Evening star., 1928-03-11
&100,0O|SSOUGHT
FOR CANCER WARD
Appeal Made by Washington
Home for Incur.
ableS.

An appeal to the public for 100000
endowment for the cancer ward at ths
washington Home for 1ncurablcs, Wis
consin avenue and Upton street, was
made Yesterday by Mrs. Archibald Hop
kins, president OF the board of mana
sers.
This is the first appeal made for the
home in TIN &c years. since the new oullo-
ING and grounds were paid for, Mrs
Hopkins points out, and is for support
OF the most important part Of the WORK.
For cases Of cancer in washington
which require prolonged treatment,
Mrs Hopkins said, there Is only the
a,nlshoass from which. in spite OF It's
good management, people SHRINK, ana
the expensive hospitals which are en-
,tirely beyond the means OF the average
patient In 1921 three prominent So
ciety girls asked us TO establish more
ar less free cancer ward There was
great opposition on the part of many
members OF the board. owing 10 the
supposed danger of contagion. but the
girls said that II We refused they would
start another hospital.
Cost Is Very High.
The cost of the ward is very high,
ewing 10 the amount Of narcotics ana
nlrsicsl dressing used. There is but
one partially endowed ROOM The waro
should have an endowment OF $lo0.oo0.
The interest would care for all patients,
with a small surplus to keep the rooms
In better order, with requirements of
nnen and furniture From gifts that
rsnse from SIS to $1,000. We have s23.-
$50 in the cancer ward endowment and
our hope is that this appeal may reach
the eyes Of thousands OF people mere
who either have or dread cancer. or
vino have lived through operations. or
TO whom this disease has brought sor-
row or loss
Our biggest gift to the fund was
nom a poor woman who had lived In
loneliness and suffering. later surviving
only about O. month in the home. she
left us two little houses, one OF which
has been sold. The other we hope soon
to sell. Another gift was $1,000 from
a c.sark in gratitude for our care OF
he sister The Government Pives
$4,000 for IS. free patients, who cost
fs Sl6.3Oo. but We are very gratefui ior
the $4,000. feel that If people only
would come and see for themselves. We
cou.d raise this $4,000 in "a hours.
Tells Of Gases.
In urging the need of the cancer
ward, Mrs Hopkins tells of various
p6L1SGC C8SGS WEA4IA AAHsE bOCAt ANotSA
there. One Of the first" she said
was q young English woman dying of
internal cancer. She had been cast
on by her family on account OF her
marriage, her husband had died, and
when she came to us she was no longer
able 10 support herself. We did our
best. with the help OF the British en-
bsssy, 70 reach and make her father
forgive her while she was conscious
and on his refusal We did everything
for her care and her funeral which
was possible. Then We wrote and told
her father what we thought of him.
Rather recently, the widow of an
Army officer came TO us. She had been
living i'm furnished room several miles
out Of town. She was cared for by a
sister. who. after her days work in a
Government office, bought food. went
out anc cooked it. making her sister
as comfortable as possible, and then
left her alone again for another "a
hours. The end came very quickly
after she entered the home. She was
one Of the mcst beautiful women
have seen for many day.
T7ise are perhaps the loneliest OF
oil our patients, for with all the mod
ern knowledge that cancer is not con-
tagious. very few visitors care TO visit
thM cancer ward t*