Evening star., 1898-09-22
DR.. CURTIS VIEWS
Recommendations in Regard to the
Freedmen's Hospital,
lHE FAULTS OF DUAL MANAGEMENT
Favors Vesting Control in the In
terror Department.
NEW BUILDINGS NEEDED

NEW BUILDINGS NEEDED
The annual report of DR.. A. M. Curtis
the surgeon-in-chief of the Freedmen g
Hospital, which was submitted to the Sec
retary of the Interior today, says:
In referring to the condition, manage
ment and needs of the hospital. and in
making such recommendations as seem to
me important. you are respectfully request
ed to carefully consider and give due
weight to the recent report of the board of
visitors, dated June "a. 1898, whose very
exhaustive treatment of every subject
touching the welfare of this institution
leaves little to be said in the restricted
space which must be devoted to my report
AS shown in that report, many irregulari-
ties therein referred To had already been
discovered. and such reformation as was
possible had been inaugurated directly
after my advent as surgeon in chief. To
give .2cT1raEeECy to the reforms such a
board, rc9-eseTting the Secretary Of the
Interior. was necessary. 1t is Il subject of
congra tulation that SO efficient a board
was chosen. l desire TO acQuiesce in their
said report, and to reiterate all their rec
concentrations.
When l assumed charge of this hospi-
tai. CT A.'riI l. 159S l found mere than "a
mere almshcuse. Here was an Institution
classified INTO several O. departments Of prac-
teal hospital work. with a modern aInbu-
lance service, a training school for nurses
consisting of efficient corps of inteA-
gent and skinful young women and a sys-
tenn OF interneship composed of graduates
from various medical colleges. Smallpox
was discovered in one of the wards OF the
day of my advent. The case having been
here one week. many were exposed to the
contagiOn, resulting in the development of
other cases, which required several weeks
of quarantine, thus. for d period of six
weeks, practically preventing the routine
work of the hospital. Our escape from a
dreadful contagion and a large mortality
was dhe more to kind Providence than to
our vdunted artiseTtics, for ] can conceive
of no better media ior the spread of infec-
ton and cortagion than the unsanitary
buildlnSs we use as wards In this connec-
ton 1t Will be noticed from the tabuated
statistics that the number of patients adj
mitted during the past fiscal year was
800. as compared with 2,S15 for the pre-
Fious year, ending June 80 1897. This in
measure, is accounted for in the fact that
the hospital was closed to admissions dur
Ing a period OF about six weeks, while un-
der quarantine.
An Unfortunate Arrangement.
In addition to what has been said by
management of this hospital by the Secre-
tary of the Interior and the Commiss toner's
of the District, it is well to say that my ex-
perence as surgeon-in-chief covering a
period of three months, has clearly demon
strated that the present arrangement is, to
say the least, very unfortunate The sit
u9t ton Is eXasperat.ng n the extreme since
the surgeon-in- n-chief often finds that in his
ehorts to carry cut the rules approved by
the Secretary OF the Interior for the gov
erEmenJ of the hospital, he runs counter
to the specific instructions enanating from
the commissioners of the District He is
therefore, frequently unable to determine
what course TO pursue in matters which
offer opportunity for conflict of authority
The situation is rendered all the more
embarrassing when some Of the officers
serving under the Commissioners of the
District take advantage of every technical
point afforded by the act of March 3, 1893
ca Stat. L., ch. 5JD, which seems to CON
traVene the authority of the Secretary of
the Interior. With view to changing the
existing bisected jurisdiction, which has
been aptiy spoken Of as 'unwfse and mex
pedlent, ! would respec tfuliy recommend
that you request Congress TO place the hos
p{tal management ard finances under the
absolute control of the Department of the
Interior The many changes inaugurated
in the conduct of affairs at the institution
the formulation of rules and regulations to
govern 1t, and the higher standard of eff
ficiency established here are material evil
dences OF the necessity for the cGncentra-
ton of jurisdiction under dominating
head, who will personally direct and super
Vis9 It's proper administration.
The Needs.
Il. \ room for pathological work, which
in modern hospitals is a necessary adjunct
to successful scieEufic investigation and
diagnosis both in surgery and medicine.
. An examining rom for na1iaDtc an
plying for admission. At present there are
no proper facilities for performing these
duties, it being necessary to consult aD-
p,icants in the hallway. exposed TO public
gaze.
'.$, An cffice room for the surgaon-in-
chief who is row compelled to transact
official business in the pubic reception
room or his private apartmen s.
4. y ch.tdrCn's ward for ihe purpose Of
treating diseases peculiar 10 that Tortion
Of humanity. ThcIc are many applicants
of tins class ard Il is not desirable from
any point Of view to have children in a
ward with adults. This. however, has
been unavoidable IN more than one in
stance. and | would respectfully reques;
that you take the proper steps thus to
afford relief to that portion of suffering
humanity who often canLot find succor
elsewhere.
- New and modern hospital buildings.
The primary object fer the establishment
Of the Freedmen's Hospital was to furnish
relief and care to the unfortunate and
suffering members of the colorad race, but
its ultimate end has been the accomplish
ment Of more than this noble purpose, as
eXemp!ifed in the training of young color
ed women as profe ssicnal nurses and in
affording an opportunity to the young ply
slclans of that race TO acquire proficiency
in the science Of nedicine and surgery. In
spite of the difficulties incident to the use
of such dilap'dated structures as wards a
high degree of progress and advancement
in hospital work has been attained in this
mstitution-suffic.ent indeed, TO demon
stratc the possibilities of its highest and
best usefulness should a generous govern
ment ever see fit 10 construct modern briak
buildings. That we are in need of an en-
ureiy lew hospital plant is indisputable
and seiC-evident. This lorg-felt wan has
been brought TO the attention of the Secre-
tGry of the Interior in several successive
annual reports submitted by the former
surgeOn-in-chief. II was forcibly presente1
in detail in the report recently submitted
by the board of visitors, and was mention
ed in the report to Congress by the joint
select committee to investigate the char
titles of the District. 1 desire to emphasize
Qm7nmm1 a.