Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-02-17

and SIS q week. the Weather Wash.
ingtonians could have private suite
"a bedroom. bath and large parlor
with fireplace.
Hospital records for that year
show the professions Of each Of the
100 patients cared for. There were.
for instance, three brass-fnishers. IL
blacksmiths, 6 cigarmakers, 2 coach
makers-and "22 gentlemen and so
ladies'" BY 1891. however, this desig-
nation Of gentility no longer APP
peared.
Enter Nursing Students
The hospitals growth was such
that the sisters could not take care
Of the patients alone. In 1894, i've
girls from nearby orphanage were
accepted as the hospitals FIRST nurs.
ing students. The sole admittance
requirement was q good reputation.
The students obtained their nursing
skills principally by serving as ap.
prentices; q new staff Of doctors,
however. voluntarily conducted lecA
lures after the days work was IN.
ished.
A curriculum was set up two years
later and . regular school was Or
ganized on q three-year basis. One
Of the principal subjects was q COM
plete course In cooking. The rigid
routine for nurses and students al
lowed three hours day for "rest
and relaxation" with four hours OF
each Sunday.
In the early years, victims Of con-
tagious diseases often were treated
by the sisters In their home. There
was no place at the hospital where
they could be isolated. But In 1895.
. separate building was built for
''the milder diseases Of O contagious
nature" This was clearly made
quate. Two years later. therefore, IN
response to q request from several
civic leaders, the hospital offered
land and nursing service for build
Ing which would house all types of
contagious disease patients. There
were no funds for construction and
again the hospital turned to Con-
greSS.
Church and Stote
This time. however, new question
was raised-the question Of separa-
ton Of church and state. Nevertle.
less. in 1897. an outlay Of $4,000
was authorized.
That church-state question. AS Il
applies to Providence, was to be
raised again In the halls Of Congress.
q half-century later. when efforts
were made to obtain building funds
for hospitals not included in the
proposed new hospital center. BY
then, however. the mass Of buildings
on Bloody Hill-where 100000 pa
tients have been hospitalized, and
10000 children born-had become
too old to stand any further alter
atoms or repair.
Providence oficials had obtained o
large plot at Twelfth and Varnum
streets NE. near Catholic University.
Preliminary sketches for. b new hos
pital had been made. but plans had
10 be held up until 1t could be de-
termined where the money was COM
ing from.
Last year. Congress authorized Q
plan whereby half Of the cost Of new
construction would be paid by the
Federal Governments portion OF
that win later be repaid by the Dis
trict. These funds are available 10
other hospitals besides Providence.
Now, TO help meet the cost Of Its new
81 million hospital building. Provi-
dence. for the first time in its history.
is asking the public for funds. At
least 81 million must be raised this
way.
II II 70, the rest Of the SIS million
which the hospital must obtain WIN
conae from the same order Of nuns
who ct up hospital on Capitol Ell
" years ago.