Evening star., 1937-12-24
RUTLAND WILL ASK
MORE GLENN DALE
ROOM FOR ADULTS
Seeks Permission to Shift
Them to Chi|dren's
Building.
GROWN-UPS' STRUCTURE
is FILLED TO CAPACITY
Due Principally to Transfers of
Many From Gallinger
Hospital.

DR.. George c. Rutland soon will
ask the District Commissioners for
official permission to use the chill
dren's building at Glenn Dale, tuber-
culosis san; torium, to care for adults.
The Commissioners previously had
reversed DR.. Rutland in a similar
policy, and caused him to remove
adult patients from the children S
building, and take them back to the
adult wards.
DR.. Rutland in announcing his in
tention to attempt again to use the
chlldren's building for adults. said
the adult building now had heen filled
to capacity, and there we're many
more patients needing disqualification
here in the city, than could be accom-
modated at both Gallinger Hospital
and at Glenn Dale adult building.
Transfers From GalIinger.
The adult building had been filled
during the past few days, mostly by
patients transferred from Ga.linger
Hospital. Evacuation of these beds
raised the vacancies in Gallinger to
an estimated 95. But Dr. Rutland
thought this figure was too high be-
cause Gallinger had been overcrowded,
and officials have been attempting for
some time to relieve overcrowding
Based on reports from DR.. A. Bark
lie Coulter, director of the Bureau of
tuberculosis of the Department of
Health, DR.. Rutland explained there
were few patients on so-called wait
ing list for Glenn Dale, both children
and adults. But there was a much
larger group. he said, more than 200,
who had been recommended for hos
pitalization, but had not yet been
hospitalized
DR.. Rutland is to appeal to the
Commissioners on the basis of their
own ruling. of December II, in which
they had ordered the children's build
ing used for children only. The Com
missioners, however, told their health
officer: ANY suggestion with respect
to any unusual condition which justi-
fies an exception will be given con-
sideration by the Commissioners.
With Glenn Dale adult building full,
DR.. Rutland said, in explaining his
stand, he will now ask the Commis-
sioners:
What next?"
1873 Children's Beds Vacant
There are now 1873 vacant beds in
the children's building, the health
officer explained. One hundred of
them are on the first floor where, he
says. the adults can be entirely segre-
gated from children.
There has been difference of
opinion over the advisability of placing
adults in the children's building. When
DR.. Rutland placed them there before
protests arose. The Commissioners
finally ordered adults replaced in their
own building, A committee of phy-
sicians upheld the. Rutland policy of
placing both adults and children under
the same roof. The corporation coun-
sci, ElWood H. Seal, ruled that there
was no legal bar to placing adult
patients in the children's building.
He said, however, the Commissioners
should determine as matter of fact
whether disqualification of adults
handicaps treatment of children or
endangers their progress.
DR.. Coulter in explaining his policy
with regard to the matter summarized
1t briefly in these words:
"Hospitalize all adults spreading the
disease so that all children may be
protected"
361 in Adult Building.
The Glenn Dale adult building
filled has a total of 361 patients, in
cluding &c white female, 103 white
male, 50 colored female and 88 colored
male.
In the childrens building at Glenn
Dale there have been no vacancies
for colored for some time When staff
physicians vacate part of the first
floor and move into their new quarters
this will make available more patient
beds, which DR.. Rutland recommends
be used for adults.
1t is understood, however, that the
health officer would not fill all vacant
beds in the children's building with
adult patients, but would leave some
of them for the use of children's S
cases.
A recent census of beds at the chill
dren's building at Glenn Dale earlier
this week showed there were 1893
patients and 80 vacancies But the
vacancies were only in wards for
whites.
While there appears to be a differ
ence of opinion over the question OF
whether children with the so-called
Juvenile" or Childhood" type oil
tuberculosis should be hospitalized
authorities agree that all cases of pull
monary tuberculosis, whether in chill