Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-05
MEDICAL SOCIETY
SCORES CH|LDREN'S
SAN|TAR|UN SITE
Commissioners Expected to
Override Resolution Point
ing to disadvantages"
REM0TENESS AND LOW
ALTITUDE COMPLAINTS
tuberculosis Association Letter
Urges Construction With
out Delay.

The District Commissioners today
took under Amusement q complaint from
the Medical Society Of the District
against location of the proposed Chill
dren's tuberculosis Sanitarium on the
Defense Highway, Is miles from the
Capitol. A committee from the Medical
Society, consisting Of DrS II. c. Macatee,
H. H. Kerr and Oscar B. Hunter, pre-
sented a set OF resolutions adopted
recently by the Medical Society, In
which objection IS made TO the site Tor
a number OF reasons.
1t Is believed, however. that the Com
missioners will override the objection, II
for no other reason, because the land
was bought and paid for in cash eight
months ago. It cost about $4,000. The
resolution of the Medical Society pro-
ceeds on the basis that final decision
by the Commissioners on the location Is
imminent, although in fact the decision
was made prior to the time OF the pur-
chase Of the site.
Advantages Held Lacking.
The objections to the site are that it
possesses no special advantages OF altl-
tude or freedom from excessive humid
ity, that it Is remote and difficult OF
access from the city; that the proposed
approximation ($625 ,000) Is inadequate
for q flrst-class institution for q rapidly
growing community; that 1t is on .
railroad (the Washington, Baltimore
Annapolis) which Is in the hands OF re-
ceivers and may go out Of existence at
any moment, and that 1t will be DIM
cult to get medical attention, especially
for surgical cases.
At the same time the Commissioners
had before them a communication from
the board of directors OF the Washing
ton tuberculosis Association, in the
form of a letter signed by Mrs. Ernest
r. Grant. president, in which the OPP
position of the medical society Is min
imized and the location of the proposed
sanitarium approved.
Questions Pointed Out.
The letter points out by series OF
questions. addressed to the Commits
sioners, that public announcement was
made in Washington newspapers OF the
selection OF the site July Is and 20.
1880, that it was actually purchased
August 20, 1880. and that If the Medical
Society objected to it, the objections
should have been made known then
and not now: that of the seven persons
recommending the site two were doctors
of medicine, one was an architect, one
the assessor of the District, one an
engineer commissioner, one a director
of the Board of Public Welfare and
one a member for f1ve years OF the
National Advisory @ mmlttee on CIII.o
Health Of the National TuoerculoSlS
ASSOCIATION; that the president Of the
Board of Commissioners is himself q
doctor of medicine; that medical
opinion on the subject Of the treatment
of tuberculcuS children is divided, puL
that the modern and generally ac-
cepted treatment places emphasis on
rest. food, sunshine and fresh air; that
the w. B. & A. interurban line Is now
in existence; that the convenience OF
use of sick children for the teaching OF
medical students is by no means the
first, or even the most important con-
sideration in its location, and that even
If the services of specialists are not
nrocurable at the proposed location,
they will certainly be obtainable when
the children are brought to city
hospitals for special attention.
The letter wound up by importunlng
the commissioners to proceed TO the
construction of the sanitsrium without
hesitation or delay.