Evening star., 1946-07-07

and make recommendations as to
future care.
Gallinger's psychiatric service, he
explained, has no social worker to
go out and get information on the
background of these patients to
help the psychiatrist in making his
diagnosis and recommendations
The job has not been filled in some
time because the salary. as it is now
classified, is too low to attract a
trained social worker.
DR.. Gilbert and DR.. Lillian Ma
lone are the present psychiatric
staff. DR.. Malone is there to care
for the women patients but in this
emergency she helps DR.. Gilbert in
examining and diagnosing the men
patients mental maladies. DR..
George Gray, a medical man, is Oh
hand for the physical health Of the
inmates. Two internes, training in
psychiatry. Joseph Egan and John
Relfe, are at Gallinger on a two
weeks internship. They will be re-
placed after their two weeks bu two
others.
Trained Attendants Lacking.
The lack of trained attendants is
es serious as that of psychiatrists,
DR.. Gilbert said. A young medical
corpsman with special training in
psychiatric wards of Army hospi-
tails recently was offered $2,100 a
year. DR.. Gilbert said, on the un-
derstanding his Army experience
would qualify him with Civil Serv-
ice to get that rate. He did not
come back, DR.. Gilbert said. He
thinks the young man went with
the Veterans Administration
In the current labor market, DR.
Gilbert said. he finds it just about
impossible to employ attendants
who are not alcoholics themselves
or feeble minded Two serious risks
are involved. Such attendants may
abuse the patients. Or the pa
tients, who include dangerous Grim
inals sent to Gallinger by the
courts, may overcome the guards
and escape.
Two years ago two young men
escaped by hitting a 63-year- old
guard over the head One was SEN
fenced to three years for assault and
was sent over from the jail when
his actions caused doubts as to his
sanity. They went south leaving
a trail of crime behind them ending
in Alabama when they were arrest
ed for abduction and criminal as
sault on young wife They were
executed.
DR.. Gilbert has carried on al
Gallinger under peculiar difficult
ties. Two years ago a committee
under former Senator Holman, Re
publican, of Oregon recommended
that DR.. Edgard A. Bocock, super
intendent of Gallinger, and DR.. Gill
bert be fired DR.. Bocock resigned
and accepted higher-s -salaried po-
sition as head of Doctors Hospital
Dr. Gilbert stuck to his job. His
arthritis got so bad that he walked
for a time with two canes. (He
now gets along again with none.
At the same time his work doubled
as his staff fell away.
Administrative Work Heavy.
DR.. Gilbert's administrative anc
legal work take most of his time.
1T would take only a few writ
of habeas corpus to wreck things al
together" he said. These efforts t
release persons sent to Gallinge
psychiatric wards for examination
do not take as much of his time
however, as the normal commit
ments. He has spent as much a
week in court when these ar
contested.
One result of the situation is tina
relatives inquiring about the condi
ton of patients have had to wal
at the hospital all day to get
chance to talk to DR.. Gilbert.
The situation as to the attendant
may be improved by the added per
sonnel allowed Gallinger Hospital i
the District appropriation bill no.
awaiting presidential signature.
The District Government wi
seek immediate reclassifcation Q
the posts for psychiatrists to per
init higher salaries. There are fou
vacancies, two P-5s at $5,718 bas
pay, one PA at $4,963 base pa
and one P-3 at $4104 base pay
Commissioney Guy Mason, term