Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-19
READY NEXT SUMMER
Hospital for INDECENT Tubercu-
Iosis Patients.
INTEREST IN PROPOSITION
Recommendation Of Committee Ap-
proved by Col. :Biddle.
MANIFEST PUBLIC NECESSITY
Price Paid for Site-Unique Design
for the Structure-Series Of
Roof Garden Wards.
INTEREST IN PROPOSITION
MANIFEST PUBLIC NECESSITY

The board Of charities, by its secretary,
George 8. Wilson. yesterday submitted to
the Commissioners complete plan which
It recommended should be followed in the
construction OF the proposed new hospital
for the treatment Of INDECENT tuberculosis
cases. Before his departure from the city
for his vacation Engineer Commissioner
Biddle approved the sketches, and stated
that he had no doubt that the design IA
vored could be worked out successfully by
the architects. Final approval Of the IA
vored plan now depends only upon Com
missioner Mcfarland. who is expected to
reach this city today from his vacation tour
of Europe. The Board Of Charities comes
within Mr.. Macfarland's particular Juris-
diction. and the new hospital. being a
work to be done by that department. win
have his immediate supervision.
Great public interest has long been mani
Tested In the proposition to construct a hos
pital in the District. especially for the care
Of INDECENT consumptives. and the purchase
six years ago of thirty-acre tract lying
between Brfghtwood avenue and the line Of
14th street extended. was regarded as the
first important step in the direction of the
realization of that manifest public neces-
sity The price paid for the site was $780,
600, and offers have since been received of
as high as $1,000 per acre, or $4,000 for
the tract. but the District would not sell at
any price, The appropriation of 500, 600
by Congress at it's last session was the final
successful step in the plan.
Problem Of Construction.
As soon as the appropriation was secured
the Board Of Charities gave consideration
to the problem Of construction Of the hos
pftal. and DR.. Geo. M. Kober and Secretary
George s. Wilson were appointed special
committee with instructions to report upon
the design which would best serve the
needs of the District. They were given au-
thority to visit other cities, and during July
inspected institutions for the treatment OF
tuberculosis in several eastern cities. VAL
liable ideas, OF course. were secured, but
the outcome Of the committees work, as
given visible demonstration in the sketches
submitted for the new District hospital for
consumptives. is unique in its departure
from plans heretofore favored In other
communities.
Almost without exception the hospitals
for the treatment Of tuberculosis in other
jurisdictions have taken the form OF de-
tached buildings. mostly Of frame and OF
inexpensive design, but planned to give the
greatest facility for circulation Of air and
for tnflood of sunshine. The plan for the
new District hospital contemplates the con-
struction Of a three-story brick building
with a series Of roof garden" wards as the
browning feature. Arguments in favor Of
the design are that it affords economy of
construction in that heating, lighting and
power pldnCS WAL Do concentrated into On0s
that much win be saved in plumbing. and
further, that more can be accomplished
with the money available than by any
other scheme of construction.
Both Attractive and Practical.
The actual plan was conceived by DR..
Kober. who has had wide experience In
practical building affairs. and who Is re-
garded as one Of the foremost authorities
in the country on hygiene. and while the
scheme has not yet been worked ont archi-
tecturally, it is believed there win be no
tractive and practical. AS the plan stands
it Is proposed to have the center OF the
building for administration purposes, with
eone e l1r Inc nurses on the rst and
the first floor, on opposite sides Of the adj
ministration Offices, are located wards for
the treatment Of male patients who are in
advanced stages of the disease, one ward
for white men and the other for colored.
Bath and toilet rooms and two isolation
rooms. where patients in the last stages of
ward, are also conveniently arranged on
the floor space. A similar plan is followed
on the second floor, viii III will be devoted
for treatment Of advanced cases, It Is esti-
mated. win furnish accommodation for
sixty patients, and II the working out of
larger building can be constructed with the
money available the number may be con-
siderably increased.
In this connection II Is argued that the
care Of as large number of patients in
advanced stages Of the disease as is pos
sible is important, because it is that class
of cases which mean greatest danger to all
who come in contact with them and to the
public at large.
Value Of open-Air Wards.
For the particular value Of the open air
wards for treatment Of incipient cases of
tuberculosis on the roof garden" 1t is
commended that better results will be ac-
complished by having the patients high in
air, above the dust and dan1pness, which
cannot be entirely avoided in one-story
shacks or pavilions, while the best of the
sunshine and practical outdoor methods OF
treating the patients will be secured Male
and female and white and colored wards
will be separate on the roof garden as
they are on the first and second floors.
The recommendation of the committee,
which was approved by the board and by
Commissioner Biddle, Is that the hospital
be built on the high ground on the south
west corner of the property. and that every
care consistent with the proper construc-
ton of the building be taken to preserve
the grove of pine trees which dots the ele-
walton It is believed the building will be
ready for the reception Of patients next
summer