Evening star., 1947-11-22
Ga||inger' 'sChief
Opposes Shiftof
Mental Division
DR.. Sweeney Objects
To Transfer Backed
By Dr.. OveEhoIser

By Dr.. OveEhoIser
Commissioner Guy Mason's
proposal to close the psyche
pathic division of Gallinger Hos
pital today brought support from
DR.. Winfred Overholser of st.
Elizabeths and bitter opposition
from DR.. A. R. Sweeney, superin-
tendent of Gallinger.
Health Officer George c. Rutland
conceded that closing the psyche
pathic division would relieve us of
q headache" and he said it would
be to the advantage of District tax
payers as well as patients to work
out such a deal"
DR.. Overholser, st. Elizabeth's su-
perintendent, said he did not believe
general hospital should be without
a psychiatric division, but he added
that the problem of giving adequate
treatment to Washington's mentally
i'll was pressing and immediate"
Sweeney Wants to Keep 1t.
On the other hand, DR.. Sweeney
declared the psychopathic division
could and should be brought up to
standard and allowed to remain
open, even with its present out
moded facilities.
Mr.. Mason broached his proposal
to "get rid" of the psychopathic di-
vision yesterday. He will recon-
mend such move and amendment
to the commitment laws to his fel-
low Commissioners at their board
meeting Tuesday.
DR.. Overholser said he had not
consulted with the Federal Security
Agency, which includes st. Eliza
beths, but he believes the hospital
could accommodate the additional
cases with very little expense.
Decision on Alcoholics Awaited.
He said the plan might involve
some changes in his hospital setup,
but he thought it was desirable
proposal "at least until Gallinger
has the facilities" to give adequate
treatment to the mentally i'll.
st. Elizabeths, he said, could not
take care of the acute alcoholics
now hospitalized in Gallinger,s
psychopathic division. Commits
sioner Mason said final decision
on care of the alcoholics awaited
recommendations from his Advisory
Committee on the alcoholic clinics
law.
For patients committed by the
courts for mental observation in
connection with criminal offenses,
DR.. Overholser said, Howard Hall
at st. Elizabeths is more secure than
Galinger.
DR.. Rutland also said he thought
it would be advantageous for court
cases to be diagnosed at st. Eliza
beths instead of Gallinger.
The health officer said he believed
the shift was desirable to relieve
the present unsatisfactory situation"
but he stressed that the hospital
cannot get along without some
psychiatric service.
THE Gallinger psychopathic di-
vision has never had fair chance"
DR.. Huhland declared. "St. Eliza
beths has the housing, vast resources
we never get and the services of
chronic patients who help in run
ming the institution"
But DR.. Sweeney made a plea to
keep the psychopathic division 60
ing
Weakest Part of Hospital"
"We can carry on and do yery
WELL he declared. Things are bet
ter than they used to be. The
psychopathic division has been the
weakest part of the hospital due to
lack of personnel but we're begin
ming to solve that"
He said the hospital is now taking
steps to recruit more staff and to
begin training them for duties in
the psychopathic division.
He said he had also got assur-
ances from Georgetown University
Medical School that teaching pro-
gram with its benefits to patients
would begin in the psychopathic
division very soon.'
Doctors to Confer.
He disclosed that DR.. Overholser,
as chief of psychiatry for George
Washington University Medical
School; DR.. Daniel Blain, psychiatry
chief at Georgetown University
Medical School; DR.. P. S. Rossiter,
chief of medical staff at Gallinger,
and DR.. Joseph L. Gilbert, chief of
psychiatry at Gallinger will meet
with him Tuesday aftarpoop to die.
cuss what must be done to make the
psychopathic division a teaching
center.
AS an example of what changes
are being made in the psychopathic
division. DR.. Sweeney said he was
having study made to put a radio
system in the psychopathic wards
over which patients could hear
music, church services and ball
games