The Washington times., 1902-05-25
Hospitals Taxed to Ca
pacity With Patients
With Acute Troubles.
THOSE IMPROVING SENT OFF
Often Cause of Relapse-oppoTtunity
for Philanthropist-Necds of Subur-
ban Institution for Patients Still
Weak Voiced by DT. Woodward.


IL Washington unwittinElv should hap.
pen TO be the home of some bread mind
Cd philantbropist and humanity lover on
the lockout for some splendid means OF
expression for warmth Of heart and
goodness. combined with dollars. such
az individual need not wait long FOR
such a means of expression
The Capital OF the nation needs hos
pital or home for convalesccnts almost
as much as II needs emergency or acute
hospitals. and it needs i; every day. a
considerable number Of patients are ad-
mitied to the acute hospitals or the citv
daily. and according to tho statements
Of persons in authority, in order to
make room for these patients an equal
number Of old patients-convaiesc
mist be daily discharged.
That The greater. more urgent neces-
sity Of thc new patients renders it alb
soiutcly necessary often to discharge
convalescent patients much earlier than
would be the case we're the hospitals
less crowded. is. of course. no fault of
the new patients or the hospital authori-
lies; but it is none the less hard for
the convalescents who are not yet well
enough to go home.
Colvalescent Home Needed.
a convalescent home or hospital for
the poor sufferers of Washington is what
is urgently needed to remedy the ills
suggested in the foregoing statement.
This home CT hospital should be located
in the country if possible. and. wher-
ever situated, it cannot be brought into
existence too soon.
delicate. apparently very weak |
woman. attracted general attention on
Pennsylvania Avenue street car one |
day last week by her evident weakness. |
To a sympathetic fellow passenger she |
oonfided her plight and told true story |
OF how she had been obliged to leave one
OF the hospitals OF the city before her
restoration TO health had been entire
ly effected.
I've had typhoid fever" was the
woman's story, -and I'm still quite weak
But so many patients entered the hos
pital right along that they can't make
loom enough, ever, so they have to LET
tie people who are getting better 20.
They certainl. were good to me while
was sick, but | wish | could have
stayed little longer.
I'm not strong enough to go TO work :
just yet, and cheap boarding house is
q poor place fo- a woman who is too
weak TO take care of herself. ! haven't
enough money to get milk and broths
md all sorts Of things. either But /
ant complain. Lots of sicler people
han me have to be taken care Of al
ways. ard I'm not blaming the hospital
,eople one Bit .
Had there been a convalescent home
= hospital to which the hospital peo-
lie" could have sent her she would ]
ave been in much better care and have !
ad far better chances OF speedy re-
Urn to good health and strength.
Dr.. Woodward's Views. !
Such an institution is needed right
ere in Washington, and needed badly"
bid DR.. William c. Woodward. the
ealth officer OF the District. "A conva- a
scent home or hospital would be =,
ne thing II is a question Of the most |.
rgent need with the patients. always. r
he hospitals keep the weak but con- al
ilescent patients just as long as pos NJ
BILE, and l do not believe that any are o.,
'er discharged until their condition So
s-rants this. ..
There are two reasons why hospi-
Is cannot retain the patients in many
ses until they have entirely recovered
the first place there is not room
Ous.h oil f,
ought there for treatment, and in A..
me manner bed must be secured for pi
me sick person with whom delay Of D.,
means death Secondly. most pa p,,
nts nave better and spcedier chance ~,
recovery In their own homes. II they C-i,
We any friends to take care OF them / -
they could possibly have in an acute ~
spitai. where he or she must lie in q -"
] all the time in the same building "a
h scores of other patients having all -
rs OF infectious diseases ,,
But in many cases these GONZALES ~, r.
IT'S who are sent away from the hos 20 20
ais arc the sole waCe -earners for 20
&c families. and thus the family is ~,
only confronted with their own sup - ~
I. but they must provide food and aia
hans medicines a., ~ -,,ta,', o' 80, Me-
overy. which. under such circu-n Nc'
noes. may be quite slow. Ne'
As IL is the hospital authorities are Noi
oubtedly very careful 10 retain the on
Tents until all danger is passed. but flt'
re is liitle doubt that they might SAL
ietimes be retained little longer 81
atty 10 their advantage. 81
Should Be in Suburbs. Wa
Such an institution as a home or
1,al for convaiescents. continued
Woodward. should not bc in the
; it should be put somewhere out in
suburbs. whore fresh air could be II
in abundance. and the din OF a big ,op,
cntirei! dispensed with. At such a -,
Q the poor sufferer when able 10 ~
c bed could sit about on Tho lawn 10
derive the benefits OF pure air and ne
h!ne Ho
D this way his restoration would be ~, -,
ted TAR more speedily than in a city
iial or In his own house. hospi- ",
'or convalescents cannot be cstab- III
d too quickly In Washington. Its ma
is imperative. But II the truth M.u ~
known. this samc need is felt VI VI
where. and II Is a wonder that II
scheme has not been put into prac- "a IA
before. 10
Est