Evening star., 1915-03-28
FOR RH0SP|TAL WORK
ON MODERN LINES
National Civic Federation
Would Have Washington Rep
resent Democratic Idea.
DOING GREATEST GOOD
TO GREATEST NUMBER
Advocates Municipal Institution
Planned for Eficiency-F. H.
Hurdman to Lecture.

+. H. Hurdman, expert in hospital
efficiency, has arranged to lecture at
Rauschers April Il at II am. under
the auspices of the District of Colum-
bia section of the woman's depart
ment. National civic Federation, ac-
cording to an announcement made yes
terday.
In connection with MIR. Hurdman s
lecture the National Civic Federation
is making public in pamphlet form an
article published in it's bulletin en-
titled "A Municipal Hospital for Wash
ington." in which certain innovations
in hospital management are advocat-
ed. as well as "a we'll constructed,
substantial, new municipal hospital.
with a concreted interior for santa
ton
Proposed innovations are the en-
ployment of an expert for organization
and a hospital commissioner for gem
eral supervision. With these, it is said
in the pamphlet, 1.-The capital of Wash
ington would stand before the nation
and the world as a perfect sample Of
the democratic idea working for the
greatest good of the greatest number
at the moment of supremest need
Extracts From Pamphlet.
Some of the statements in the PAM
phlet are as follows:
Rational man knows. of course, that
some time in the course of his life it
is appointed that he shall die, but
modern science. sanitation. hygiene
and every force making for better liv-
ing conditions tend to retard that
great event until the physical forces
cease to act through sheer diSintegra-
tion, making of death merely a pain
less transition into better state.
"All factors tending toward this en-
viable condition are being realized, with
one eXception-and that the most I'M
portant-the hospital, and while such in
stitutions in our country, with few strik-
ing exceptions, continue to be maintained
at the low standard of administration
which now characteriZes them, it Is not
to be expected that this beneficent aim
.. of science can be attained.
Need of Reorganization.
Incidents without number, both known
and half concealed, multiply the proof for
the need of a reorganization of hospitals
along more efficient lines, and this end
can be reached and maintained only
through the work Of an expert in organ
ization, supplemented by the careful
supervision Of a hospital commissioner.
having jurisdiction over all hospitals in a
town, and whose sole duty would be to
keep these institutions rigidly to the
standard fixed by the expert, and as bank
examiners. at stated intervals, visit ana
report upon financial institutions, so
should a hospital expert as carefully
scrutinize the working conditions of these
great conservers Of what is more than
money-life-and see that while fulnllng
their important mission the funds for
their maintenance are not being lost in
extrayagance and waste
Another important factor, if a COM
plete and lasting good is to be de-
rived from the work done in the hos
pital. is the introduction of social
service. Most of the progressive hos
pitals Of the country now have one or
more social service workers engaged
in the daily. delicate labor of caring
for the poor, depressed convalescents.
too weak to perform or even to look
for work. on their inevitable dismissal
from the hospital. from which they
ases; or the mother. still too weak to