Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-22

OF cf1ef OF the consulting stan
! Appeal Made to Public.
With this start an appeal was made TO
| the public for donations and subscriptions.
| and in short time a sufficient sum was
secured to warrant the leasing of build
| ing known as the Hill Mansion on the
| northwest corner of 18th street and Massa-
chusetts avenue The hospital was opened
| for patients in March, 1856. At the first
| meeting of the board of trustees, or di-
rectors, it was decided that application
should be made to Congress for an appro-
priation, and on the strength of the rep
reservations that were made the sum OF
$4,000 was appropriated, and the hospital
was placed on a firm basis
The first year was remarkable in the his
tory of such an institution, in that no
deaths occurred among the patients treated,
despite the number of delicate operations
performed and the number of patients that
were treated for various ailments from
time to time. The first year established
standard of excellence which has ever
since been maintained and today Colum-
| bia Hospital is reckoned as one of the
best institutions for the treatment of wo-
men in the United States.
The hospital was non-sectarian from the
start Its board of directors for the first
president; Rev. C. H. Hail. D. D., and Rev.
D. P Gurley, D. D.. vice presidents;
Moses Kelly, treasurer; Rev j. n Coombs,
secretary and Dr. G H: Nichols Ghar I1
Corcoran, ANGEL ST. John. Henry D. Cooke,
DR. j. H. Thompson and Dr. P. ]. Hor-
WITT U. S. n. The medical and surgical
staff included DR.. ]. H. Thompson, surgeon
in-chief; Dr. Robert Reyburn, assistant;
Dr. Joseph X Barnes. U. S. A; DR. Jushua
Riley, DIR. Thomas Miller, DR. A. Y r Car
nett DR.. w. P. Johnson, DR.. Grafton Tyler
and DR.. Flodoardo Howard
Supported by Government.
From its beginning the hospital was prac-
tically supported by the government, the
appropriations varying from 10000 to $780,
900 per annum, with such additional APP
propria tions as were needed for repairs to
the building from time to time. These
appropriatiOns for repairs, 1t might be SAID,
have gradually increased, running all the
way from $500 to $1,000 per year.
1t was in 1872 that the Maynard man.
sion was secured by the government tor
the hospital at cost of S2o,O09, and $ioOO
additional was appropriated to make alter
ations and repairs. The year after the IN
stitution was moved to its present quarters,
in 1873, Congress provided Sl9ooo TO coili-
plete the alterations and S2SOO0 for support
In 1875 the sum of $4,000 was appropriated
for the purchase of additional land and
S24 900 for support.
Congress has never been quite so nberai
with the hospital since that time: AT the
time of the purchase of the building the
government took a closer interest IN the
work of the institution, and by act OF
three additional directors were added TO
the board one to be member of the
Senate appointed by the president OF the
Senate. and the other two TO De members
of the House of Representatives, to be APP
Dointed by the Speaker. The institution
nrospered and except for the eVer-neces-
sary item of repairs did not ask Congress
for anything extra beyond the regular ap
preparation for support until 1888, wheh tne
v,ast wing of the building was EXTENDED.
From the pay patient fund a frame eN!en-
sion was made on the east, Where tne lying
in asylum was established, and this build
.ing has heen further enlarged at intervals
A ,urses' school was established IN CON
nection with the hospital, ana every iaci-
ity provided student nurses lot Inc Pio'
c,Ition of their studies. ;. 49,
building that houses Columbia Hospital ~
day 1t has the same walls with "ncn !.
started in 1873, but that is anout an ina ina
remains of the old building. The structure
itself is one mass of patches. IL retains
enough of it's ancient style of architecture
to DEFY the most accomplished builders IN
efforts to make it modern. Its water ana
1ighting systems are of the old style. Pa
tients on the third or fourth 1loors recurring
hot water must wait until the nurse meats
some or can make a trip to the oDeratlng
room where it is kept heated at all times,
as the facilities of the institution do not
permit furnishing hot water higher than
the second floor.
The operating room is the only feature of
the institution that can be called anywhere
near perfect and it might be termed one
of the last patches applied to the building;
as it was rebuilt only year or so ago, and
is as near perfect as the character OF the
building will let it be.
The high character of the work done in
the hospital, the eminence of the surgeons
in attendance and the zeal with which all
connected with the institution enter upon
their labors have impressed those in au-
thority with the necessity of doing some
thing toward securing, a new building for
the hospital OF late years this need has
been growing the usefulness of the hos
pital has expanded
Condition of the Building.
In the annual reports of the president of
the board of directors for several years
past has appeared a paragraph calling at
tention to the building and it's almost utter
worthlessness for hospital purposes, but
the appeal awaited nothing. However. last
year the board of directors took up the
matter with energy and sounded the senti-
ment of Congress. and this year the rec
ommendation that the sum of 100000 be
authorized by Congress to defray the ex-
penses of a building fell on needing
ears The board of charities of the Dis
trct took up the matter, and recommended
to the Commissioners that the request of
the hospital authorities be granted, and the
Commissioners in their turn have recon-
mended to Congress that the sum of
s15O,0OO be appropriated for the purpose of
preparing plans and beginning the construc-
ton of new building, that is to cost not
more than 100000 when completed
Nor Is Congress to be left to form its own
conclusions from the estimates of the Com
missioners A committee of the board of
directors will take up the matter of ex-
pediting the appropriation as soon as Con.
gress convenes. and in the hearts of all who
are connected with the Institution there Is
firm hope that this year something will be
done which will give the only woman's hos
pital in the District structure that will
fittingly house its staff.
Last Annual Report.
The annual report of the president of the
board of directors this year shows that
there were S93 patients admitted to treat
ment during the twelve months ending June
30, 1904, average of 1926 daily; there
were 364 births. Ala operations performed,
6. 163 visits to the dispensary, and $12,249.71
collected from pay patients. The death
rate was BAT per cent, and the death rate
following operations alone was but 4.S5 per
cent.
The board of directors for the present
year includes: Brig. Gen John NJ. Wilson,
U. s. A, retired president; Surgeon General
Presley NJ Rixey, u. s. N. and f. Southland
Parker. vice presidents: Rev. Alfred Hard
ing. DID,. secretary; John d. McChesney,
treasurer, and Senator Thomas S. Martin of
Virginia, Representative w. Godfrey Hun
ter of kentucky, Representative L. F. Llv-
ingston of Georgia Commissioner Henry l..
West, F.. H. Smith, Louis d. Wine A. S.
Soiomons, Nathaniel Wilson, George Trues-