Evening star., 1948-01-20
I Hospitals Lack
Fund 10 Provide
TubercuIar Drug
GoIlinser, Glenn Dale
Seek Appropriations
For Streptomycin
By Thomus 6. Buchonon

0y iHOHauS -. DuChonon
The city's two chief tuberculosis
centers, Glenn Dale Sanatorium
and Gallinger Hospital, are totally
dependent on private contributions
for their supply of streptomycin, the
foremost drug in treatment of that
disease.
That fact, potentially as menac-
ing to patients health as the al
legged food inadequacy now under
investigation at Gallinger, was ad-
mitted today by hospital iauthort-
ties.
A tuberculosis victim at Glenn
Dale can get streptomycin--if he
can afford to pay for it himself.
But streptomycin is one of the
most expensive drugs on the med
ical market. and most tuberculosis
cases are poor, or have exhausted
their savings on hospital bills.
Grants Aid Gallinger.
Until last fall. Gallinger patients
were in similar plight. Now the
drug is available-but not through
hospital funds. Streptomycin can
be used in Gallinger's tuberculosis
ward solely because two members
of the unpaid visiting staff are
beneflciaries of grants of sterptomy-
Gin from private drug firms for re-
search purposes.
To correct the situation, officials
of the two institutions have put
special appropriations for purchase
of streptomycin in their budget re-
quests for the next fiscal year. Gal
linger has asked for $4,000 and
Glenn Dale, $25 900.
DR.. A. Barklie Coulter. director
of the Health Departments Bureau
of tuberculosis, indorsed the re-
quest for streptomycin today as "the
only hope" for many tuberculosis
sufferers.
Can we put price on a per-
sons life," he asked. "even though
his hospital bill is paid by the tax
payer?"
Baltimore Has Bank"
No Washington agency has at
tempted, so far, to match the prof.
ect now being set up in Baltimore
a Streptomycin Gift Bank, which is
collecting money to maintain fund
from which INDECENT patients In
need of streptomycin can be sup
piled with the drug. The organiza-
ton is a private charitable venture
and already has filled II requests
for aid.
Use of streptomycin in the treat
ment of tuberculosis is still in a
very experimental phase, but doctors
have been able to demonstrate It's
value in many cases.
Before it's use, according to DR..
Sol Katz, chief of the Gallinger
tuberculosis service, there was con-
siderable danger that when pa
TENTS lung was collapsed by surgery,
infection would spread to the other
lung. This happened, he said, in
10 to IS per cent Of the white pa
tients, and 20 to rs per cent Of the
Negro tuberculosis victims.
spread CneCke0 IN 3d.
Since streptomycin became avail
able at Gallinger last fall, Dr.. Katz
reported. about IS patients have had
the lung -collapsing operation, and
in no case has contagion been trans
mitted by the surgery to the oppo-
site lung All these cases were given
streptomycin. which checks the
spread.
Dale superintendent, said only two
thoracopiasties have been performed
there since Glenn Dale's recent ac-
QUESTION of two surgeons. In both
cases, he said, streptomycin was used
but the patients paid for 1t.
Gallinger's streptomycin supply
for the tuberculosis wards Is avail
able through DR.. Monroe J. Roman
sky of the George Washington Uni
versity Medical School and DR..
Harold Hihsch Of Georgetown.
$2.40 . Gram.
DR.. Hirsch was reported to have
been assured a minimum of so grams
month-enough to treat So pa
tients a year, according to DR.. Katz.
DR.. Romansky's research grants
were said to guarantee no fixed
quantities, but DR.. Katz said the
tuberculosis department now has
enough streptomycin to treat 100 to
$50 patients q year, which rs all 1t
needs-as long as the private grants
continue.
He said the drug costs $40
gram. The recommended dosage has
been steadily reduced as doctors be-
came more familiar with the drug,
and Gallinger has been able TO get
good results with as little as half q
gram a day, he said.