The times., 1898-12-16

vania Hospital .at Philadelphia. These
physicians were requested by the Joint
select committee 10 inspect 9ld report on
the condition OF the District hospitals
They made two visits TO Washington, in
spected the Children's Hospital. the CO.
lumbia Hospital for Women and I.ylng-I In
Asylum, the Central Dispensary and
Emergency Hospital, the Freedman's Hos
pitai, the Garfield Memorial Hospital, The
National Homeopathic Hospital and the
Home for lncurables
Both physicians have been unusually
successful in the field of hospital manage
ment and were highly commended at the
conclusion of their work for the pains
taking, lucid and impartial consideration
gwen by them to. the intricate and per-
picking problems with which they were
asked TO deal. -.a.l +tf
Drs Hurd and Chaplin called attention
TO the want of suitable provisions for
the treatment of milder contagiou dis
eases. 1t was pointed out that a mix
lure OF greed and ignorant fear was eff
fective in preventing the establishment
OF isolating buildings for the treatment
OF such cases in connection with sew
erai OF the general hospitals The select
committee stated that for want of such
provision lives We're being sacrificed and
disease being spread through the Dis
trict
Hospitals are drawing annually tens
OF thousands of dollars from the District
treasury, reported the special Joint
committee on charities. ''and at the
same time, absolutely refuse to make
reasonable provision for the treatment
of those diseases which, as every med
ical man knows. can be. treated not only
with the greatest success in hospitals
oul with absolutely no danger either TO
the health of the neighborhood or to the
value OF the surrounding real estate The
time has come when common humanity
demands that appropriations be made
contingent on the hospitals supplying ac-
commodations so imperatiyely demanded
by the community, and for which Con-
eress has already provided the money,
Inc opinion OF the members of the Joint
select committee, including Senators Nc
MILAN, Faulkner and Martin is that tn,
ordinary hospital Accommodations of
Washington are in excess of any lepiti
mate demand, and that as The aporonria
tions for the support OF such institutions
are more than sufficient to provide for IN.
treatment of the really poor and destitute
the hospital work of the city should be
thoroughly reorganized.
Hospital ReorganIzation.
In the great work of hospital reorganza-
ton the joint select committee recon-.
mended that the undertaking should be.
gin with Freedman's Hospital, the officers
of which are now opposed to the munich
pal hospital bill. 1t was pointed out that
the institution occupies Il site and build
inss entirely unsuited to hospital work
and that, while it is supported by the
District, il is nominally managed by the
Secretary of the Interior. "As matter
of fact say the committeeman. there ia
no management worthy Of the name and
il speaks well for the honesty of those in
charge that Congress has not oftener
been called upon to investigate It's af
fairs. The surgeon in charge has no pow
er over the admissions and dismissions of
inmates He must take in all who bring
orders from the Interior Department,
where no adequate examination is made
into the merits of the cases He also re.
ceives persons sent by the physicians
the poor and those who apply in person
Although established and ostensibly main
tanned for the benefit of the colored peo-
pie, about one-third of the hospital popu
lation are white. and very considerable
proportion of the entire number are legiti-
mate patients for an inebriate asylum
Patients known to be perfectly able to
pay Tor thelr accommodations are re-
ceived and cared for at the expense OF
the District, and there is now no way
preventing this state of affairs. Added
to these considerations is the fact that the
hospital is unduly expensive. Although
the hospital furnishes the means of In
struction for the medical department of
Howard University, 1t pays to the uni
versity an annual rental of $1,000 for
ground and for a portion of one building
The total expenses of the institution are
s54 900 year, a sum grossly dispropor
tionate to the amount of medical and sur
gical work actually done at the hospital
Drs. Hurd and Chaplin, after an inves-
tigation reported to the joint select COM
mittee that the pavilion wards suggest
ed but a temporary use and a makestift
at some emergency period and that the
interior and exterior of the pavilions and
wooden structures showed a gradual de-
terioration from constant use and ne
glect or inability to make necessary re-
pairs. They pointed out other defects.
If at any time the necessity existed