Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-02
Washington Asylum Hospital
Now OvercroWded.
Conditions Are Described in Report
Of Supt. Zinkhan.
NUMBER IN INSTITUTION. 223
Request That Some Steps Be Taken
to Relieve Congestion That
Prevails,

That the capacity of the Washington
Asylum Hospital for the care of patients
has been exceeded, that it has been neces-
sary to place a number of patients in a.
poorly ventilated basement room. and
that there Is every probability that the
appropriation for the institution for the
current year will be Inadequate arc
statements contained in report by Louis
r. Zinkhan, superintendent of Washing
ton asylum and Jail, forwarded to the
District Commissioners today.
Conditions at the hospital have reached
an acute stage, according to Mr. link
han, who requests that provision be made
for new applicants until the congestion
| has been relieved. What temporary
measures may be adopted for meeting
the situation are not known.
The Commissioners, in their annual es-
| Inmates, provided for the construction of
| city hospital, stating they intended to
locate the Washington Asylum Hospital
patients in the new institution. The item
| was not included in the District appro-
priation bill.
Situation Is Serious.
At the time their estimates were sub
mitted the District heads called atten-
tfon to the crowded conditions in the
Washington Asylum Hospital. According
to the Zinkhan report. the situation then
was not nearly as serious it is now.
With capacity for caring for 172 pa
tlents, the Commissioners pointed out
,, that 1s6 patients We're being housed in
the hospital at the time the annual es-
Inmates were submitted. Now, it is stated
by Mr.. Zinkhan 223 patients are being
cared for in the institution although to
do this it has been necessary to install
prison beds in basement room under
one of the wards.
In his report Mr.. Zinkhan says:
1T is my duty to call your attention
to the overcrowded condition of the
wards in the Washington Asylum Hos
provision be made for new applicants un-
til our congestion is somewhat relieved
There is limit to our capacity, and we
reached that some time ago. We can
properly take care of about 172 patients
in our wards, provided they are proper
ly distributed as to color and sex-that is:
we have inward l. twenty-five beds
Tor white males; In. ward 2. twenty-five
BEDS for cO1Ored males: in ward ), twen-
ty -four beds for white females; in ward L.
twenty-four beds for eoored females: in
ward D, four beds for maternity cases;
in receiving ward, thirty-two beds for
ward -thirty-eight beds for both colors
and sexes. making a total capacity of
172 beds.
Wards Crowded.
For some time past our population has
exceeded our capacity, which means not
only that our wards have been crowded,
but that we have been obliged to house
many of our patients in a poorly ventilat-
ed basement room under ward five. and
also that it was necessary to utilize the
two rooms adjoining the operating room
as dormitOries for the overflow from the
regular wards. We have also been obliged
to press into service every available bed
in the psychOpathic wards to accommo-
date the overflow. This means that we
are obliged to place the sane with the in
sane and also to bring white and colored
patients in close contact in the same
wards.
I'm the last few days there has been
such an increase in the number of ad
missions that We did not have a sufficient
number of hospital beds, and we were
abliged to bring into service a few avail
able prison beds, and also to utilize some
that were set apart for nurses and other
employees. We have absolutely reached
the limit not only of floor space for beds.
but also of work that we require of
our internes, our nurses and other em-
ployes. Indeed, our small force of nurses
is greatly overwOrked. and because of
this some of them are dropping out of
the service.
follows: White male patients 81; colored
male patients, 80; white female patients,
D. and colored female patients, trs, maxi
ing a total of 21S patients. Since COM
mencng this communication five ad-
ditional patients have been admitted,
bringing the total up to 22;;.
These figures indicate that We are
practically carrying about fifty more pa
tients than we can properly accommo-
date The only ward which is not over
crowded is the one for white females.
"The only vacant building on our
grounds available for hospital purposes
is the annex ward, formerly used for
tuberculosis cases. But this building has
been out Of service long time. and
would have to be thoroughly overhauled
and be supplied with a hot-water heater.
at considerable cost, before it could be
utilized.
Appropriation Inadequate.
None of the old workhouse buildings
would at present be fit for hospital pur-
poses, because they are not equipped With
toilets and bathrooms fit for hospital pa
tients. Our patients cannot get the at
tention and comfort they deserve with
this overcrowding. Our Overworked en-
ployes are obliged to neglect some things.
Our appropriation, under the circum-
stances. must be inadequate to carry us
through the year.
"It seems to me that the whole situa-