The Washington times., 1916-01-03
SANITARIUN TOFIGHT
EFFORT TO'CLOSE IT
Chevy Chase Trustees An
nounCe They viii Resist At
tempt TO Revoke License.

The trustees OF the Chevy Chase sani-
tarium announced today they will fight
the attempt Of the District Commits
sioners to revoke the license Of the In
stitution. They issued the following
statement;
The members OF the board OF trustees
OF the Chevy Chase Sanitorium state
that after careful consideration OF the
action OF the Commissioners in attempt
ing to revoke its license. at the instance
| OF residents of the neighborhood who
objected to its presence, they have de-
termined that II IS their duty to the
patients of the institution under treat
men, to the officers OF the institution,
and others interested In 1t. including
they believe a considerable portion of
the medical profession OF the District.
| to resist that action by all proper and
legitimate means in their power. Ac-
cordingly, the SRnitOrium will continue
| to receive and treat patients, unless,
and until, the action Of the Commis-
sioners shall receive the sanction and
| diction.
The trustees aer convinced that the
obiections Of those who seek the reyo-
cation OF the license of the institution
as well rs the action nf the Co, ltnis-
siOners. are based largely, IL notalto-
eetheT. OH q miscon' option of tho char
! acter Of the insutation, the beliAf being
apparently entertained that II Is what
is commonly called an insane asVluni.
Such is not tho fact Less n IN one
half ~ tho patients who have bean
treated about 200 IN number-havs suf-
fered from any form, of mental trouble,
! tho others having been treated for va
rious physical and nervous diseases.
When the charges acrin"t U were made
the officials of the institution promptly
requested the Commissioners Ln direct
the Health Officer OF the District OF
! Columbia To visit. Inspect. and repnrt
uron the character OF the patients bein
treated the methods OF treatment and
, the conduct ri tho Institution. This re-
quest was not complied with.
Inspected Only Once.
Then the Commissioners themselves
were urged to visit the Sanitorium, but
they failed to do so. In the two wears
Of its existence. although expressly sub
jectb to official inspection by the Law.
n has been visited only once by the
Health Officer. or any or his deputies,
and then an Inspector. In the absen e
OF the superintendent, called and eN-
amined its books and sanitary condi-
tions. and, II is understood. made
formal report that all requirements of
the law and Of the regulations had been
fully met.
Now. however. the Commissioners.
with no suggestion Of a complaint bv
the health officer. and without anv ef-
fort whatever to officially verify the
charges made against the institution.
undertake to revoke its license. appar-
entity giving no consideration to the tes-
tImony given before the Assistant Cor
porstion Counsel who conducted the
hearings, by some OF the most dlsting-
uished physicians OF the District, many
OF whom visit the Sanitorium from time
IN H.
ents they send there. md some OF
whom have carefully inspected the in
stitution. concerning the character Of
the patients. the diseases for which
they were being treated and the re-
moteness Of the buildings from neigh
boring houses. which testimony indi-
Gated with the utmost ciearness that
the objections which had been made,
based upon alleged noises emanating
from the institution could not possibly
have any foundation in fact.
THE charoe that there had heen es-
canes from the institution was shown To
be equally baseless. for the very. good
reason that anV natient who wanted tn
leave the institution hhS a perfeS right
TO do so. There never has been COM
mitment OF anv insane person. or anv
person. sane or insane. to the sanitorium
since it's establishment. and without a
commitment no hospital or sanitorium
in the District has any legal right to
prevent a person from leaving IL at VIII.
ANY attenDt TO 90 so WOulu TeUueT ine
officials Of the institution liable for false
imprisonment Every patient who has
been admitted to the institution has
come there voluntarily and has had the
right to leave when he Dlea sod and go
where he pleased. Most of them who
have left have returned to their homes
in the city of WASHINGTON and are now
there Hence what has been said about
escapes has simply been idle talk.
Question Boards Power.
THE Commissioners have apparently
fallen into the error OF believing that
they have the power to revoke the Ii
cense OF a private hospital or sanitor-
sensibilities of the residents OF the
neighborhood. and their idea seems to
be that II II does so, il is a nuisance. /
The officials OF the Chevy Chase Sani- !
torium from the outset have denied. |
and now deny that the Commissioners
have any such power. and say that
what the law permits cannot OF itself
be a nuisance They also say that what |
Is or is not o nuisance IS a judicial
question which can only he determined
by a duly constituted judicial tribunal.
n II were otherwise. property in the
District would be held on a very pre-
carious tenure. They decline to be
bound by the Commissioners idea of
what a nuisance is-especially when II |
Is contrary to that of the Commission
ers' legal advisers, whose opinion on
officials OF the sanitorium and their
counsel"
The trustees OF the sanitorium arc
Charles Cowles Tucker, DR.. r. r. |
"Fie. McCarty Hanger and j. Miller |
Kenyon.