Evening star., 1934-04-06
$2,0)0,0DONEEDED
FOR TUBERCULOSIS
FIGHT IN CAPITAL
Sum Would Provide Ade-
quate Facilities and Staff
to Aid Sufferers,
FIGURE SET BY HEADS
OF PRESENT HOSPITALS
Drs. Bocock and Peabody Tell of
Years of Futile Fight for
Needed Funds,

Two million dollars is the sum
needed for consti uction, stating and
maintenance of adequate facilities for
the hospital treatment of tuberculosis
In the National Capital.
II Congress would make that sum
lIhneolately available hospital and
sanatorium facilities could be brought
up at least to the minimum REQUIRE
ments OF a city Of the size and wealth
OF Washington, according to leading
experts.
Or. E. A. Bocock, superintendent Of
Gallinger Hospital, who came here
from Denver, where he had wide ex-
perlence with tuberculosis, said he was
amazed" at conditions here and de-
scrloed them as the most chaotic" he
ever saw.
Plea Denied for Years.
DR.. j. w. Peabody, SUPERINTENDENT
OF the tuberculosis Hospital at Four
teenth and Upshur streets, has de-
piored conditions for years and has
sougnt funds to improve them. But
economy-minded boards and bureaus
nave failed to heed his warnings.
III. Peabody'S hospital is accommo-
oatlng 220 patients when it should
only have about half that number
Gallinger is treating approximately 90
men, women and children in make
shlft wards. There are still scores of
others who should be admitted IN
either OF these two hospitals, but who
cannot because there is no room for
them
unless sanatorium for adults is
constructed on the Defense Highway.
ADJOINING the new Children's Tuber-
culosls Sanatorium, hundreds. if not
thousands, of sufferers who should be
nospltalized to receive adequate treat
ment, VIII be denied proper hospital
care IN coming years, according to
Its. Feaoody and Bocock.
The Medical Society of the Dis
trlct OF Columbia has recommended
construction Of such q sanatorium
DR.. Peabody, whose yearly budget re-
quests have fallen on deaf ears. has
called 1t the crying need of the citv !"
For a quarter Of q century. the
three-story red brick building at
Fourteenth and Upshur streets has
oeen virtually the Capitals only de-
1enSe against the white piag,e
through the aggressive leadership of
Dr. Peabody, this institution has been
completely remodeled since its erec-
ton.
Built originally as the first INIT of
Gallnger Hospital, which at that
.ime was supposed to be erected on
tne same site. much of its equipment
Is antiquated. Its heating plant, for
instance, was installed as "tempo-
rary Is years ago. It is still on
Porches that were intended for the
recreation and health and enjoyment
OF patients now have been turned
into wards. Nurses offices and otbe-
necessary administrative rooms have
peen nlled with BEDS Crowded wards
nave been overcrowded.
Recreation Room Lacking
1nere Is not single recreation
room In the building. Male patients
nave set up a card table in a Lava
tory In order to while away a few
nours DAY in the long fight to re-
gam their health. The women haven't
even this much extra space. The
oeos IN the long wards are so close
together as to be considered dan.
gerouS.
For more than two weeks three.
quarters of the hospital has been sur
rounded by scaffolding, but there has
oeen no painting going on. C. w. A
workers had been detailed to paint
the building. but they were with
drawn without notice one morning
more than a fortnight ago. Thev
lett the scaffolds in place, blocking
windows and cutting out the fresh
air so necessary for tuberculous pa
tientS.
At Gallinger conditions are CON-
sidered about as bad. Two old frame
structures, one formerly used as the
quarantine station, have been con-
Verted into tuberculosis wards. The
work was done at the direction of
Dr. Bocock, who said he begged, bor-
rowed and stole" enough equipment
iaoor and material to remodel the
buildings inside and out. He did not
get an extra dollar to spend on the
job and the little money he could
get came from the maintenance fund
OF the hospital.
Made Children's Ward,
He made a children's ward out Of
the top floor of an old red brick
building which was built in 1857,
Conditions are nothing like ideal, /"
said DR.. Bocock, but they are better
than nothing. We just had to have
some place to send these people,"
Additional funds also are needed for
the tuberculosis Dispensary main
tanned by the District Health De-
partment. This clinic, so important
to the early detection of tuberculosis.
has been operated without sufficient
help and equipment for years. Its
case will be discussed in q later
article.