Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-22
BY \. o. MESSENGER.

BY \. O. MESSENGER.
w WITHIN sight of the Capitol
w : :ssss@ ., ; n: ssn: !" !, tn;
sun set in that direction
lies st. Elizabeths Hospital. the domi-
cile of $500 insane soldiers and sail
ors. together with 1900 residents OF
the District of Columbia. which must
he an institution of CHASTITY horrors
according to the reports of ofhclals
made to the House committee on APP
nominations How congressman can
read the testimony of these of1ciais
which is to be found in the printed
hearings on the sundry civil appro-
rriation bill. beginning at page 1ss
and available to any one. and not pc
moved to pity and resolve to go the
limit in the way of amelioration OIL
conditions is uncomfortable.
X x x
Rear Admiral William C. BREASTED
president of the board of visitors. and
Dr. William
CONDITIONS ARE A. White. the
HEART very efficient
supe rinten-
of. the heart-breaking conditions in
simple and unaffected language. So
lamentable are affairs that it has been
found necessary to farm OUT some
Of the soldier and sailor inmates in
out of town institutions, proceed
ing admitted to be unsatisfactory. OF
these $500 soldier inmates. probably
one-half are regarded as permanently
insane and these do not get proper
care 1t is admitted that the other
half are not receiving adequate treat
ment to restore their reason.
The story of how the hospital has
had to struggle along short-handed
and lacking sufficient funds is in vio-
lent contrast to the extravaganza OF
many Of the departments in Washing
ton during war time. the reported
reckless waste of money in foreign
commissions now said to be going on
and all that sort of thing. The pic
to transport patients and of swivel
chair military officers dashing
around Washington in 1imousines is
another contrast. The committee
promptly directed the War Depart
ment to turn over some of its auto
mobiles and to loan needed X-ray ap-
paratus.
Conditions are SUCH Admiral
Braisted told the committee. "tat the
present time
PATIENTS LACK that you might
MANY COMFORTS. say the pa
tients are held
there safely but without sufficient
doctors to properly treat and go over
each case and without sufficient attend
ants to properly take care of them,
without the proper number of ade-
quately trained nurses that we should
have, without sufficient cooks, with
out dieticians. without proper people
to serve food"
without doctors. nurses, cooks and
people to properly serve food! just
emphasize that statement and set II
aside from all the other complaints
remembering that this is a hospital
now that is being talked about. for
the treatment of the most pitiable
cases In the world. The food was de-
clared to be good and sufficient. but
cannot be properly prepared.
In other words. gentlemen" went
on Admiral Braisted. these pool
patients over there require more
careful treatment than infants be-
cause the infant. while he can make
known his needs by cries of distress
is not like the insane man whose
mind is filled with all sorts of hal.
fluctuations and vagaries of variou.
him skilled and carefully trained at.
tention, and plenty of it.
IF you can give trained attention
you can save many of these men
Fifty per cent OF
NEED MORE CARE them can be
THAN INFANTS. saved. The con-
dition at present
IN pitiable. For instance. with 600 bed.
ridden paralytics and patients Of that
kind, there are not enough people Il
take care Of them. These bed-ridden
helpless ones must lie for hours in a dis
tressed condition because they car
not be decently attended to-
TT 10 our particular desire" sale
Admiral BREASTED, speaking for thu
MANAGEMENT, mot to conceal any.
thing. The complaints have beer
numerous The Secretary of the In
terror has been swamped with com
plants All the better class of peo
pie who are interested in this kim
Of work In the city are aroused owe
1t and looking for some immediate
fsolution of the question"
DR.. White, the widely recognize,
highly competent superintendent o
the institution
OFFICIALS WANT told the com
TO HIDE NOTHING. mittee. in de
tail. of his diff
ficulties. The hospital is one-third shor
Of personnel: it cannot get doctors with
out paying salaries commanded by SINH
lar service elsewhere: cannot get nurse
for the same reason
1t was shown that the highest pc
sition on the staff of physicians pay
but $1,000; the next $500; the mex
$500. and they enter at $500. TIL
War Department and the Navy De
partment loaned some enlisted force
TO help nurse during the war. bu