Evening star., 1940-10-16
Doctors and Nurses
Register 400 Men
In II Hospitals
Most of Patients
Welcome Change in
Routine With Jokes

Men too Ill to move, men strapped
into casts and fat on their backs,
men who may never be able to hear
arms were registered for the draft
today at II Washington hospitals
Most of the men welcomed the
break in hospital routine as doctorg
and nurses went from bed to bed in
terviewing patients between the ages
of 81 and. 36.
All in all approximately 400 pa
tients of draft age were registered,
with Gallinger Hospital carrying
the heaviest load, about 140 young
men.
1t was holiday in the wards. The
men joked with the man being in
terviewed, they we!e helpful about
figuring out how old he was, they
chortled when one of the registrars
said to a patient in cast. Don't 60
away now. Ill be right back"
Only 26 and Can Shoot.
A patient at Gallinger who has
been wearing braces on his legs for
a dozen years and has been operated
on six times, said:
well, maybe they will call me
anyhow. I'm only 26 and I can
shoot. l had a beebee gun once"
An engineering craftsman in the
Coast Guard, both legs incased in
casts at Casualty Hospital, pretended
surprise when Registrar Eleanor
Hall came to his bed.
"Why, thought I'd stroll out and
register" he said.
A 63-year-old colored man
watched enviously while Gallinger
registrar interview the youth in the
next bed.
Couldn't you register me, too?" he
begged. 1T wouldn't hurt any just
to register me-"
Youth Gave Wrong Age.
On the other hand, there was
age as 81 when he entered the
hospital, but insisted today he was
only 20. He explained he had
thought 20 was too young to be ad-
mitted to the hospital.
Some of the patients had hard
time signing their names to the
registration blanks. One struggled
to sign with his left hand. his right
hand helpless in bandages Another
managed to balance the card on his
chest and, lying fiat on his back,
scrawl the signature without look
ing. One of the patients had his
head so swathed in bandages he
couldn't hear the questions.
Registrars used their best bedside
manner. One asked, How much
do you weigh without the cast?'
Another chatted few minutes with
each patient Il just like to make
them feel at home" she explained.
After struggling with the prob
lem of his age CT was pretty goods
sized fellow in the last war; one
of the men grinned:
well, it's better than taking medi-
cine anyhow"
On Alert for New Patients.
Hospital admitting Offices were on
the alert for new patients of draft
age. George Synansky, "a, entered
Episcopal Hospital about $50 am.
Instead of waiting in the rain at
a registration place, he was COM
fortably esconsed in hospital bed
before being interviewed.
Among the patients registered at
Casualty was Daniel Wiseman, 81
year-old Maryland State policeman
who crashed into a wrecking truck
on his motorcycle nine weeks ago.
There was the same democracy
in the hospitals as at the routine
registration points. Registrars went
from the bare wards to the flower
crowded private rooms with their
little pack of cards and more than
once they smiled at young patients,
many of them strapped in casts,
who asked eagerly, do you think
they'll call me soon?"
! Day Like All Others.
At one hospital, however, regis
tration day was like all others. st:
| Elizabeths Hospital, with 1000 pa
tients of draft age, plans to regis
| ter the men as they are discharged.
None were discharged today, how
! ever, because many of the doctors
! had to 60 to register themselves.
| st. Elizabeth'S was given six
month supply of registration cards.
! Scores of Washingtonians were
also to be included in the registra-
ton at Glenn Dale Sanatorium.
where there are 1870 patients of draft
age. These men are to be included
in the Prince Georges County to-
/ tails.
Among the patients regis
tered at Gallinger Hospital was a
young man of draft age who spent
last Christmas and many months
thereafter in an iron lung. The
father of two children, 29-year-old
William Cooke has been in the
hospital almost a year with in
fantile paralysis. He was well
enough today, however, to answer
the registrars questions.
Registration Gauged.
Registrars at the hospitals and
an approximate number of the pa
tients they expected to register
follow:
Casualty, Miss Eleanor Hall Of the
hospital Office, 80 patients.
| Emergency, Mrs. Eliza a e h
Schock, hospital bookkeeper, so pa
tients.
Episcopal, DR.. Edward D. Mckay
resident surgeon, 10 patients.
Freedmens, DR.. William F. Ne,
son and DR.. S. LIE Count Cook,
patients.
Garfield, George Macatee, tree
urer of the hospital, IA patients.
George Washington Univers,
Hospital, DR.. Brooks Brown, re-
dent physician, 10 patients.
Georgetown University Hospita
Mrs. Margaret Sullivan, librarier,
40 patients.
Gallinger. Miss Helen Fox, ch.t