Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-10-10
ST. ELIZABE THIS
Annual Report of the Government
Hospital for the Insane.
INCREASE IN THE NUMBER PATIENTS
Building Operations and New
Accommodations Needed.
ENT y EARS ESTIM ATES

report was made to Secretary Bliss.
AT the date of the last annual report.
June ~. 1897, there were in the institution
1861 patients. During the past year 437
new patients have been received. OF the
2.2O4 iii the institution, Sol were discharg-
ed. - recovered. % improved 3 were not
insane and 1914 died, so that at the present
time there are .S53 inmates in the institu-
tor.
There are several interesting tables ac
companying the report. showing the
tivity of the patients. the causes of death,
duration of disease, occupation of patients
and like data.
In a summary based on admissions it is
shown that IDS per cent recovered, 1926
per cent improved. 23g per cent unim-
proved and 31.SI per cent died.
Since the opening of the institution in
l>'' 1917 cases have been treated. OF this
number 34IS recovered, 1,149 improved,
-,i26 unimproved and :,4:"i died
Increase ot Patients.
The report continues:
No better evidenc. than these tabl,s is
needed To show that the United States have
entered on an era Of expansion. The Who'll,
number under treatment 2.2n is nearly
lb more than that of any previous year
while the number of admissions 49, has
OF the civil war. The increase of thu army
To quarter of a million of men and the
pld development of the navy since war
was declared against Spain in April last eX-
PIalHs TINS. Although DeaCh is Row in sight,
IRIS increase in the number of hospital in
mates. out of proportion to the Increment
OF recent years. Will continue, since a con
siderable increase in the army will be par
H!dHtht. Moreover, the law as it now
stands provides for the admission here of
Irsan; within three years after their dis
charge from the service from causes which
arose during and We're produced by said
service" In the period from the 21st of
April 10 the Eth of August 1S9S the time
covered by the war. 81 iusan. persons YER"
admitted from the active lists of the army
and Tavy, One-half of whom We're from the
volunteer army. This is against IL received
from the same source during the same per
i1d Of the year 1897. An increase of ad-
missions from this source alone of not less
than - year must be expected and pro-
vidai for.
The daily average number of inmates
curing the year has been 1.I9S. an increase
of s. on that Of the preceding year. The
who'll number of deaths, 1871, amounts to
S."4 per cent of the whole number under
treatment. which Is more than ID per cent
above that of the previous year. This is
due to the advancing age and incident in
trinity of a majority of the inmates rather
than to any prevailing disease, for while
n.aiarial poisoning, il has not resulted in
the al-perVading sickness of some previous
years. Congress has ordered a survey OF
the AracOstia flats looking to their recla-
nation in the near future; and, as a medi-
cine prescribed sometimes has a salutary
effect before it is taken, il may be that tha
hope of succOr thus held out has impaired
ytgOT to the sufferers to withstand the at
tack of the paludinous mcrGbe. 1t is to be
hoped that the good work may now pro-
eress without interruption, to thu trans
formation of these noisOme flats into by
genie pleasure grounds for the nations
pital If ii was the boast of Augustus
that He had found Rome brick and left 1t
marble. may it be said Of the Legislation
of this decade That, finding Washington
miasmatic marsh. it has left II a city of
salubrioUs homas. Such achievement would
b. worthy of the era of empire on which
We appear to be entering.
building Operations.
Extensive building operations have been
carried On during he year. We are at last
to have. in the new Laundry. whose walls
now in process of erection, and whose
plans have been Il matter of careful study,
a building which 1t is believed will be found
ample for the Importance and growing
work of this department.
The Allison buiGir gs for infirm soldiers
and sailors from the National Home for
Disabled Volunteer Soldiers are ractiCally
C mpleted. and will be fully occupied be-
fore the report is issued This is a group of
four buildings of the pavilion type connect
90 with the relief and home buildings. af-
fOrdinG an indoor and outdoor pruVi:,i on
for the sick and feeble ones (who by their
advancing age are every year becoming
more helplcSS) that is more liberal ard in
titing than anything that has hitherto been
developed at St Elizabcth's There i.
ample indoor space for 1853 bedridl n and
feeble men, while the piazza space is act
ually gre tier than that within doors. The
floors Of the latter are of the same level ~
the dDrn,itOry floors. and the dOOrWayS
wide enough to admit of the beds and
CCuchCs on casters being trundled into the
open air. This, for more than half the year
in our climate, is perfect luxury Of
shaded coOlneSs and free ventilation. TIE
poor veteran who. bedrdden. has turned
his face to the wall only to ''babble a Of
green fields that he no longer sees
wheeled cut On these piazZas may again
;LssC Ci&te with the trees, look into their
green leIves, and lying in the morning
light drink i'll its reviviug breeze a little
glazing may transform these same spaces
into winter sun baths to rival Algeria's
hJUset0ps for irValids. When outdoors
means heaven to the bedridden sufferer
why shut him cut of it? These very salts
factory buildings for 100 inmates, with al!
their liberal provision. will be completed
and furnished with the appropriation of
$1,000.
The commitment Of insane persons, from
the Dist"ict of Columbia to the Govern
Hl|nt hospital Tor the insane was fOr many
years under the orderly proceedings laid
down in United States Revised Statutes
sections 4S44 1915 and 1916 which proceed
ngs Wee undoubtedly intended by the
Congress which enacted those provisions
to be all that was necessary 10 determine
/ the insanity and provide for the care of the
| unfortunate sufferer. The Supreme Court
| Of the District of Columbia. in their dccis-
| ion in re Bryant C5 Mackcy Rep. 4s9),
| changed all this. Bryant was an insane
| iran. admitted under sections 1888 and 1854
| but the decision was atterward held to APP
| Ply TO those admitted under sections 1914
| 4sIJ and 1916.
| Necessary Legislation.
| Reference is made to necessary lcgisla-
| ton, and the bill reported by Senator
| Faulkner June l, 1895 is commented upon
| as follows.
| 1t is very much to be hoped that this
! much-needed legislation will be placed on
| the statute books at the coming session of
! the present Congress, and so end the exist.
| ing clumsy proceedings for the commitment
| of the District insane. The clause intro
/ duced and passed in the general deficiency
| bill approved July !, 1898. intended tc
! remedy, does not help matters very niue h
| Aside from the fact that this act makes
| the expense of these trials a part of an
| IiOn for the courts ratbar tbnp q