Evening star., 1925-04-12
A GREAT MEDICAL CENTER
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN

One of the last things which Con-
sress did before adjourning was to
authorize the appropriation of ST.
OoO. 900 for the construction OF per-
manent buildings at Walter Reed
Hospital to replace the temporary
buildings of washington's famous
Army hospital.
These temporary buildings have
long been recognized as fire traps, and,
as one ofacer put It, 'ft is only be-
cause OF constant vigilance and care
that there has not been a terrible
Catastrophe" For several years er-
forts have been made to impress upon
Congress the great need of such an
appropriation. Now. when the money
Is actually appropriated In Decem-
ber. work may be commenced on this
very important project.
From time to time there has been
SO much criticism OF the hospitals in
which veterans are being taken care
of that 1t seems strange that there
should have been any opposition to
the idea that the temporary build
ings at Waiter Reed should be re-
placed by modern, fireproof ones. But
the congressional hearings disclosed
such opposition One of the argu-
ments used. against putting up per-
manent buildings was that IL this
were done 1t would be impossible
ever to cut through the grounds GER
tain streets which some groups Of
citizens are interested in seeing con-
tinusd.
From realtors point of view the
extension of certain streets through
the hospital grounds would be ex-
tremely advantageous, but, on the
other hand, the hospital authorities
maintain that such procedure is
not only illogical, but unnecessary.
The automobiles constantly going up
and down these streets would be
menace to those patients who are
able to-. wander around the grounds.
The noise of such traffic would be a
great annoyance to very i'll or nerv-
Gus patients and exceedingly detri-
mental to their welfare.
The plans for Walter Reed Hospital
are very ambitious, and 1t is hoped
that eventually it will be the great
est center of it's sort in the world.
At the present time the Army Medical
School, the Army Dental School, the
Army School of Nursing and the Army
Veterinary School are located there.
To Add Museum and Library.
Eventually it is hoped to move to
this reservation the Army Medical
Museum and the Army Medical Lii
brary. In view of all these things the
Army medical authorities feel that the
hospital grounds should be kept free
from public highways. as is the case
with the grounds of the Soldiers
Home. Congress enacted legislation
which provides that no streets shall
ever be cut through this reservation.
In addition to the money which Con-
gress is going to appropriate to Wal
ter Reed Hospital for the construction
of permanent buildings, the Veterans
Bureau is going to use 100000 of its
appropriation for the building of the
new west wing. This is to consist en-
tirely of wards. 1t is deemed proper
that the bureau should use the money
in this way in view of the fact that
the hospital reserves 500 beds for bu-
reau patients, out of an approximate
total of 1000. These are filled almost
all the time.
There is no discrimination between
the bureaus patients and those who
are actually connected with the serv-
Ice. If anything, the bureaus pa
tients have a little the better of 1T in
that they do not come under quite SO
strict discipline as those still in serv-
ice. And, for the most part, they seem
satisfied with the treatment accorded
them.
The main building is largely used
for very Ill patients. or those who
must undergo operations This is be-
cause the facilities for giving prompt
and special attention to patients are
greater and more centralized in this
building. Also this building is more
quiet. The fact that a patient is from
the Veterans Bureau, from the rank
and file, an officers wife or an officer
himself has nothing to do with his
being given bed in this main build
ing. The only thing that determines
that he should be housed here is the
seriousness of his condition. When
his condition permits he is moved to
a ward in one of the temporary build
ings in order that some other urgent
case may take his place.
Since most of the staff of the hos
pital live within the grounds, or very