Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-16
Views of the Surgeon-in-C Chief Of the
Freedmen's Hospital.
SHOULD Be A MODEL INSTITUTION
Opposed to Putting II Under Pri-
vate Control.
ANNUAL. REPORT SUBMITTED

DR.. d. H. Williams Surgeon-in-chief OF
Freedmen's Hospital, today made mis- an
nual report to the Secretary of the In
terror for the last fiscal year, giving much
interesting information regarding the con-
dition and needs of the hospital. The re-
pert says:
II deem it necessary at the outset to
reFeat the recommendation already twice
submitted by me with reference to the
need Of new buildings for hospital pur-
poses. This is, in my opinion, the most
urgent present need of the hospital 1t is
absolutely impossible to render the best
professional service to the public through
the means of hospital without the aid of
the best facilities for hospital work, and
among these facilities, as experience has
demonstrated, none are more necessary
than are properly constructed wards, with
proper means for easily controlling heat,
light and ventilation. That the presen.
buildings are Inadequate and i'll adapted
to this kind of service will be apparent on
the merest inspection. They are frame
structures, built on the old army barracks
plan more than thirty years ago, with no
REORGANIZATION or connection, and no
means for properly regulating heat, light
or ventilation. On an occasion OF fire they
would be a ready prey to the flames. and
in emergency it would be exceedingly
difficult, If not altogether impossible, to re-
move the sick and helpless from the wards
before the flames devoured buildings and
inmates. 1 woul1 earnestly invite your
most earnest attention to this condition at
the hospital, because in it is involved per-
haps an irreparable and unnecessary loss
of human life.
Il believe the government could build,
equip and maintain on the present site
substantial brick structures fully adapted
to the needs of the hospital at a cost but
little in excess of the amount now being
expended in maintaining the ill-adapted
frame structures in present use. Aside
from the actual necessities of the case, an
other consideration upon which this recon-
mendation is based, and one which is only
second in Importance to the first, lies in the
fact that since Freedmen's Hospital is the
only institution of it's kind under control
of the government and managed by colored
physicians where the colored people are
received without restriction and without
embarrassments. it should be in a position
to offer that race the best medical service
that the profession can give. Coming from
homes, as many of them do, that offer no
comfort, opposition to disease and no
facilities for properly caring for the sick,
it is but fair to them that they be accord
ed such facilities in this hospital as will
afford them the best means of recovery
from disease and sickness
Should he Model Hospital.
"A third consideration is that this hos
pital is in distinct sense a national in
stitution, and its location at the national
is best and highest in the public mind to-
ward this particular class Of our fellow citi-
zens. 1t should represent the best thought
and best service of the colored physician.
1t should be in large sense the public
training school for the colored physician,
sending him forth into the various COM
munites richly endowed with practical ex-
perience and fully prepared to meet the
intricate requirements of his profession.
Hospitals the world over are the real edu-
a nj 70 hf
this hospital should be modern in it's archi-
lecture and up to date in every feature of
its construction. 1t should have the mos.
approved appliances for handling the sick
and the best facilities for treating disease.
When thus equipped the hospital should
make no apologies or offer any excuses tor
any defects or shortcomings in its man.
agement.
THE government and the people have
right to expect practical results in the con-
duct of an institution like this, and with
proper facilities at hand nothing less should
be expected as satisfactory or reasonable.
There should be no exception to the general
rule III dealing with this institution, either
en- the part of the government the hos
pital, and while under existing conditions
the management of the hospital Is given
over TO colored physicians, it is neverthe-
less true that these physicians should be
held tc strict accountability for the
proper administration of the responsible
trust confided to them, and 1t is equally
imperative that to obtain the best results
the best means should be placed at their
disposal
ed to the proof OF the practical utility Of
the change made in the hospital staff, with
reference to the work assigned to the in
ternes. These officers, consisting of cap
able young graduates from the various
medical schools of the country, have great
ly aided in the work of the hospital, re-
leving the surgeon-in-cnef of many
lighter duties which would otherwise have
demanded time dad in fha
charge of the executive affairs of the in
stitut1on. These young men have given
faithful and efficient service, and form an
indispensable aid in the work.
Nurses Training School.
1.-THE training school for nurses, under
the management Of it's efficient head, has
rendered excellent service during the year
in the care of the sick, and in looking after
the wards. The system of instruction pre-
vfonsly adopted for this branch of the work
has been pursued during the past year. and
in May class of young ladies was grad
uated from the school and sent out fully
prepared to perform the duties of scien-
tifically trained rurses.
Adjunct to Howard University.
''The hospital during the past year has
endeavored more than ever to be an adj
junct of the Howard University Medical
School (upJn whose grounds the hospital is
located. to the end that the said medical
school might have enlarged facilities for
the practical instruction of it's students in
all the branches of medical and surgical
practice. Clinics have been held at fire.
Quent regular intervals. and the medical,
pharmaceutical and dental students are
privileged not only to attend. but to particle
pate In these clinics. During the year
there have been 40 surgical operations of
various kinds performed, including abdomi-
nal. brain and thoracic, with mortality of
per cent. Special attention is here called
to one operation of special surgical interest.
a Caesarfan section, which was success
fully performed on a patient in the Freed
mems Hospital on the 10Th of June of the
present year. This was the first operation
of the kind ever performed in the Freed
mems Hospital, and I am reliably informed
that but one other such operation Is known
to have been successfully performed in the
District of Columbia. Our subject was
dwarf forty-two inches tall and weighed
seventy-two pounds. The infant delivered
weighed seven pounds fourteen ounces,
and was perfect in anatomical farnatio