Evening star., 1937-12-07
CHILD HOSPITALS
PROGRESS CITED
Board of Directors of Chill
dren's Institution Hear
Reports.

dren's Hospital in 1870 and their sue
cessors have built up a great institu-
ton, DR.. Joseph s. Well told the an
nual meeting of the Board of Directors
OF the hospital yesterday.
Comparing Children's and GAL
linger, DR.. Wall pointed out that the
childrens ward at Gallinger, built in
1848, was first a poorhouse, then a
tuberculosis ward and housed the in
sane and inebriate before it became
the children's ward. It has entirely
inadequate facilities for meeting the
emergencies Of child sickness, he said.
Children can't get admitted after 6
pm. in the children's building at
Gallinger." he said, because all Gov
ernment workers quit when the
whistle blows"
FulfilIs Trio of Aims.
"The whistle never blows at Chill
dren's," he said. This hospital has
fulfilled its three main objectives, the
medical and surgical treatment of sick
children, instruction in the diseases
Of children and instruction of young
women in the duties of nursing.
THE real comparison comes when
the funds allotted individual patients
are considered. Gallinger is cheap,
paying $2.l4 a day for its child pa
tients; Children's Hospital finds a
child cannot efficiently be taken care
of for less than S484."
DR.. Wall is on the stats Of both hos
pitfalls and is member of the COM
mittee of Washington Physicians ap-
pointed by District Health Officer
George c. Rutland to make a survey
Of Gallinger Hospital.
President Of the Board Charles D.
Drayton pointed out in his annual re-
port the increased population of Wash
ington is placing increased demands
on hospital facilities.
Community Chest failures in 1885
and 1885 added to this and the rise in
the cost Of living in Washington COM
pei us to make some greater effort to
secure funds or curtail our services"
he said.
1T does not seem right for the Gov
ernment, through the Public Health
Department, to continue to pay us
$248 for patient who is costing us
$4.84," he added.
S14,29s Deficit.
The present deficit OF the hospital Is
Sl4,298.97, Thomas B. Sweeney, first
vice president and chairman of the
Ways and Means Committee, pointed
out in his report.
This would have been increased by
$4,000 if friends of the hospital had
not rallied to the support of the in
stitution after last years Chest fall
ure," he said
1--WE have received from the Chest
S38,035 during the first 10 months of
1887. about half of what we must
have to operate on the present STAN
dard of efficiency" Mr.. Sweeney as
serted.
Miss Matte M. Gibson, superinten-
dent of the hospital, in written re-
port, reiterated the need in Wash
ington for convalescent home for
colored children.
More than half the colored children
In the hospital have to be kept after
they are past need of actual hospital
care because their parents are unable
to care for them properly at home" /"
Miss Gibson reported.
Facilities for White Children.
White children may be sent to the
Children's Country Home or the
Christ Child Fresh Air Farm in
Rockville.
A total Of e,023 patients were given
1882 days care at the institution,
she reported, and 68,882 visits were
made to the dispensary and child-wel-
fare clinics. Nearly 5000 visits were
made to homes of patients by nurses
and social workers.
Miss Caroline Sweeney, supervisor
Of the Child Welfare Society, reported
her nurses had been successful in
tracing childhood tuberculosis to the
. cases which were the sources of infec-
ton and in teaching mothers how to
give their children proper diets.
A new service has been started in
her department, that of mental
hygiene, under the direction of DR..
Loren johnson, she told the meeting.
Mrs. Frederick H. Brooke, since
1919 president of the Board of Lady
Visitors, turned in her official resig-
nation from that post, to take effect
in January. She was forced to resign
because of her appointment as ma
tional president of the Girl Scouts
OF America, she said.
T.oIo<:o~ a..
Mrs. Phillip O. Coffin, president Of
the Children's Country Home, re-
ported the home is now building an
isolation wing for contagious disease
convalescents. The home has been
quarantined for several months out
OF the year because isolation quarters
were lacking
The year 1887 has seen completion
OF the institutions new boiler room
and laundry, the additional space left
by installation of the new plants being
used for a formula room, special diet
Kitchen and sterilizing room and a
new dining room for colored employees
and other improvements. Room for a
dental clinic has been made and
additional facilities for the x-ray
department have been acquired, Rob-
ert B. Swope, second vice president
and chairman Of the Building Com
mittee, said.
Miss Lucia Murchison, director of
the Junior League Social Service De-
partment. took occasion in her annual
report to commend the work of the
Junior League in her department un-
Ger the Craftsmanship of Miss Vir-
einia Tannery.
Besides private benefactors of the
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