Evening star., 1898-04-08
ccnscientiousiy fulfilled its duty oil mt
morializing Congress.
congregational Aid Asked,


Conrressional Aid Asked.
,,,o .r,,,ments of the memorial of the
heard of health and the medical society
,..rs embodied in report made to the
Senate nv Mr. Williams on January L.
1s3s IT appears that even in those days
osed and infirm soldiers and sailors from
e,-erv mart of the United States were dc-
crstomed To visit Washington to prosecute
their pension and other claims, anu ~
. often became a charge upon the puuo ~
and also that great suffering ana ioss Va
life were the cOnsequences-as curing the
cholera epidemic of 1S32-of having NO
regular hospital The debt OF the ci,y y. "
washington being then $S2aNp, ana i .ne
rate of interest = per cent per annum' ,,n ,ne
tax of more than 75 cents upon every sio
of property liable to taxation was 80 sreat
, burden as to preclude the supporting
hospital by general taxation Mo.eoNs. !,
a large portion of the property IN tne cry
TeIoneed TO the government, and paid noth-
ing toward the necessary expenditures VI
the city; otherwise. there would @ De mo n1
reed for such call on Congress. Inc nli,
vas reported with an amendment hIlltiiiS
to s75 HOO the entire expenditure for a
hosnitaI to accommodate between % anu
20 insane and about 100 INDECENT SICK lne
bin. however, failed. and after SIN sea
OF appealing to deaf ears, the poaro vi
health desisted for a time. only to renew
tho attack later and with success
After struggling along for nearly hali a
century without any pubic nospisai iaSii
ties Washington obtained lts II ;y,-
n;taI through one of those blunderS OF I'M
p,'isa p,tsl 70 which legislative bodies are sub
ject.
rha act of August %, 1912, appropriated
s1o 600 to be spent in fitting up the Old JAIL
I'm Judiciary Square for use as an insane
asylum. The repairs having been complet-
ed. it was found expedfent to continue TO
send some insane patients to nospilaIs IN 10
other cities and to coniine others IN Jaiis
and almshouses. There pelI,s no use e;o o,,. ~.
the newly fitted asylum Congress gracious
Iv passed the act of June 10, 1Sf4, WHEREBY
the commissioner of public builainSS was
..,1ir,cted to allow the medical facuity CT
Columbian College to occupy the insane san.
ated in Judiciary Square, in washington,
for the purpose of an infirmary, for medlcai
instruction and for scientific purposes, on
condition that they shall give satisfactory
security to keep the said building in repair
and return it, with the grounds, to the gov
ernment in as good condition as they are
low in, whenever required to do So
On Friday. June 20. 1St4. Drs- Iho.nas
Sewall, Harvey Lindsly. Thomas Miller,
John NJ Thomas, William P. Johnston and
Charles G. Page-they being the medical
faculty of the college at the tlmNmet
Commissioner of Public Buildings William
Noland and jointly signed the lease and
bond of $4,000 conditioned on the faithful
observance Of the terms Of the act of Con-
gress. These gentlemen, says Dr. Toner,
deserve the lasting gratitude OF the conf
nunity and the highest respect and admi-
ration of their, professional brethren for th.
tact. energy and enterprise displayed in es-
tabishing the Washington Infirmary."
The faculty, at their own expense, pro-
ceeded to furnish the building and to make
those improvements and alterations that
were necessary to adapt it to hospital uses,
and about the middle of July opened the
first general hospital In Washington. Pa
tients from the city or country were admit
ted upon paying to the steward a small
sum for board, the medical attendance of
the faculty being furnished gratultously.
Clinical lectures were given daily, and th..
poor OF Washington received advice and
medicines without charge during an hour
each morning.
From the beginning the institution found
favor with the public. and in 1S4S Congress,
urged thereto by the faculty and by promi-
nent citizens Of the District, appropriated
s., 600 "for the support, attention, and med,
ical treatment of twelve transient paupers,
medical or surgical patients, In the WASH
ington Infirmary, to be expended under the
buildings" The physicians and surgeons
of the infirmary were required to give
bonds for the maintenance Of twelve pau
per patients during one year, II application
be made for their reception. or bind them
selves to keep rooms for the accommodation
Of twelve pauper patients weekly on an
average during the year. Such was the
amount appropriated and such were the
conditions for six years from 1913 TO 1Gds.
and the amounts actually expended ewere
81 800 in 1849, 8, 100 In 1850. 5000 In each
Of the next three years. and 1900 In 1854.
Thus. at the very beginning of hospital
appropriations. Congress- established the
principle Of specific payments for specific
service.
So thoroughly did the institution COM
meLd itself to the public 1t served that