Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-10

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examined, and all bedding. were found
to be absolutely clean and sanitary.
Some linen Is stained with drug stains,
removable, II at all, only slowly and
with difficulty, but none was lacking
In absolute cleanliness. There was no
sign of verinin of any kind and there
is most positive testimony Of numerous
employees that none has been seen in
the psychopathic buildings, erected IN
1923, or the new general hospital, ex-
cept an occasional cockroach in the
kitchen, a condition with which most
housewives are familiar.
Reporter Testifies.
"The newspaper reporter referred to
informed the investigating committee
that he had been in Washington six
months, four months es a free lance"
and six weeks with the paper in which
his articles appeared; that is to say, two
weeks before his visit to the hospital.
He is 80 years Of age, but was never in
a hospital before, either as patient or
as an investigator, but the committee
has endeavored, to the best Of its abil-
ity to give to his complaints and crit
icisms the same serious consideration
that they would have been given II made
by the most experienced Investigators.
His criticisms are directed to what Is
known as the South Building Of the
pSychopathic group, as that was the
only part Of the hospital, except the
alienists consulting room, he had an
opportunity to see. This is the receiv-
ing building where all mental patients
and all alcoholics and narcotic addicts
are taken In the first instance. It Is
not, and under the most favorable con-
ditions could not be. an inviting place.
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from choice, but the board finds 1t inn
possible to understand how so complete
Transformation could have taken place
between the date at which the reporters
visit ended and that at which the
boards inspection began.
"It is qlite true that the walls we're
dingy and stained and in some places
defaced, but they were not dirty. They
had never been painted since the build
ings were erected six years ago, but sew
eral months before this reporters visit,
a complete renovation Of all the build
ings was begun and had been pushed rs
rapidly as was possible with the help
available. At the time Of the reporters
visit, this work had been completed in
all the buildings except The South Build
ing. 1t had actually begun In that
building some weeks before and was
then in progress. 1t has since been
completed, or nearly so. giving all the
buildings a much better appearance.
The committee saw no evidence Of
crowding or lack Of beds. 1t saw the
beds and the patients. The testimony
of nurses and attendants was that there
has been no overcrowding.
Evidence Of Filth Lacking.
mo evidence of dirty floors we're
found, no lack of chairs, no stencil from
disinfectantS, no evidence of patients
being compelled to drink from COM
mon drinking cup, but much to the
contrary, and no evidence of patients
being required to work against their
will or their being mistreated. The sur
prising charge that dogs were locked in
a room with patient was denied by
all the employees and officers who testi-
fed on the subject. No dogs were on
hand when the committee made its
visits. If such a thing should ever
occur. the board has no doubt that the
superintendent would promptly remove
the dog and dismiss the offender re-
sponsible for its presence.
Food for all the departments is dis
pensed from a central kitchen in the
new hospital, under control of trained
superintendent from one of the most
Clinic at Rochester, MINI. A trained
dietitian has charge of special trays for
special cases Of patients. 1t is believed
that the food is ample and we'll pre-
pared and fully up to the standard OF
similar institutions throughout the
country.
THE manner of serving the food
without knives or forks-seems usual
and necessary in psychopathic hos
pital This manner of serving and the
character of the food itself would prob
ably be unattractive to any such per-
son as the investigator making these
charges. Patients do frequently Shrek
in the South Building. This is gener-
ally believed to be usual in all such
places, The physicians at Gallinger do
not believe in quieting mental patients,
alcoholics or drug addicts with mar
cotics, except in extreme cases. There
is no other public place in the District
Of Columbia where mental patients, al
coholics and drug addicts are received
The South Building is the place into
which the entire intake goes. Naturally
It gets them at their worst. They are
kept there until they improve to the
extent of being At to transfer to the
quiet wards. These three classes are
together. This is not good arrange
ment, but for the present Is unavold-
able because ofelack of Facilities. The
board hopes to see this condition reme-
died in the not distant future, and the
mental cases, strictly such, separated
from the alcoholics and narcotic ad-
diets. Patients suffering only from dis
eases not mental are not kept In the
psychopathic wards.
1.-THE water treatment, with 50-pound
pressure on piece of equipment In the
hydro therapy department referred to as
a hose, has a pressure OF about ~
pounds. The committee saw this treat
ment administered. Some might object
to 1t, but it does not appear harsh o.
cruel as a part of hospital treatment.
In some cases it might almost be a
necessity. The various forms of baths,
together with the so-called Scotch
douche, which is the form of treatment
Just referred to, are considered the most
efficient means OF quieting acute ana
violent forms of mania. They act not
only as sedatives, but also as tonics &c
the nervous systems Of mental patients.
The equipment referred to is usual in
all modern hospitals treating psyche
pathic patients.
"But one note of criticism of the new
general hospital was heard. That was
from the X-ray specialist formerly con-
nected with the hospital as a part-time
man on pay, but replaced, properly he
comedies, by a full-time man, and
transferred to the unpaid visiting staff,
when that was organized. The report
on this may well rest on the testimony
of this witness alone. The sum of his
testimony is that the x-ray equipment
installed is in accordance with that
generally in use in hospitals throughout
the country, but that 1t Is not as good
as a system that he has devised but
which Is not in use anywhere in the
world and never has been except in the
OLD hospital under his direction. He
courtesy by the s-perintendent in max
ing the change from his system to the
one installed. The installation was made
a ftar ror1ciYltatior1 with more fhon an