Evening star., 1898-06-28
Report Of the Board of Visitors on
the Freedmen's Hospital.
IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS MADE
Separation of the Institution from
Howard University Advised.
Oh A N GES GGESTED

complete reorganization of the Freed
mems Hospital, together with a rearrange-
| ment of the salaries Of the employees
The reorganization goes into effect on the
1st Of July next, the beginning Of the new
fiscal year, and is directly the result of the
report of the board of visitors recently ap-
pointed to investigate the institution.
The report of this board shows cond-
ton of affairs at this institution not only
loose In method but in execution. 1t shows
among ether things that great opportunity
has existed for defrauding the government,
and it makes strong irtimations of loose
Eess that are characterized as criminal
The report, which was submitted to the
Secretary of the Interior today was the
result of an exhaustive and thorough in
vestigation on the part of the board of vs-
itors, which consists of Messrs. George w.
Evans, w. T. Pierson and Dr. John j.
Darby of the Interior Department.
When Congress appointed a special COM
mittee to investigate the subject of char
tiles and correction in the District of Co.
lumbia Secretary Bliss decided to have an
investigation on his own account of those
institutions which came under ehis SUPER
vision. Accordingly the aforementioned
board of visitors of Freedmens Hospital
was appointed and special directions were
given to make an immediate investigation
OF that institution.
Methods Discussed.
After devoting considerable space to the
history of the hospital the board takes UP
ssrratim the several departments of the
institution and discusses the methods in
vogue under each.
Touching the subject Of temporary
asylum to the transient population the
board recommends a discontinuance of the
practice and that the hospital be used in
the future only for the care and treatment
Of the sick.
A new system governing admissions is
recommended.
The board criticses the establishment of
a training school for nurses at the hospital
and says that no authority of law exists for
this. and while recommending its discon-
tinuance believes Congress should make
special provision for such a school. The
board recommends a discontinuance of the
practice of paying the internes salary,
but recommends they be given, free of
charge, board and lodging within the hos
pital 1t Is recommended that the number
of internes be increased to six. There are
row four The board, while speaking in
high terms of the, superintendent of the
training school for nurses takes away from
her much of the power which she hereto
fore enjoyed. In the event that Congress
authorizes a continuance of the training
school the board recommends that pupil
gether with their board, lodging and wash
ing. 1t Is recommended that the internes
and pupil nurses of the hospital be with
drawn from the classified service.
The Lease Of the Hospital.
Considerable space is devoted to a discus
sion of the buildings and grounds of the in
stitution and tbs conditionlupon which they
are used The board criticises very freely
the existing lease between the hospital and
Howard University, and expresses the opin
ion that the $4,000 annually paid Howard
ample. The report discusses at length that
provision of the lease which provides that
the hospital shall furnish facilities for elm
ical instruction to the students of Howard
University, and strongly recommends that
Howard University be wholly detached
from the Freedmens Hospital: that 1t
should find other facilities for the proper
education of it's pupils out of the annual
appropriation with which Congress andows
it. The board recommends that the univer-
sity be required to remove its lecture room.
laboratory, dissecting rooms, etc, to other
quarters where they could in no way con-
hict with the interests the government
of the hospital itself. If it should be deem
ed a hardship to require the removal of
the university Immediately. the board urges
the immediate surrender by Howard Uni
versity of the two rooms on the first floor
of the brick building. now used as dental
parlors, and the utter transfer of the dental
department from all of the buildings now
used by the hospital. and that the new
occupied by the university be vacated by
January, 1899.
New Hospital Needed.
The board says there is very urgent ne
cessity for new modern brick building to
contain all the wards of the hospital This
building could be erected at cost but little
In excess of the amount now being expend-
ed for maintaining the old frame structure
row in use. These buildings are old, dilapi-
dated and unfit for hospital purposes. Their
sanitation is bad, and there is no way to
heat or ventilate them. In case of fire or
remove all of the sick and helpless from
the wards. In this connection it is recon-
mended that each ward be provided with
suitable means for extinguishing fire.
The board found that the building erected
at cost of $500 for the specific purpose
of caring for contagious diseases had been
diverted from that use to a home for
nurses. The board says in this onnection
that not only have the hospital authorities
failed to make use of the effective means
provided at public expense to treat conta-
gious diseases, but 1t has been violating the
law evary day. Such a state of things
should be discontinued at once and a
Irompt and effectual provision made to
care for sporadic cases of the class indi-
Gated arising in the hospital.
CnreIessness in the Drug Department..