Evening star., 1920-12-26
MT. ALTO HOSPITAL
PATIENTS CHEEKY
Real Christmas Spirit in Evil
dence Among Soldiers at
the Institution.


evidence yesterday at the Public
Health Service Mount Alto Hospital.
on Wisconsin avenue, where cheer
dispensed by the Red Cross brought
to an approximate climax year of
service by the hospital staff. which
has elected the praise of the patients.
Trees, decorations, music, gifts
all that go with the Yuletide-had
been provided lavishly under the di-
rection of Miss katharine r. Billet.
Red Cross director of medical social
work. Physicians, nurses and soldiers
mingled in the activities.
Entertainments have been planned
for all of the holiday period for the
13O soldier patients.
If any 'sore" spots remained after
the recent controversy over the quail
ty of food served patients in one
of the wards they were not to be
discerned today. The incident gen.
orally was characterized as tempest
in a teapot.
Patients of several wards were in
and for the most part they could
not say enough in praise of the man
agemeft.
Say Conditions Have Improved.
Complaints of the alleged serving of
inferior eggs and SKINNED milk
originated in ward A, which is main
tanned for tubercular patients. AL
fred E. O'Neil, jr., and w. H. Stamats
of this ward today stated that the
| conditions complained of continued
| over a period of about three weeks,
but are now very much improved. In
the same ward ]. Z. Kenney, L. Sust-
kewicz and James c. Longstreet said
they had found the food uniformly
good at all times.
Twenty-one ward B patients, upon
| learning that newspaper men were
visiting the hospital. hurriedly signed
to permit them to give an interview.
fSR. E. L. Hennigan was the spokes-
| man. Hospital officials absented
themselves during the interview.
II cannot say too much in praise
Of the authorities here and Of the
Hennigan. II have been in several
private and public hospitals. and in
none of them does the service and
treatment approach the standard
maintained here.'
This Endorsement was enthusiastic
cally subscribed to by Hennigan's as
sociates.
In ward a similar story was told.
There Edward Boteler spoke for a
group of patients.
Food the Same for All.
Capt. c. L. Christian, past assistant
surgeon general. in charge Of District
public health service hospitals, es-
corted the newspaper men on their in
spection of the Mount Alto plant. A
visit was made to the kitchen, where
the food served all the patients and
others connected with the HOSPITAL lis is
prepared. The food is the same for
every one. Capt. Christian said, and
discrimination against any ward is
impossible. He stated that. while
there may have been isolated cases
of inferior eggs having been served
or the milk not having been properly
mixed, such occurrences were acci-
dental and of a character likely to
happen in any well regulated home.
Mdnnt improvements xe1ae ST., now under way at
make that hospital one of the most
up-to-date of any under the control
Of the public health service, accord
ingto Capt Christian. These addi-
tions will make a total bed capacity
of 800. An ultimate enlargement to
500 beds is anticipated.
$500, 200 Paid for Site.
The government paid $500, 900 for the
twelve acres comprising the site and an
additional half million dollars is being
expended upon the construction Of new
buildings. The additions will include a
ries high; a large kitchen and mess hall,
45 by 100 feet, and power plant. A
garage has just been completed.
The new kitchen and mess hall is be-
ing constructed on a hillside, so that
the ground floor can be used as a laun-
dry. This building will be ready for
occupancy in about two months, but the
new ward unit will require six months
for completion. To make room for the
ward structure an old residence on the
site has been moved and will be used
as an administration building. The
new structures, together with the four
stone and stucco buildings that were on
the property when it was purchased by
the government will incIose a half