Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-14


years ending June 30. 1909, vice Brig Gen.
John Moore, u. S. A, deceased. Rev.
John M. Schick, D. D., was appointed for
the unexpred term of six years ending
June 80. 1909, vice Rev. Teunis S. Hamlin,
d. D., deceased"
Patients in the Hospital.
According to Superintendent Whites re-
port there were 254S patients remaining in
the hospital June 30, 1906. as against 1856
June 80 1907, an increase for the year of
A. The daily average for the year ended
June 80, 1906, was 2,542. as against 1853
for the fiscal year ended June 30. 1907, an
increasgof q in the daily average number
of patients for the year. During the year
there We're admitted to the hospital 619
patients. making total of 3,167 patients
under treatment. OF the total number
admitted 400 were from civil life and 2lO
from the army, navy. and public health
and marine hospital service. The total
number Of discharges for the year. includ-
ing the deaths, was 5I1. classified as fol-
lows: Recovered, III; improved 1884, un-
improved, 40; died. 2l6; not insane. 3.
The above figures, calculated upon a
basis of total admissions give the follow
proved, OLGA unimproved, SAC; deaths
34.S9.
During the year large number of COL
ored male patients have been taken out
of the old Annex building and a number
of the non-criminal insane have been
taken out of Howard Hall. Garfield l..
Gray Ash. and Dawes l have been oc-
cupied by these colored patients. while on
the female side of the hospital a small
porch extending from Oaks D building has
been inclosed with glass and opened as a
solarium for colored female tubercular pa
tientS.
Home for Male Nurses.
The work of remodeling the old east
lodge building for use as a nurses home
for male nurses Is nov in progress. AS the
work proceeds it appears evident that this
building is going to be very satisfactory
for the purpose intended. 1t will accom-
| modate in the neighborhood of fifty
nurses, and the night nurses will have a
good location in one-half of the building
which has been extended SO that there is
a third floor. There will be general as
sembly room downstairs, and the build
ingvwill be well equipped with closets and
bathrooms.
New Psychological Laboratory.
On the list of last January the services
of DR.. Shepherd Ivory Franz We're OBJ
tanned as psychologist. and with his as
sistance a psychological laboratory has
been equipped and put in operation. The
establishment of psychologist. depart
the most advanced trend in modern
psychiatry, which,, while recognizing the
Importance of careful post-mortem work,
realizes that in order that pathological
findings may have the greatest value they
must be correlated with a careful clinical
analysis of cases.
The advantages of this laboratory are
twofold. In the first instance it is intend
ed to work out practical methods of ex-
animation into the ma tal state of pa
1t iol, I>a hx,f hn
of the staff 1t has long been recognized
in general hospitals that the only safe
way to handle patients is TO make a sys-
tematic examination of the entire body. of
every one, irrespective. of what he may
complain of on admission This prin-
ciple should be carried out also in the
realm of mind, as otherwise many symp-
toms may readily escape detection. A
uniform system of examination into the
mental state has been pretty welr worked
out with view to adopting it in the
preparation of our clinical records. In
the second place it is desired, SO far as
possible to interest the medical men on
the staff in the problems of the insane
from scientific standpoint, and to pro-
vide them with a place and the means of
conducting any research work which they
may desire to do. Further than. this ar
engagements have been completed with the
George Washington University in this
city so that students who are candidates
for the degree of doctor of philosophy,
and who desire to do portion o. the nee
essary work for that degree in psychol-
ogy, may come to the hospital for that
purpose, in which case we will endeavor
to interest them In some problem of alb
normal psychology.
Study of Mental Diseases.
The opening of this laboratory is
step toward the creation here of a strict
ly scientific department for the study Of
mental diseases. The desira blity of Gre
ating such a department in large centers
of insane population has been recognized
by the advanced minds in psychiatry for
some time. but only recently has any MAJ
teral progress along these lines been
made in this country. 1t seems to me
emnently fitting that this hospital should
take its place in the foreground of ad-
vance in this direction and should add
its quota to the sum of knowledge on
this very important subject.
There has been loaned and installed in
the laboratory the collection of psyche
logical apparatus made by the bureau of
education. This collection of apparatus
has put the laboratory in a position so that
most, If not all, kinds of experimental
work may be performed. and the colloc-
ton is surpassed by those in only a few
of the laboratories in the larger UNIVERSE
ties. The equipment is larger than is to
be found in the hispitals for the insane
of this country or abroad, and Is much
more varied in character Unless prob
lens of special character arise that re-
quire special apparatus for their solution.
the laboratory may be said to represent
all kinds Of possibilities in the way of
investigating the mental condition of the
insane as well as of normal individuals.
Fire at Cobalt Ont, Wednesday nirht