Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-03
WORK OF ASYLUM HOSPITAL
Dr. D. Percy Hickling, Visiting Physician,
Makes His Annual Report.
Improvement i'm the Nursing Noted
preparation Asked For.

DR.. D. Percy Hickling, the visiting ply
sician to the hospital of the Washington
Asylum, today submitted to the District
Commissioners his statistical report Of the
operations of the institution during the
year ending June 80, 1898. From this re-
port 1t appears that there was an increase
Of 1874 patients treated during the year,
with slight decrease in the mortality
from 10 40 per cent to Is lilo ler cent.
No accurate record was kept of the medical
and surgical work done outside of the hos
pital throughout the entire year, but from
records covering a period of nearly six
months, DR.. Hickling says, it is shown
that over 4 200 patients were treated during
the year
DR.. Kicking says he desires to note the
great improvement in the nursing at the
hospitals Through the kindness of the
training school in connection with the Chill
drens and Columbia hospitals the asylum
authorities were enabled to replace the in
competent nurses by pupil nurses, who
have added greatly to the comfort of the
patients and the Improvement of the hos
pital. The completion of the steam heat
ing plant added m CHI, states DR.. Hickling,
to the comfort of The patients during the
winter, and enabled the wards to be kept
at a proper temperature, both day and
night A special diet kitchen has been es-
tapnshed during the year, but it has been
quite limited in its usefulness, owing to the
small number of nurses and lack of funds
to keep it stocked.
What is Required.
Inc institution, says DIR. Hickling. is not
only doing the work of a general hospital
In all that 1t implies, but is required to
take care of the worst class of cases, such
as are generally refused admission in other
hospitals, and yet. declares DIR. Kicking.
these cases are of such nature as to ap-
peal to the charity of the city. He in
II IT,,
curabIes epiieptics, paralytics, prisoners
diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles, whoop-
Ing cough, erysipelas. septicemia. gan
creme. syphilis, besides all classes or dis
eases of the skin.
In order to take care of these cases in a
humane and proper manner, without ell
Gansering the health and lives of the III
mates of the hospital Dr. Kicking SAYS
therefore recommends an appropriation of
$4,000 for building and furnishing a re-
ceiving ward, to be so constructed as 70
provide for their care. Such a building he
thinks. would also protect the inmates of
the hospital from disturbances and infec-
tons of any description. and should con-
tam fumigating rooms for the proper care
OF the clothing of the inmates. An appro-
priation of $1,000 for building new mater
nity ward is also recommended, the one
now used being far from satisfactory and
having neither the room nor the appliances
LOT the proper treatment of such cases
Should Also he a Nursery
There should, the doctors say, also be a
nursery connected with this building. An
ambulance for emergency service and for
the transportation of patients is also recon-
mended. the sum of 5000 being thought
sufflcient Another recommendation is for
three cooks at $40. SO and $50 a month re-
spectiyely, it being impossible, says the
doctor, for two cooks, receiving s. and $40
respectively, to do the cooking for 100 peo-
pie, The sum of Sl,0oo is asked for repairs
to the bath rooms and closets of the female
wards, $4,000 to furnish the nurses home
provide clothing for the patients, furniture
sterilizers and new washstand for the
operating room, and $50 month for a
matron, who should, the visiting physician
thinks, be a trained nurse and take an
active part in the nursing at the hospital
Statistics Furnfxhed.
The following statistics of the hospital
are given: Number Of patients July l., 1897,
60; admitted during year, 1876; number Of
births, SO; discharged, 700; deaths lis; in
hospital July /, 1888. So; total. 9ol: white
males, 317. white females, III: colored
males ZIG; colored females 237; daily aver.
age, 50; number of prescriptions COM
pounded, 2S,9C0; patients treated in aims
and warehouses;, 4,062; insane cases exam
ined, 81.