the present in j.,
closure and ir connection with the hos
pital proper, leaving the entire hospital
The annual estimates submitted for the
fiscal year 1899 contain an item q $4,000
for the proposed building.
While the health of the navy yard during
the past year has no. been satisfactory.
the intensity of disease not great
as in the previous year and the number OF
transfers to hospital and OF sick days was
less. AS compared with 1898, malarlal
feyers. though very prevalent in the sum-
n.er and autumn months. were somewhat
less common. The persons who have SUI
fered most in proportion to their numbers
are the seamen under instruction IL gun
merry. 1t appears that the situation OF the
seamen's quarters is responsible Tor some
of this sickness. as their sleeping quarters
are the lowest in the yard. and only zen
and a half feet above the lowest portion OF
the grounds. Measures nave oeeh unue.-
taken TO improve this condition, as II Is
understood that another building Is peinS
prepared for their Accommodation. II rs
Undoubtedly true however, that the health
of the yard cannot be secured unless the
Anacostia flats be reclaimed.
Surgical treatment was given In sixty
cases Of injuries occurring among workmen
employed in the yard.
While the health of the post al marine
HEADQUARTERS has been satisfactory during
most of the year, malarial disease mas pre-
vailed during the autumn, though not 70
the same extent as in 1895, when II caused
cases treated During the year about one
| ~ ird of the admissions to the SICK HIST were
on account of malarial poisoning. with
the exception Of 1895, when the exacerba-
| tscn was very marked, there has been a
steady increase In malarial disease at this
post 1t is thought very probable that
cases of this disease can be diminished in
number and severity by removing the
sleeping quarters of the men from the
| ground floor. During the last quarter of
| the year there also occurred five cases OF
| IL phoid fever. A careful sanitary survey
| failed to determine a local cause In view
| of the frequent arrival of recruits from
| other points, and the full liberty given the
| N en-, the cause was believed to be without
/ the post. 1. is, however, evident that the
| dc rmitories are old and also badly planned,
! and that other quarters should be provided
| for all those men now sleeping on the
| ground floor. Better facilities are also
| and suitable quarters should be provided
/ for that purpose.