The Washington herald., 1907-09-22

/ If the patients at the Washington
Asylum sHcspital do not receive proper
attention, it is not the fault of Or Hick-
ling, the physician in charge OF the in
stituuon- L am not surprised there are
complaints. and complaints there will
continue to be as long as the powers
that make appropriations for the hos
pital disregard the recommendations
MADE annually by the physician in
charge, by the superintendent. and the
! Commissioners Of the District"
The above comprises the opinion of
DR. John Nicholas Constas, 925 New
York avenue, who spent over a year at
the Institution as inferno physician.
In the first place, there is entirely
too much crowding in the various wards.
Just imagine from thirty to thirty-fve
/ people in a ward where there should be
only about twenty or twenty-five in or
/ der TO comply with hygienic laws There
/ are not quite as many in the wards in
the summer time but that does not
! matter; the wards are overcrowded.
There are not enough rooms for the in
sane. the criminal. the alcoholics. ana
! other cases.
Not Half Enough Nurses.
Then as far as the nurses are con
/ cerned. there are not half enough How
can any one expect fifteen nurses to
take care of about 16O or 10 patients ?
It is simply out Of the question. Another
great drawback is the fact that the hospi-
! tai consists Of a number Of buildings scat
tered about the place Rain or shine day
OF night. the nurses are compelled TO
make their rounds In the different build
/ ings. No sidewalks or pavements connect
/ the buildings, and I have seen nurses be
spattered with mud and drenchef 10 the
skin visiting the wards and doing their
/ trying work. And / have seen some Of
! these conscientious women break down
/ under the terrible strain and weep. The
work is too much for the force, and bet
/ ter results cannot be expected.
80 Clothing for Patients.
Again, people viii talk about patients
/ being sent 70 the Government Hospital
for the Insane from this institution al
most naked. Whose fault is that? The
asylum has hardly enough funds AZ its
/ disposal 20 secure the most necessary
medical supplies. There IS no clothing
/ fund available, out Of which those poor
/ people can be clothed The asylum hospi-
+ tai lacks IN almost everything to make
/ it an institution such as it should be in
order 10 reflect with credit on the Capital
/ of the nation / have Travelled far. and
/ have visited hospitals in distant Climes.
! in Egypt IN Turkey. and other foreign
-.
pital cannot even compare VIZ hospitals
to be found in countries WHICH We i'm
/ agine TO be semi-barbaric.
sane and Insane In One Room.
| Repeatedly we were compelled to place
/ in the same room two insane cases that
were d.ametrically opposed in tempera-
ment You mas know what facilities are
/ necessary when tell YOU that ten new
/ cases are brought 10 the hospital every
+ day. And most Of them are bad cases.
1T was often a most difficult question
/ to solve for the physician and nurses TO
| dispose of and place these patients. and
/ il is the same thing 10 this day. Lack
/ of rooms compels them to place those
not violently insane in the same ward
with patients of sound mind.
! DIR. HscktinE Not tO Blame.
Or Hickling cannot be blamed for
/ this state OF affairs On the contrary. he
/ is not only a most conscientious and
/ painstaking physician, and has performed
/ wonders with the small means at his dis
/ posal for the asylum. but he is a very
/ shrewd manager. He takes personal in
| terest in every case, and always Instructs
/ the nurses and physicians 10 report TO
/ him as 20 the needs Of the institution
and it's inmates. II it was not for the
/ deep interest DR.. Hickling takes in the
/ welfare of the hospital and his incessant
Cl8mOring for additional funds 10 raise
/ the place 10 a higher standard in every
/ conceivable way. the hospital would be in
/ still more deplorable condition.
Congress Has Been Indifferent.
Il was at the hospital for over year.
Not even once during that time did a
committee of Congress. which is sup
posed to visit these places, consider it a
duty to pay visitation TO the hospital
and convince themselves Of its needs.
SUpt- Zinkhan, Dr. Hickling. the ply
/ slcians and nurses. and the District
/ Commissioners have every year performed
their duty In calling the attention Of Con-
! gress to the needs Of the institution. but
! II seems Congress does not bother. but
! only cuts down the amount asked for by
/ people who know what is needed
The fault lies with Congress. DR..
/ Hickling is doing the best he knows how"
WITTY nroTrTzcr, ,ror- -ro-~