Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-29
Public Hearing Is Expected
to Complete Testimony
in Hospital Probe.
HICKLING GIVES DEFENSE
OF PSYCHOPATHIL WARD
Admits Methods Can Be Improved.
Wants Drunk and Drug Cases
Treated Elsewhere.

With great mass Of testimony from
Eers of the medical staff designed to
refute recent criticism, the medical
committee investigating conditions at
the institution, particularly in the psy-
chopathic ward, today issued call for
critics of the hospital to appear with
whatever testimony they care to offer
at public hearing beginning at 10
o'clock tomorrow morning in the board
room at the District Building.
Taking of testimony in the Gallinger
inquiry is expected to be completed
with tomorrow's hearing. Chairman
w. w. MILAN instructed the members
of his committee to be prepared to
spend the day on the taking Of testi-
mony II that Is necessary.
The psychopathic ward at the hos
pital, upon which has been heaped
most of the recent criticism, compares
favorably with such wards in the famous
hospitals of the country, including
Johns Hopkins and Bellevue, in New
York, DR.. D. Percy Hickling, District
alienist and chief of the department Of
psychiatry and neurology of Gailinger,
told the committee yesterday afternoon.
But DR.. Hickling admitted that there
are many things that can be done to
sons mentally diseased.
Explains Use of Strong Rooms.
For one thing" he said, IT would
like to see the DRINKS and drug addicts
treated elsewhere. Their place is not
with the other patients"
DR.. Hickling explained that the use
OF strong rooms is an almost universal
practice with preSent-day treatment of
psychoSes in their more violent forms,
and that frequently 1t is found neces-
Sary to put patient in strong rooms
nude to prevent their doing injury to
themselves with their clothing.
The hospital overseer, laundryman,
dietitian, superintendent of nurses,
chief clerk, property custodian and
other minor officials testified Yesterday
afternoon that while conditions at the
institution in the past have not been
up to standard radical revisions in the
conduct OF the institution have been
made in the past year and the hospital
now conforms with the best standards
of municipal hospitals. All denied ever
seeing bed-bug in any of the wards.
They admitted that few reaches have
washroomS. kitchens and such places,
but never have invaded the wards and
are exterminated as fast as they are
found.
Nursing School Rules Strict.
The nursing school at Gallinger is
above the average Of hospitals. Miss
Katherine Moran, superintendent of
nurses, told the committee. Rules are
strict, she says. She told Of suspend
ing three nurses recently for staying
out past the hour when they were sup
posed to return. One of them she re-
fused to allow to return, she said, be-
cause she was the ringleader. She adj
mitted that some of the girls might
smoke, but not If I know anything
about it." For attractions of the rules
about the hospital, mistreating patients.
neglecting patients or failure to per-
form any of their duties the girls re-
ceive reprimands, she said.
She declared that the hospital under
her regime has been kept spotlessly
clean. that there is ample linen. we'll
laundered, and that in the rooms the
linen is changed daily while in the
wards it is changed anew for every
patient and generally changes are made
on Tuesdays and Fridays.
DR.. Edgar A. Bocock. superintendent
of the hospital, has attended all OF the
hearings of the investigating committee
and has aided Mr.. MILAN in his ex-
animation of the witnesses.