Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-08-10
.2Psychiatrists ]
nThat Remain
Al Ga||ing!er'
Other Stuffs in Ward
Also Are Far Below
Figure Recommended

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The Gallinger Hospital psy-
chopathic staff, which a special
three man committee recon-
mended to the Commissioners
nearly four months ago be in
creased from five to eight full
time psychiatrists, has been cut
to two psychiatrists as a result
of illness, death and transfer,
despite an increase of admissions
over last year, 1t was learned
today.
In addition, the ward attendants
staff which the committee found
should be increased to 80 has
dropped to 81 men and women,
while only four nurses, instead OF
the 10 recommended by the COM
mittee, are in attendance.
DR.. Daniel L. Seckinger, acting
superintendent of the hospital, ad-
mitted the psychopathic section had
been very badly hit" by the man
power shortage and disclosed that
the two psychiatrists-Dr. Joseph
I. Gilbert, head of the section, and
DR.. Amino Perretti-were working
10 to IL hours day to keep up
with the increased admissions. DR..
Gilbert estimated that between 100
and 100 regular patients are being
cared for.
The pinch was first felt nearly
two months ago when DR.. Ettore
Dephilippis left the staff for a posi-
ton in New York City, DR.. Seek
niger said. About six weeks ago
DR.. Lillian Malone, assistant to DR..
Gilbert, became i'll and is not ex-
pected to return for several weeks,
he said. The death Sunday of DR..
Isaac j. Silverman reduced the staff
to two.
The hospital official said efforts
are being made to hire two addi-
tional psychiatrists but that it might
be a matter of months before they
are obtained.
Soldiers Are Aiding.
The section has lost 10 men ward
attendants, DR.. Seckinger said, cut
ting the staff to 81. The Commits
sioners' committee recommended a
doubling OF ward attendants. This
shortage has been only partly re-
lleved by a group of enlisted men
from Walter Reed Hospital who
have been gaining experience while
serving in the wards, the official
said.
At the time of the committees
report april 12), three graduate
nurses and 20 student nurses were
working in the section. Only one
graduate nurse and several students
have been added
Figures released by DR.. Seckinger
showed admissions for the first
seven months of the year were run
ming 122 ahead of a similar period
last year, and the official said the
total may exceed 200 by the end of
the year. Total admissions to the
psychopathic section in ls43 were
2,75l. From January l to July 81
of this year. admissions totaled
u
first seven months of 1913.
In addition to personnel recon-
mendatlons, the committee headed
by DR.. Winfred Overholser, st.
Elizabeth's Hospital superintendent,
urged renovation of the wards,
which they described in an earlier
report as poorly planned, cherries
and crowded, and the formulation of
plans at an early date for an en-
tlrely new ward plant.
Funds Available.
DR.. Seckinger said that with
s66,250 now available from Congress
for renovation, it would be only a
matter Of weeks before District re-
pairmen could start work.
The appropriation provided $4,000
for painting of the buildings ex-
teriors, $3.50 for plaster repair.
$4,000 for replacing the main lobby
floor, $4,000 for sanding and refin-
ishing floors, $4,000 for surfacing
concrete floors with tile, $4,000 for
protecting stairways with screens
and $4,000 for painting wards and
the nurses home.
Serving with DR.. Overholser on
the committee were DR.. Frederick
w. Parsons, former New York State
commissioner of mental hygiene,
and DR.. Samuel w. Hamilton of the
United States Public Health Service