Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-04-03
FOWLER CHARGES
PLOT BY MED|CS
Sees Attempt to Transfer
D. c. Health Unit to
U. S. Control.
Continued From First Page.)

tCOntlnueC from t1rSt Page.)
brought here from the States. He re-
called that in 1880 there were 40
deaths in Federal hospitals from tu-
berculosis, 81 in 1881, and 81 in 1882.
DR.. Fowler said he was present at
the medical society meeting at which
the committee. headed by DR.. w. D.
Tewksbury, was appointed. He said
report on the tubercular conditions
here was read and at its conclusions
he arose and said:
Gentlemen, I have no apologies to
offer. Some of the statements in this
report are correct, but I am not in
agreement with all parts of it,"
Death Rate Is Compiled.
He said the attack on the Health
Department for failing to give tuber-
culin tests was unwarranted. He said
these tests had been used in the dis
pensary here and that their use was
not discouraged as charged in the re-
port.
The death rate in the District from
1910 is shown as follows:
190810-white. 1923, colored, 1924,
average, 1851; 1911-l5-white, 1246.
colored, 1865, average, 2113; 1860
white. 964. colored, 1921. average.
1544; l92l25-white 629, colored.
PAT. average, 1913; 926-30-white,
sos, colored, 260l, average, 1891;
l93l-white, COL, colored, PIT, aver
age, 1895
On March II the District Medical
Society in a report to the House Dis
trict Committee charged that the Dis
trict Health Department was not prop
erly equipped to handle the tubercu-
loSis situation and that the health Of
ficers were overworked and none of
them able to devote full time to the
work. The report proposed that a
full-time health officer be employed to
specialize in tuberculosis work.
The society indicted hospital facili-
ties for the care Of consumptive cases
and said the District has the fourth
highest tuberculosis rate among As
large cities, which is nearly twice as
high as that Of either Chicago or New
York.
The report recommended the crea-
ton Of a paid advisory board OF
reputable physicians. construction Of
a tuberculosis unit at Gallinger Hos
pital for care Of patients in the late
stages of the disease, and erection Of
an adult sanitarium on Defense High
way, adjacent to the present Chill
dren's tuberculosis Sanitarium.
Secretary Of the Interior Ickes said
today no grants of P. w A. funds
can be made for the proposed tuber-
culosis hospital until Congress makes
a new allotment of public works funds.
The District Commissioners request
ed 100000 to build q sanatorium
building and nurses home on the site
for the tuberculosis hospital at Alta
Vista, on the National Defense High
way.
The report also sought to have the
present tuberculosis Hospital at Thir-
tenth and Upshur streets abolished
on the grounds that it is totally in
adequate.
The report concluded with the
charge that the District Welfare
Board has charge of so per cent of
the tuberculosis beds in all local hos
pitfalls and there is only one physician
who is a board member.
Copeland Issues Statement.
Meanwhile Senator Royal S. Cope
land. who long had advocated more
stringent measures for tie treatment
of tuberculosis here, issued the fol-
lowing statement:
1T is certain that the high and
rising rate of deaths from tuberculosis
in the District of Columbia cannot be
checked until much greater number
of hospital beds for patients suffering
with this communicable disease is
made available
This is precisely what the District
of Columbia tuberculosis Association.
OF which I am director. has been
fighting for during the past several
years. So long ago as 1921 Mrs.
Ernest r. Grant. as chairman of the
advisory council on child health edu-
cation of the National tuberculosis
Association, made report to the Dis
trict of Columbia Association showing
the urgent need of a children's sana-
forum and the inadequate number
OF beds for adult patients. This was
followed in 1927 by a similar recon-
mendatlon by DR.. Paul Preble of the
United States Public Health Service,
and in 1929 by DR.. Henry D. Chad
wick. now commissioner Of health Of
Massachusetts,
1T is now especially gratifying 10
have the Medical Society of the Dis
Tlct throwing the weight of its organi-
cation behind the movement. This is
IN the form of request for a ST.
100000 loan from the Public Works
Administration to develop a large
tuberculosis center on the Defense
Highway property where the Chill
dren's Sanatorium is now located and
soon to be formally opened
We have had reports enough. What
We need now is action"