The Washington times., 1914-08-25

On July /, 1908, the Tuberculosis
Hospital was opened for patients.
The institution is owned and controll-
ed by the municipal government,
and Is under the direct control Of
the Board Of Charities. Congress
appropriates $4,000 a year for the
maintenance Of this hospital and all
patients are treated free. Patients
who are able to pay for treatment
are not admitted
The hospital Is located on an at
tractive tract Of land well elevated
above the city. comprising thirty
six acres, at Fourteenth and Upshur
streets northwest. There are num-
bers of large shade trees and an
abundance OF room for walks for the
patients. The hospital building Is
constructed on the ward plan. The
first two floors consist of wards.
bright and cheerful. which can be
heated. accommodating sixty advanced
patients. The patients have their
meals brought to the bedside and
there II q nurse and orderly for each
ward.
The third and fourth floors con-
sist Of open, screened-in wards. ac-
comodating sixty incipient pauents.
dining room on the ground floor, and
use an elevator to get up and down
from the wards. These patients IN
the early stages Of the disease spend
most Of their time exercising, or
resting in the open air on the nos
pital grounds, and are not brought
into contact in any way with the
more advanced patients.
Open Air Cottages.
In July. 1913, Congress appropriated
sufficient money to build six open
air cottages on the grounds In the
rear of the hospital. These cot
taees contain private rooms. and
will accommodate fifteen 1nclp-
lent patients. This brings the ca
pacity I'D to 1s5 beds. The institu-
tfon has a modern laboratory, oper-
atinp room, drug room. and an ex.
ceIIent corps Of physicians anu
nurses. a.
A great many patients wait until II
is too late for a cure before coming
To the hospital, and, on that account,
We receive a large number OF ao-
yanced cases Many of these pa.
tients. however, get much better ana
stronger in the advanced wards. and
are transferred to the open WARDS.
where. in some cases, they get well
and are able to return to their work.
The majority of patients who enter
while their trouble is In the early
stages become we'll and are able to
return to work 1t seems to be dfni-
cult, however, to persuade patients
to take treatment for tuberculosis
while they are In the early stage, for
the reason that they don't feel sick
and badly until the lung trouble has
progressed to the advanced stage.
Treatment.
MANY patients in the early stage
also object to entering the hospital.
because they fear they will be put in
a ward with advancing patients. This
is a mistaken idea, as 1 have shown
above that We have more room for
early cases than we have for ad-
vanced. Since the opening of the in
stitution e have had seventy-five
patients w.Io have become apparent
ly well and have been sent back to
work ucally all of them are
now working in the city. We have
ZIG patients who have been markedly
improved. and many of them are
now at work.
The treatment in the hospital con-
sists primarily Of fresh air. good
food, and carefully regulated rest
and exercise, medicine being given
to all cases in which 1t is needed.
The diet consists of three substantial
meals q day, with nourishments of
milk. eggs, broths. etc, between
meals. as prescribed by the physi-
clan. There is a dietician who super
vises all meals and who prepares
special diets for patients on the
physicians order. There are usually
from twenty to forty patients in
the hospital who are on special
diets. The institution has a large
garden. from which are furnished
fresh vegetables six months of the
year.
Functions.
One Of the most important points
n the treatment of tuberculosis is
he careful regulation of rest and ex-
.rcise. Patients who have fever are
'equired to rest either in bed or in
| chair until the fever subsidies. They
ire then adv sed by the physicians
bout when and how to exercise.
md as they get better are, in some
ases. given light work to do such
s looking after flower beds, lawns.
leaning around grounds. helping to
lean open wards, painting. etc. so
hat when these patients are dis