Evening star., 1948-01-15

Mason 10 Investigate
Charge GaIIinger Food
Hampers Recoyeries
Commissioner Guy Mason today
declared he would investigate the
charge Of Gallinger Hospitals tu-
berculosis chief that his patients
recovery Is menaced by the hos
pitals poor meals.
The blast at the Gallinger diet
came from Dr.. Sol Katz, one Of seven
Gallinger department heads whose
growing dissatisfaction with low pay
and hospital facilities has threat
ened disruption Of the dallinger ad-
ministration.
It was promptly challenged by
DR.. Alvin r. Sweeney, Gallinger su-
periftendent, who said the criticism
might have been applicable several
years ago, but was no longer true.
DR.. Katz said tuberculosis patients,
whose condition require diet far
better than the average patient,
have been fed practically the same
meals delivered to the general hos
pital wards.
The average cost of . days food
for a tuberculosis victim at Gal
linger, he said, is about IS cents. At
Glenn Dale, officials today set the
daily cost Of feeding tuberculosis
patients at 80 cents to dollar.
Passes Given Frequently.
As q result of the skinny menus
and unattractive food preparation.
DR.. Katz said, most tuberculosis
cases that have passed the con-
tagious stage are given frequent l2-
hour passes-so they can go home
and get q few good meals.
About the only addition to the
general Gallinger diet permitted the
tuberculosis wards, DR.. Katz said, Is
an extra ration Of milk.
This was denied today by DR..
Sweeney, who said the hospital dieti-
tian was under instructions to sup
plement the tuberculosis patients
diet with extra eggs. bread, butter
and protein foods, as well as milk.
In addition, he said, the tubercu-
losis wards do not share the general
hospital observance of meatless
days. ,..
| DR.. Sweeney said that while the
average daily food cost at Gallinger
was about 65 cents. he estimated
the figure to be more than 80 cents
for the tuberculosis wards. Because
Of the large scale Of Gal1inger's food
purchases, this would be the equiva-
lent of 80 cents at a smaller insti-
tuition, he declared.
| A leading complaint in the tu-
berculosis wards, Dr.. Katz report
ed, is that the food, although often
adequate in quantity, is 50 cold or
unappetizing that patients send
their trays back without finishing
the meal.
Hot-FoOd Carts Used.
DR.. Sweeney attributed occasional
rejection Of food by tuberculosis
patients to the fact that, because
of the nature of the disease, such
patients tend to have "a rather
capricious appetite"
He admitted patients had suffered
from inadequate diets before July
1946, when Congress raised the hos
pitfalls food allowance, but insisted
that complaints had greatly de-
creased since then.
The hospital has a system Of hot
food CARTS which take the meals
from the central kitchen and keeI
them as hot as possible while nurses
make the rounds Of the hospital
beds, he asserted. This is the best
system that can be devised to keer
food appetizing, DR.. Sweeney said.
DR.. Katz, who came to Gallingel
in 1910 as q resident physician
said he had made complaints about
the patients food before DR.. Sweeney
came to the hospital when the
superintendent's post was temporari.
ly held by DR.. Daniel L. Seckinger.
Excerpts From Reports.
Il The first report, he said, wa
made October 10, 1914, and pointed
out to DR.. seckinser: I'VE educat,
patients to eat properly, then serv.
them the most unpalatable, unsav'
ory food conceivable.
In October, 1945, DR.. Katz wrote
DR.. Sweeney, II have personally
checked food at each meal. The pa.
tents complaints are justified"
Again in June, 1946, he asserted
"The food continues to be unsatis.
factory"
He said his predecessor as chic
medical officer in tuberculosis, DR.
Charles Cake, had been 'crucified'
as a result of similar complaints
about the food his patients wert
getting.