Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-19
SS75,O()O MEDICAL
BUILDING OPENED
AT ST. EL|zABETH'S
New Principles in ArChitec-
ture and Equipment Give
Institution Lead.
200 ROOMS INCLUDES
CLINICS, DISPENSARIES
Structure First of Five Projected.
Psychological Influence a
Feature.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

washington LlOSplLdlS LOT general SSIV-
ice.
The building has 290 rooms. with
beds for 200 patients. clinics, dispen-
saries, operating rooms and training
school for nurses. It is the first build
ing of a projected five-building thera-
peutic center to be devoted entirely to
the treatment of persons in the custody
of ST. Elizabeth's.
Constructed entirely for nervous and
mental patients, the new building en-
bodies psychological. as well as archi-
tectural principles which may have far
reaching effects on future custodial
buildings through the country. 1t had
to be made entirely secure against
escape. but at the same time the st.
Elizabeth's physicians realized that the
constant sight of barred windows and
great locks and Responsibility re-
minding a patient that he is in custody
is extremely depressing and note
worthy psychological handicap against
a sick mans recovery.
Steel Grid for Windows.
Working on this problem, members
CT the hospital staff devised taype of
steel grid for the windows which, while
it is absolutely escape proof, has a de-
cided aesthetic effect such that a per-
son might live behind it for years with
out ever realizing that he was shut in.
Windows and grid lock automatically.
The grid can be let down to a horizon
tai position, where 1t forms platform
capable of holding 500 pounds. where
attendants can stand to wash the win
dows.
Hitherto it has been practically i'm
possible to wash thoroughly the out
sides Of the windows of custodial insti-
buttons, with the resulting dirty and
dreary appearance of asylums and jailS
after they have been in service a few
years. With the new grid the windows
have about the appearance of upper
floor windows of ONCE buildings or
apartment houses.
With a little strengthening 1t was
pointed out. this grid would be prac-
tical for jails as well as hospitals and
not only would vastly improve the ap-
pearance and sanitation of the build
ings, but would remove almost entirely
the idea Of being behind bars" Sew
eral mental hospitals contemplating
new buildings have sent staff members
to copy this window grid.
Hardly Like Hospital.
Throughout the building the aesthetic
is emphasized, so that one hardly
and furniture are of neutral colorS,
most Of the furnishings being of CO.
lonial yellow. There are none of
the white tile floors and white walls
which have become associated win
surgery and which, the st. Elizabeth'S
physicians believe, have a depressing eff
feet on patients. All fixtures are kept
of the floors, so that there is no nook
or Granny anywhere-as underneath
radiatorS-where dust can collect. 1t
is perhaps the most sanitary building in
the country.
Even the operating room is planned
for its psychological effect. 1t is nm
iShed In roSe-gray tile, substituting a
cheerful, homelike appearance for the
customary depressing austerity into
which a patient usually is introduced.
1; has a gallery for students which is
entered from door entirely outside the
operating loom, suite, to prevent the
bringing in of infection by visitors.
New ideas and inventions in surgical
and therapeutic apparatus have been
installed. Notable among these is a
combination X-ray-houroscope, the in
vention of DR.. Watson w. Eldridge, SEN
Tor medical officer of st. Elizabeth's,
who Is IN charge Of the hospital. The
Horoscope Is the instrument with
which the physician watches the work
ings Of the internal organs, notably the
stomach. a low-power x-ray behind the
patient throwing continuous shadow
pictures on fluorescent screen on the
other side.
Picture for Leisure Study.
With this instrument the doctor tries
to determine what Is wrong, but when
he notes this he must have an X-ray
picture taken requiring much stronger
current, which can be studied at leisure
This has meant in the past removing
the patient to an X-ray room. BY that
time, DR.. Eldridge pointed out, it may
be impossible to catch again what the
observer has seen with his eyes. This
is especially true in the process OF peris-
talsiS, where an abnormality may be
observable at only one stage of the
stomach movements.
The new device Is a combination,
semi-automatic Horoscope and X-ray
camera. The control cabinet Is set for
two currents one for each device. The
X-ray camera is set on movable track
and makes contacts as IL moves so that
the weaker current is switched off and
the stronger current is switched on
practically as soon. as the physician
moves it. Thus securing an X-ray pic
tllre as sometime seen on the fiuores-
cent screen Is only a matter OF. few
seconds.
The hospital has one of the most
powerful X-ray machines in the coun-
try for deep therapy. This operates at
30O. 600 volts, where the rays have ex-
tremely great penetrating power for the
treatment Of internal conditions. The
X-ray equipment for securing pictures
is Of the latest model, having no
movable parts and operating entirely
without sound so that the patient, often
in a highly nervous condition, Is en-
tirelv unaware when it Is being used.
II iS onerated at 1000 nilliamperes, so
that a complete picture Of a chest can
be taken In a twentieth of second and
of such an organ as the hand in about
one fiftieth Of o second.
Machine for Nervous Ones.
This Is of special value, it is pointed
o,,t for the treatment of nervous and
insane patients who often cannot be
Induced TO remain quiet long enough
for a picture to be taken with ordinary
X.rav apparatus. With this machine II
makes no difference whether the patient
moves or not.
The latest ideas are embodied in the
physical therapy, dental and dia-thermy
clinics. One of the most efficient ar
ranqen1ents Is that of the kitchen. A
notable feature here is the refrigerating
room for garbage. where all the leavings
from the tables are kept at a temporal