Evening star., 1943-10-14
The GolIinger Report

The Gollinger Report
1t is difficult to believe that the
report of the Senate subcommittee
which has been investigating condi-
tions at Gallinger Hospital is we'll
considered document.
The report recommends the re-
moval of Commissioner Guy Mason
and District Health Officer George
c. Rutland. But on what grounds?
So far as Commissioner Mason is
concerned, the recommendation for
his removal apparently IS rooted in
the resentment of committee men,
bers at his refusal during the hear
ings to discuss details of conditions
at Gallinger pending completion of
Investigations then under way. This
attitude angered members of the
committee, and to that extent, pos
sibly it was unWise Nevertheless,
Mr.. Mason's position was not an
illogical one, and, in any event, the
committee received no evidence of
derelictions in his work as Commits
Sioner which could justify the
recommendation for his dismissal.
The recommendation as to DR.. Ruh-
land seems equally unsupported by
evidence received in the hearing.
Like Commissioner Mason, he has a
responsibility as health officer for
the conduct of Gallinger Hospital, but
what the committee seems to have
done In this report is to impute to
DR.. Rutland responsibility for all of
the things it believes to be wrong at
Gallinger without, in fact, demon
strating that he was responsible for
these real or fancied deficiencies.
Other recommendation call for
the dismissal OF DR.. Edgar A. Bocock,
superintendent Of the hospital; DR..
Joseph L. Gilbert, head Of the psy
chiatric ward, and Dr. Charles P.
Cake, chief of the tuberculosis ward.
The complaint against these indi-
viduals is linked to the actual ad-
ministrative work Of running the
institution, and the recommendation
for their removal is based on the
finding that they were directly
responsible for what the committee
considered to be the serious short
comings at the hospital
The body Of the report, assuming
the correctness Of the testimony on
which 1t is based, reveals numerous
conditions at Gallinger which can
and should be corrected. Primarily,
these seem to be an outgrowth of
administrative weaknesses, although
1t Is by no means clear whether this
Is due to laxity on the part Of DR..
Bocock and other officials or Is the
product Of insufficient help, in
adequate facilities and other prob
lens created by wartime conditions.
The committee takes the former view
and holds DR.. Bocock and his staff
personally responsible. But this is
a conclusion which can be arrived
at only by ignoring other evidence
In the case. For instance, it ignores
the records which show Gallinger as
comparing favorably with similar
institutions in other cities 1t ignores
the statement by the Gallinger staff
of physicians. More surprisingly, it
ignores the testimony of DR.. William
F. OSsenfort, assistant surgeon gen.
eral Of the Public Health Service,
who made an independent investi-
cation at the request of Senator
Holman, chairman of the subcom-
mittee, and who reported favorably
on Gallinger. Finally, it ignores the
long period Of time in which Gal
linger has been neglected by Con-
greSS, and the fact that if the
necessary funds had been made
available in years past many of the
conditions complained of would not
exist today.
One aspect of the complaint
against Gallinger-a charge of ir-
regularitieS which might form the
basis of criminal action-is still
under investigation by the United
States attorneys office, and, quite
properly, is not made the subject of
conclusions in the report. This is a
matter in which judgment will have
to be suspended until United States
Attorney Curran takes final action.
Meanwhile, it is to be hoped that
Congress, in considering the report,
will not permit the attack on in
dividualS to obscure its important
recommendations for improvements,
such as the construction of a modern
kitchen and laundry and the re-
placement of the Civil War period
buildings which still house some of
the institutions most important
functions. This is the surest way
TO real change for the better at
Gallinger.