The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-10-02
D. c. HOSPITAL
UNFIT ASSERTS
MEDICAL CHIEF
Rats, Reaches, and Bedbugs
Abound IN Casualty Building,
inspection Reveals.
PLAN SEPARATE QUARTERS
Veterans Bureau Officials to
Provide Buildings for lsola-
8 H.. ton Of Patients.

Intense feeling expressed by white
ex-service patients under treatment
at Mt. Alto Hospital on Wisconsin
avenue over arrangements being
made by the veterans bureau to
transfer ten colored tubercuiar cases
from Casualty Hospital to the Mt.
Alto institution next week, was yes
terday afternoon branded as wholly
unjustified by Col. r. u. Patterson,
chief of the medical division,
veterans bureau.
To Be Kept Isolated.
1--WE are faced with an emergency"
declared Patterson. "and this seems to
be the only solution. All arrange
ments are being made to provide for
strict isolation of the cases to be
transferred. The white patients and
the colored patients will have sepa-
rate facilities, separate Kitchens pro.
viding their respective messes, and
they win In no way be thrown in con.
tact with each other"
Colonel Patterson declared the re-
moval OF the patients from Casualty
Hospital followed an inspection made
yesterday by DIR. /. l.. Hirschman,
chief medical officer of the Fourth dis
trict Veterans Bureau.
Presence of rats, cockroachss and
bedbugs In the antiquated Casualty
Hospitan building and the complete
lack Of facilities to provide the proper
treatment Of tubercular patients
prompted the Veterans Bureau Off.
GERS to Immediately seek other quar-
ters for the Government charges.
The report Dr. Hirschman made to
me today" said Col Patterson, was
such that I have Immediately ordered
the transfer Of the colored patients to
Mount Alto as soon as arrangements
can be made for their occupancy Of a
new ward, to be ready by the latter
part Of next week.
x p Adequate Facilities.
MT. Alto has facilities for 161
general patients. Only twenty-eight
beds are now occupied. There are
quarters for twenty.four tubercdlar
patients. Mt. Alto is the nearest
available hospital for these colored
cases. Oteen, N. c., has q large hos
pital with plenty of room for addi-
tional cases. but the disqualification
regulation provide that patients re-
ceiving Government treatment must
be provided for, whenever possible,
within q carfare Of their home.''
Four of six white tubercular cases
already have been moved to Mt.
Alto from Casualty. The two pther
cases have been removed to their
homes. Ten colored cases will be
transferred next week, two, other
colored cases being at present i'm
movable. ..
1--WE are confronted with a peculiar
situation here in Washington" said
Colonel Patterson. "Tubercular cases
being treated at other hospitals In
various parts Of the country leave the
hospitals In which they are being
treated, and head for Washington ex-
pecting some imaginary additional
treatment here. Consequently. Wash
ington hospitals are forced. out Of
humanitarianism, to accept the cases
when the men hSeak down. To send
ftese man to their,fespective districts
would seem sItfs easy solution, but
many are m a condition which would
make return, journeys perilous.
iii there is a feeling among the
white boys at Mount Alto that COL
ored patients should not be accepted
there, am sorry that they should
assume that attitude. We are endeav..
oring TO take care of ali our ex-sol.
diers, colored as wen as white, and
In this case the proximity Of Mount
Alto and other contributing conditions
at Casualty Hospital make Il advis-
ahiaS that uua avday- xha fva pafor