The Washington herald., 1911-10-08

Stating that the present buildings
and equipment are entirely inadequate
TO meet the growing demands of the
institution, Louis F. Zinkhan, superin-
tcndent of the Washington Asylum
Hospital, in his annual report, made
public yesterday, urges that steps be
taken to better the deplorable existing
conditions
NEW HOSPITAL NEEDED.
The report states that the buildings are
old and dilapidated and in great need Of
repair. The superintendent says that the
buildings composing the institution are
scattered, and that great inconvenience
is experienced in the distribution of food
to patients in the various structures. All
of the hospital wards need new floors.
Mr.. Zinkhan declares that the institution
with its present buildings cannot main
tain high efficiency, and recommends as
the solution of the entire matter that
new municipal hospital be established.
The superintendent recommends that
the old almshouse building. now used to
domicile the nurses, ward maids, and
other employees Of the institution. be en-
ployed strictly for hospital purposes. The
number of patients is increasing annual
ly, and if more room is not speedily pro-
vfded for the accommodation of inmates
many persons will have to be denied en-
trance to the hospital The institution is
now greatly overcrowded.
Name Objectionable.
Strong recommendation is made that
the name of the institution be changed.
Mr.. Zinkhan says that the present title
IS misleading and grossly unjust to the
hospital department.
'It stamps a stigma where none should
exist" says the superintendent, and it
makes 1t difficult to maintain a training
school for nurses"
Dr. D. Percy Hickling, visiting physi-
clan, in his annual report. also made
public yesterday, urges change in no
menclature.
The institution for years has been
conducted on a hospital basis says DR..
HickIing land has lost whatever asylum
features it may formerly have had. As
nurses and physicians are compelled
constantly in after life to refer to their
hospital experience and training, the
present name is a detriment instead Of
al advantage as II should be, and many
ROOQ persons TeIuSe TO accept pOSlllOnS
Rt the institution on this account alone
But the name places an even worse
stigma on the patient. Every patient
who enters the institution has entered
beside his name on the records, admit
ted to the Washington Asylum and JAIL
although the jail now is no way con-
nected with the hospital department"
Some Statistics.
During the year the average daily pop
uIation at the institution was 445. against
e46 for the preceding year This de-
crease is explained by the fact that dur
ing the year 2,S44 prisoners were trans
ferred to the workhouse at Occoquan.
The average daily population there was
215.
The number of commitments to the
workhOuse during the year showed
decrease of S66. There were 4,352 against
5.21S in 1910 Five hundred and forty
eight persons were committed to the in
stitution for vagTancy. During 1910
there were 9l5 vagrants sent to the
workhouse. The number of persons sent
to the workhouse for nonsupport in
creased from Ill in 1910 to 192 in the last
year. During the year there were 2,Ss6
admissions to the institution, while in
1910 there were only 2229
DR.. Hickling reports that 6.49O cases
were treated in the workhouse and hos
pital departments of the institution
during the year. This is an increase of
1927 over those of the preceding year
The average daily number of cases
treated was 156. OF the cases 425 were
for mental examination.
Of1.oS5 cases in the psychopathic ward,
513 were alcoholics. Thirty-seven per-
sons were treated during the year for
the excessive use OF morphine. heroin,
or cocaine. DR.. Hickling recommends