The Adair County news., 1921-02-16
NEED HOSPITALS 7
FOR SERVICE Men
Surgeon General Reports Ex-
Soldiers Breaking Down at ,
Rate of 1000 a Month.
SICK and INSANE INCREASE
Asks $50, 900 to Provide for TO-.
200 Additional 8eds-Many Pa
tients New Housed In FIimsY
and lnflammable Structures.

Washington. = To properly house
and care for the rapidly increasing
number of American ex-soldiers who
suffer from tuberculosis, mental dis
eases and other Affections, approx
mately $30,O00,0OO is needed immedi-
ately, according to a letter written to
Senator Ashurst Of Arizona by Sur
geon General II. S. Cumming of the
bureau of the public health service
At the present time, the surgeon gen.
eral states, sick and insane men whose
Affections can be charged to their
service to their country, are increaS-
ing at the rate of about 1000 per
month, and owing to inadequate hos
pital accommodations, great numbers
of them are of necessity being cared
for in structures that are Described
as "flimsy and inflammable."
In his letter to Senator Ashurst the
surgeon general says:
81 wish to invite your attention. to
the fact that since June 2, 1920. the
date on which the France bill, TO au-
thorize the secretary of the treasury
to provide medical, surgical and hos
pital services and supplies for dis
charged soldiers, marines, army and
navy nurses, and for other purposes
was favorably reported, the number
Of patients has increased from r. AS
to 22,292 for the week ended January
1, 1921.
I'm the week ended January Z 1921,
there were in hospitals operrgE BY
the public health service FIJI ph-
tients, and in hospitals under CONTRACT
with the public health service 9.7S1-
OF this number 1903 were pa; e:f.s OF
the war risk insurance bureau. II Is
understood that there were approx
mately 5000 patients of the war risk
insurance bureau in hospitals operated
by the National Home of Disabled Vol
unteer Soldiers, and in army and navy
hospitals.
Patients Increase 1000 Per NORTH.
THE present rate of increase in pa
tients in hospitals Of the public health
service is approximately 1000 per
month, and it is expected that before
the peak is reached the number Of 5edS
on request will approximate 10000 to
$4,000. 1t is estimated that the peak
will not be reached before 1927 to
1929.
The public health service now has,
or In the near future will have, under
operation hospitals providing app Coxi~
mately 19S7S beds. OF this number OF
beds 10,347 are in hospitals OF tljmSy
and inflammable construction a. in
hospitals leased by the service under
leases which will expire at certain pc
RODS after the declaration of peace,
or are otherwise not TO be counte8 up
on in the program for permanent care.
IAN analysis of the 1000 war risk
insurance patients in hospitals Of the
public health service for the week
ended January 1, 1921, shows thaS
they were distributed aecOrdiRs 30
disease as follows: tuberculosis T.
$50; neuro-psychiatric, $780, stneras
medical and surgical, 3, 743S total TO-
O19.
''The most pressing need is for tu-
berculosis and. neurO-phychiatrtc-p
TENTS
For tuberculosis patients there ara
7,431 beds in hospitals operated by the
public health service and 1000 beds In
the Soldiers Home at Johnson City,
Tenn. OF the number now in public
health service hospitals approximately
5,251 are not satisfactory, and should
be replaced at the earliest practicable
date, because they are in fimSy and
inflammable structures or in leased
institutions, etc.
"For neuro-psychiatric patients theirs
are $500 beds in institutions operated
| by the public health service and j.
| 600 beds in the Soldiers Home at Ma
rion. Ind. OF the $500 beds of the
public health service Ats are in leased
institutions, and owing to the Gharac-
ter of the leases are not to be counted
upon in the permanent hospital pro
gram. ~ 'l'>4.'@-' ,i,sz, - ---'---
For general medical and surgical
patients there are 9,94S beds In instf-
tutions either operated by or to Be
acquired by the public health service
OF this number 4,621 are not satisfao'
tory and should be replaced, *
10000 More Beds Needed
after careful consideration Of Cd
the number of war risk insurance pa
tients in hospitals, (2l the present
government hospital facilities. t3J the
necessity Of replacing some Of the I'm
desirable hospitals, 90 the increase n
the number OF war risk Insurance pa
tients within the past twenty monthE
and 90 the geographical dfstrFbati0n
Of the ex-soldier population, il is
found that there is urgent need for
4,SO0 additional beds for tuberculO-
SIS patients. $500 additional beds fen
insane. patients and 900 additional
beds for general medical and surgical
patients ----
I'm round numbers 10000 beds are
urgently needed. OF which the beds for