Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-08
CROWD|NC OF HOSPITAL
BECOMES A PROBLEM
Senate Committee Trying to
Find Remedy for Washing
ton Asylum Conditions.

! Overcrowding in the Washington Asy-
| lum Hospital has brought about such
serious condition at the institution that
| members of the Senate District commit
| tee and the Commissioners are looking
into an immediate though permanent rem
| edy.
The situation In the hospital. due to
! the large number Of patients in the in
| stitution. was brought sharply to the at
tention of Senator Gallinger. chairman of
the Senate District committee, by the Dis
trict Commissioners a few days ago. and
Chairman Gallinger determined that the
| District committee should make an in
vestigation.
Accompanied by Senators Curtis and
| Martin, who are members of the COM
mittee, he went to the hospital yester-
/ day afternoon and looked over the
I'VE found that the hospita! was
crowded" Senator Gallinger said today.
| 1T may be only a temporary condition,
due to the severity of the winter AMI
patients are being cared for.
May Utilize Old workhouse.
1.-The problem is what can be done to
relieve the situation. There are two large.
| substantial buildings down there, which
were built for prisons Che workhouse).
and II they could be utilized they would
afford relief.
But they would have to be consider
| ably changed before they would be avail
! able. The cells would have to be taken
| out, new floors would have to be put in,
| the windows would have to be altered
and other work done.
The Commissioners want, OF course,
municipal hospital. But I hardly think
that will come this year, and something
should be done to relieve the situation at
the Washington Asylum Hospital soon
No estimate Of the cost OF remodel1ng
the old workhouse buildings, 1t Is under
stood. has been made, and Senator Gal
linger intimated today that he might ask
to have an estimate made. He sees the
possibility that the cost of the altera-
tons will be prohibitive, he says. But
the contingency that the cost will be too
great presents a bridge which Will be
crossed when 1t is reached.
Supt. Zinkham's Report.
That the capacity of the hospital for
the care of patients has been exceeded
and that 1t has become necessary to place
a number of patients in a poorly venti-
lated basement room were statements
contained in a report by Louis F. link
ham, superintendent of the Washington
asylum and jail, Forwarded to the Dis
trict Commissioners last Friday.
With a capacity Of caring tor ITO pa
tients, the hospital, Mr.. Zinkham de-
clared, is now filled with 22s patients.
There has been such an increase in the
number of patients admitted, his report
stated, that it had become necessary to
bring into service q few available prison
beds. Not only this, but the overcrowd-
ed conditions. it was reported, had made
imperative the Placing of sane with in
sane patients and the bringing into close
contact Of white and colored patients in
the same wards.
Mr.. Zinkham stated that none Of the
old workhouse buildings, now vacated,
could be made available to care for the
overflow. unless a considerable amount
should be spent in repairing them. With
present conditions continuing, he as
serted. the hospital probably would face
financial deficit at the end Of the year.