Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-13
District General
Mental Case
.|mpasse Ends
Situation Clarified
On Treating Patients
Held for Observation
By Miriom Ottenbera

DlSCrlcC u e + al hospital.
which has considered itself
barred for the past six months
from treating patients brought
in for mental observation, now
has been given the go-ahead sig
nal, it was learned last night.
What has kept the hospital
from treating these mentally i'll
patients since last August was
described by the Corporation
Counsel's Office as a "misunder-
standing"
Despite the decision of the
Commissioners to seek a new law
to insure treatment for the
mentally i'll. it develops now that
no new law is necessary.
Affected by the new Develop
ment are persons who have att
tempted suicide, patients who
have become mentally disturbed
in other wards of the hospital,
people picked up on the street in
a confused state. others brought
in by police and prisoners sent
to the hospital for mental OBJ
servation.
There is an average of about
rs of these patients in the
psychiatric ward at all times. For
the past six months, none of
them could be given the intensive
treatment many required. Now
they can.
Sequence of Events
This is what happened:
In May, 1854. the hospital
raised some legal questions about
giving electric shock therapy to-
the mentally ill and Corporation
Counsel Vernon E. West was
asked for an opinion.
In August, 1854, Mr.. West.
advising on the possibility Of
suits, told the hospital: You can
treat the mentally i'll who come
voluntarily for help. But there's
nothing in the law authorizing
treatment of those brought in by
police or sent by the courts for
mental observation, except for
such treatment as may be &C
tually required in connection
with their detention, observa-
ton and examination"
The function of the hospital,
he summarized, is merely to de-
tain, observe and examine-not
to treat"
Treatment Restricted
In October. 1854, The Star dis
closed that voluntary patients in
District Generals psychiatrio
ward were being given whatever
their condition required but in
voluntary patients were given
only sedatives and tub baths
not the intensive treatment that
would enable some of them to
improve without commitment to
st. Elizabeths Hospital.
In November, commissioner
Samuel Spencer, after confer
ring with Mr.. West and Commits
sloner Renah Camalier, an
nounced that it had been agreed
the Commissioners would ask
Congress for a law to insure
treatment for all mentally Ill at
District General.
In February, 1855, Acting
Health Director Frederick c.
Heath, VINO had been asked to
propose whatever changes in the
law were required, wrote the
Commissioners:
1T is our belief that since we
are a hospital and not a Jail, it
is our responsibility to render to
every person entrusted to our
care any and all treatment which
may be indicated for the condi-
ton from which he suffers at
the time that he is under our
care"
Suggests Amending Law
DR. Heath suggested some
simple amendments to existing
mental health laws which spelled
out that patients should receive
such psychiatric treatment as
determined necessary for proper
care and diagnosis.
DR.. Heath's letter was sent to
Mr.. West.
Finally, last week, doctors and
lawyers met and reached the
long ID elayed understanding.
Present at the conference were
Assistant Corporation Counsel
Robert Kneipp, Assistant Corpo-
ration Counsel c. Belden White.
(See HOSPITAL, Page AID