The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-27

The District Commissioners have under
consideration at the present time pro-
! posals to sell various tracts Of land for
the site of tine proposed Municipal Hos
pital Advertisement for these proposals
was made pursuant to a clause in the
District appropriation act, approved June
6, 1900. in which s1OO, coo was set apart
| for the purpose. and the Commits toner's
authorized to make the purchase.
The action of Congress in adopting this
clause was the result. first of an agita-
ton in favor of a municipal hospital on
the part OF The press and the people of
Washington,s and secondly of an inyestiga-
ton of the subject made by the Senate
Committee on the District of Columbia
The enquiry referred to was an exhaustive
one, in which not only the local field was
gone over. but the experience of other
cities in this country and Europe was con-
side!ed. The views of the officials of the
| District government were solicited, and
/ experts from elsewhere were invited 10
Washington and examined by the commit
tee. AS a result the Senate Committee
arrived at the conclusion that the District
should have public hospital of its own
for the reception and treatment of in
digent persons and others who are public
charges. The Senate Committee embod-
isd a clause in the District bill and Sc
cured its passage, appropriating 100000
for a suitable site for the building or
buildings. and leaving to the future the
question of designs. plans, specifications,
and construction.
In choosing site from the 100 or more
tracts offered to the Commissioners they
will be- guided by certain fundamental re-
quirements of the proposed hospital One
important thing will be to secure a tract
of sufficien dimensions to afford suitable
surroundings. Other things being equal
the Commissioners doubtless will select
the largest tract which can be purchased
with the money available. Another point
of equal Importance is that of accessi- |
bility. The hosoital should be upon one
of the principal thoroughfares of the sub
urban part OF the District in order to be |
easily reached by the carriages or anbu- /
lancea in which Datients would be convey |
ed to 1t. Then. too. the location should |
be near enc OF the street car lines for /
the convenience Of the nurses and atten- |
Gants. as well es the friends of patients |
and visitors TO The institution Therefore, |
while the Commissioners will naturally |
seek large tract and sufficiently remote
from the city fo assure quiet fer the sick.
they viii seiect-a place within easy reach
of street convexances. including the street
cars.
Need of a Public Hospital.
The District government pays annually
the sum of s75, goo and upward TO private
for the care and treatment of
persons who would be taken to the public
hospital if one existed. This amount is in
creasing from year to year as the city
grows and its needs enlarge Looking
forward, say, FIVE years, the District
will be paying 100000 annually for the
care Of public charges In private institu-
tions. This amount at . per cent would
bui and equip hospital equal to those
which are the pride of the cities of the
olG world. After it was built and in oper-
alton the cost of maintenance could not
exys.ed the amount paid annually to private
Institutions, while the facilities for taking 4
care of District patiepts would be vastly
increased. The proportionate cost of car
ng for many patients is less than for a
lew on the scale Of economy; therefore
he testimony of experts agrees that the
public hospital is best.
Another important fact tc be considered
s that while the District pays about s75.-
100 annually for the support and treat
nent of public patients. it does not re-
'eive at the hands of private hospitals the
deserved. From one 20 five
lines each Inostl the Sanitary Officer of !
he Police Department applies at the Gar
ielG Hospital, Columbia Hospital the
'reedman's Hospital, or the Providence
hospital for-tte-reception of a patient and
5 refused. Sometimes applications at all
them are turned down and he is obliged
o take his patient TO the Washington Asy-
UNI, the only public institution which can J
eceive them. All these institutions are
aid large sums annually either from spe-
ial appropriations by Congress or from
lnds placed in the hands of the Commits
toner's for the purpose. !
One night lastMarch the Sanitary Of1cer =
'as summoned TO the bedside of a woman
Tho needed immediate medical assistance !
nd rho would have to submit to a sur
icsl operation for relief She was in =
overly and Il public charge In a driz- !
liz rain she was placed in an ambulance
Al driven successfully TO the hospitals
above. Her case was of a Sc y
lous character and she was refused ad- .
iission. though at the Freedmans Hos
ital the Sanitary Officer was told that = :
be would be received but for lack Of beds. !,
Inally she was taken to the Washington
sylum in an exhausted condition where =
er case was attended to in what else !
here would be known as the poorhouse. !
From this circumstance il would appear J.
lat the private hospitals are willing !.
lough to take public money, but play the :
Il of the Pharisee when anything like g d
ironic case or one Of difficult surgery is r
rought TO them. =
Another phase OF the question is that :
lie private hospitals are only incidentally 2
nd secondariIy public institutions They
Ike care of private patients first who pay
lem well. and then. If there is room. and
le patients of the public are not too sick, T.,
icy may be admitted.
Hospitals of smnII Capacity.
In his last annual report Herbert w.
evils, Superintendent of Charities, said on
lis point: g
ut may appear surprising that in city -
here there are 50 many hospitals rs we
ave in Washington. and where the amount o,
appropriated for medical charity is 50 N
rge. such need should exist. The I,
Jason for It viii be found in the fact that c,
le capacity Of none of the public or pri- 81
ate hospitals is great; that all of the | q,
rivate and one Of the public hospitals do "a
riyate as well public work thus re- q,
icing their capacity for charitable serv- W
e; and that, being entirely independent W
the matter OF the admission of patien az
Id the division of space between charity m
Id paid work. and desiring TO treat an
ndue proportion OF surgical cases, the
lronic incurable charity cases are very
rgely excluded from the private hospitals y,
well as from Columbia and Fraedman's ~
hich, although considered as public in G,
itutions. are not subject 10 the control r.,
District officers who are charged with ";
e duty of providing charitable hospital 50
re for those in need. an