Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-20
NEWPOS|T|ONC CREATED
Woman Physician at Hospital
for Insane.
HER DUTIES DEFINED
IMPROVEMENTS UNDER WAY AT
THE INSTITUTION.
New Buildings Occupied and the Work
Facilitated - Treatment Of
motor Mania"

the direction OF the women patients ana
the force of women employees, and with 815
of the former now domlciled in the new
buildings of the institution and large
force of the latter it Is believed her services
will be utilized to an advantage not other
wise obtainable in genealogical work. hy-
drotherapeutc treatment and in many
other ways.
With this idea in mind DR.. White made
request OF the United States civil service
commission to conduct an examination that
eligibles might be secured. The commission
widely advertised the examination. and re-
Gently issued the certiication of eigib!es
called for by the superintendent DR.. White
has appointed therefrom DIR. o Malley, who
y expected to assume her duties early next
month.
Certification is now being awaited by Su-
perintendent White of the result of another
medical examination for positions at the
hospital The civil service commission held
examinations recently in various cities for
the position of medical inferno at the gov
eminent hospital, and as soon as this list
of eligibles is issued DR.. White intends max
Ing more appointments. The increased med
ical work consequent upon the enlargement
Of the institution and the gradual bringing
into use Of more modern facilities are re-
sponsible for these medical appoin tments.
The physicians now In the service of the
hospital number fourteen.
Few Cases Of Typhoid.
In view of the typhoid infection prevail
those in charge Of the hospital are gratifed
at the satisfactory conditions obtaining
there in regard to this disease With
population OF over 5000, Of which $500
are insane patients, there have occurred
only three cases Of typhoid fever during the
present epidemic, these being cases of three
employees Of the institution whose infection
has been traced to outside sources.
During the year 1904 the hospital was en-
tirely free from typhoid infection, although
V-ni 500 bra NIT fat cole
were reported in the annual statement for
1903, which We're all traced to the use Of
hydrant water taken in from the Eastern
branch. Since then the institution has
been connected with its deep-well water
plant, the water being pumped from sys-
TEN of arteslan wells which at all times
free from Infection. In addition, careful
supervision Of the milk supply and the
placing in commission of the new pasteuriz-
ing apparatus still further safeguards the
hospital population from contamination.
Although all of the fifteen buildings COM
priSing the extension of the Institution are
now occupied, there is no abatement in the
work of the improvements at the hospital,
but rather renewed effort is being put forth
that the older sections of the asylum may be
maintained at the standard of the new
equipment. The last building to be occupied
was Oaks A. which is not one of the new
structures, but which Is now made use OF
for female patients and is one of the group
in which the female colony is located In
this building, on the second floor provision
Is being made for a ward for tubercular
white females. porch on the south and
west sides Is to be inclosed with glass
Transforming the place into a solarium,
with the addition of radiators to modify
the temperature in winter. \ similar ward
is being prepared on the second floor OF
oaks b." nearby, in which to care for
colored females suffering from tuberculosis.
The old Toner kitchen, after service OF
ten years or more, is about to be RACED.
1t is a one-story brick building, which has
heen dtSOla ced DV Toner kitchen
The kitchen, which has been just
opened, is equipped for feeding 400 pa
tients. 1t is supplied with all modern
appliances and has in conjunction an
ployes' dining room, which is connected with
the kitchen by a dumb waiter. The kitchen
was built at an expense of $4,000, Its equip
ment costing about $1,000.
New Buildings.
The extension to the laundry is about
completed, two wings having been added
to the main structure. The machinery is
on the grounds, and consists Of four large
wash wheels, three extractors and six
compartment metal dry rooms. An APP
making this Improvement. The laundry
plant Is a highly important adjunct to
the institution. 1t does the washing for
more than 5000 persons. and each forty
eight hours turns out from 5000 to 10000
pieces of clothing.
The cold-storage and ice-making plant is
being removed to new location under the
old Center Lodge and additional machin-
cry is being installed A twenty-ton Ice
making and refrigerating machine is be-
ing added to the equipment, and when the
new plant is in operation the output Of
fifteen tons daily will be more than dou-
bled.
A small building in the Dix group. for
merly occupied by female patients, has
been opened as an isolation ward and tenn
porary hospital, where number Of cases
or measles among the employees have been
isolated and successfully treated.
That the records of the hospital since it's
opening, in 1855, may be properly systema-
tized and maintained. DR.. White has Gre
ated the record office, where, with the aid
of up-to-date filing devices. all matter af-
fecting patients is classified, indexed, card
ed, etc.
Fifteen Acres Of Lawn.
The new lawns laid out around the va
rious buildings of the hospital extension
have developed to a remarkable degree.
There have been located about them a
number of flower beds. which now in
bloom. The porticos of several of the new
buildings are literally supplied with plants
and flowers. There are about fifteen acres
of lawns at the asylum.
A 45O-ton brick building. with tower clock
has been moved to site 200 feet distant
with such success as not to interfere with
the big timepiece.
According to hospital report received at
the asylum from Scotland, ''motor-mania
is named as a new mental disorder, which
may yet become serious enough to receive
the attention of the alienist. The report is
that of the Royal Asylum of Montrose' for
the year ending May IA, 1905. Under the
caption, Causes of Insanity the report
says, among other things: Two persons
were stated to have succumbed to a new
disorder, known 'motor-mania, condi-
ton said to be induced by the strain of
driving mechanically propelled vehicles on
the roads," There is noticeable absence
of any similar reference in American hospi-
tai reports, but the information from the
Scotland institution tends to show the pos
sibilities of the situati ton. The reference
from Scotland about motor mania" might
be clearer, but that 1t is a disease requiring
treatment In an asylum for the insane
seems beyond doubt.