Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-31

DIR. White, superintendent of the Govern
rlent Hospital for the Insane, was the chief
witness before the Oleott SPECIAL commit
tee today. He was questioned in great de-
tail concerning the administration of affairs
at the hospital and had hardly made
beginning of his testimony when the COM
mittee adjourn cd to meet at three O'Clock
this afternoon.
The Morgue Master
William Schoenberg. morgue master Of
the District, was the first witness. He
assisted the deputy coroner in performing
autopsies. At one time the Government
Hospital for the Insane had furnished
bodies for dissecting purposes in the
various colleges In the city, but had not
received any for the past three years.
The anatomical board had not pressed the
hospital authorities for bodies, as the lat
ter were usually so much disfigured from
the autopsy at the hospital to be prac
tically useless subjects for students to
dissect. Mr.. Schoenberg thought it was
the duty of the asylum authorities to no.
tify the anatomical board when there
were bodies on hand. He thought the
asylum had the right to post norton"
known, but not to dissect them This
was true of all the hospitals In the Dis
trict
DR.. White on the Stand.
DR.. White, superintendent of the Govern
n.ent Asylum for the Insane. then took the
stand. He testified that he was thirty-six
years old; had studied at the Long Island
Hospital. Brooklyn, N. Y; had been am
bulance and house surgeon of the Eastern
District Hospital; medical official on Black
wells Island; back to the Long Island Hos
ptal, and then to the Binghamton IN. "
Asylum as assistant physician He remain
ed there eleven years, being promoted to
the position of first assistant physician,
and then came to Washington as superin-
tendent OF 81. Elizabeth. The Binghamton
institution had 1900 patients.
DIR. White then gave, at the request OF
Chairman Olcott, resume Of his duties as
superintendent.
II am responsible for everything" said
DIR. White. He added that he not only had
charge of the care of the insane, but of the
buildings and grounds He was disbursing
officer OF the institution and special dis
bursting officer of the Department of Jus
tice.
The Medical Staff.
The medical staff was secured by the aid
of the civil service commission by competi-
tive examination for the position of medical
inferno. DR.. White had nothing to do with
this. save to require certain qualifications
in applicants. Then he selects name from
the first three on the eligible list. II the
first three did not suit, DR. White said, he
could ask the commission for three more
names But his reasons must be satisfac-
tory to the commission. If not he should
be forced to take one of the first three
names certified TO him There were now
ten physicians besides himself on the medi-
cal staff. But four or five more were necas
sary. There were no restrictions on the
number of medical officers. The appropria-
ton for the asylum was given to him In
lump sum and. with the approval OF the
staff, he could spend 1t as he chose.
The Salaries
DR. White received 1000 this being fixed
by statute. The superintendent had himself
fixed the salaries of the rest of the staff
The clinical director received 5000
the first assistant physician $500, the
second assistants. $500 to $4,000; assist
ants. 81. 200 to $1,000; Junior assistants, 1900
to 81 900 medical inferno, 5000. All of the
medical staff were entitled to maintenance
at the hospital. There was no law on this
subject, but, according to custom, 1t was
conceded that the medical officers and
their families were entitled to maintenance
a the institution" This was the custom all
over the country.
Suppose man has big family" sug-
gested Representative Hay, Isn't 1t an in
justice to men with no families at all to
bore these by families supported at the
institution
Well" replied DIR. White at means. of
course that the man with a big family In
effect gets a larger salary than the man
with no family at all.
In good many institutions the physicians
had staff hours At the government
asylum the medical officers lived in one OF
the buildings
Dr. White told the committee that there
were approxima tely 800 employees at the in
stitution in charge of the insane-about 26O
men and forty women. These employees en-
tered as probationers and graduated at the
end of six months to the regular schedule.
on a graduated scale of pay. They could
take a two-year course or graduate with
the title of nurse" at the minimum of the
nurses scale of pay, which reached its
maximum in two years. This system had
been originated by DIR. White.
The per capita ward service was about
$40 year, and SO head month was a
fair figure for maintenance. 1t was neces-
sary to have a majority OF the attendants
live in the institution. When nurses were
needed in an emergency they were needed
badly.
There were about 400 employees outside of
those having care OF patients.
Glenwood Cemetery Lot Owners.