THE SOLDIERS' HOME. 37 became on May 1, 1866, the Washington City Post Hospital for the treatment of enlisted men stationed at the barracks and camps around Washington and for the quartermaster's employees. The Freedmen's Hospital will receive attention later. III. In order to complete the record of strictly Governmental hospital work, it is necessary to mention briefly the Military Asylum, popularly known as the Soldiers' Home, and the Naval Hospital. The former of these institutions was created by the act approved March 3, 1851, which appropriated any unexpended balance of the appropriation made March 2, 1847, then remaining in the Treasury for the benefit of discharged soldiers disabled by wounds; the sum of $118,791.19 levied by the commanding general of the Army of the United States in Mexico during the war with that Republic, for the benefit of the soldiers of the United States Army, regulars and volunteers, engaged in that war, but taken possession of as funds of the United States and placed in the Treasury; all stoppages or fines adjudged against soldiers by sentence of courts-martial, over and above any amount that may be due for the reimbursement of the Government or of individuals; all forfeitures on account of desertion; all moneys, not exceeding two-thirds of the balance on hand, of the hospital fund and post fund of each military station, after deducting the necessary expenses of the year, and all moneys belonging to the estates of deceased soldiers which are now or may hereafter be unclaimed for the period of three years subsequent to the death of such soldier or soldiers, to be repaid by the commissioners of the institution upon demand of the heirs or legal representatives of the deceased. The location of the asylum was determined by Gen. Winfield Scott, who had confiscated the property that was sold to create the fund on which the establishment was based. The original site was purchased in 1853, additions being made in 1875 and 1876; the total cost was $436,080.94, of which sum $100,000 represents the cost of the original purchase.1 The officers of the Home for 1896 were Brig. Gen. David S. Stanley, governor; Capt. D. A. Irwin, deputy governor; Maj. Richard C. Parker, secretary and treasurer; Lieut. Col. W. H. Forwood, surgeon. There are 502 acres in the tract owned by the Home, of which about 28 are used for farming purposes, 12 for the garden, 42 for lawns, and 200 for pasturage; and there are about 200 acres in woodland, and 20 acres occupied by the buildings. The average number of officers and members present during the year ending September 30, 1896, was 688, which is a slight increase over the number reported for the year before, and a gain of only 63 over the average of ten years ago. The highest number 1 Ex. Doc. No. 84, Forty-fifth Congress, second session, p. 70. present during the year was 722, on February 28, 1896, and the lowest 657, on July 6, 1896; and the total cared for was 1,535, against 1,755 the preceding year. Facilities for amusement consist of billiards, pool, and bagatelle tables, cards, chess, checkers, and dominoes, occasional variety entertainments, a band, and a library. Each barrack building has a sort of assembly room set aside, which is located on the ground floor in the Anderson Building and in the basement in the other four. The billiard hall is located in the basement of the Sherman Building, and contains three billiard, one pool, and two bagatelle tables. There is no charge for these games and the tables are reported in constant use. Facilities for cards and other sedentary games are reported ample, each of the five amusement rooms containing tables. The rooms are inspected daily by a commissioned officer. The band is maintained during the entire year with an average membership of 14, all of whom are members of the Home. Its cost for the past year has been $1,925.04 for pay of the musicians, and $95.97 for instruments, and 155 concerts were given. The library contains 6,074 volumes; and 32 papers and 17 periodicals are subscribed for. There are three societies among the members, viz: Henry Wilson Post, G. A. R.; Gen. William F. Barry Garrison, R. A. N. U.; and Soldiers' Home Temperance Union, with a membership of 120, 46, and 130, respectively. Divine services are held every Sunday by each chaplain in the Home chapel, which has a capacity of 250. There are three chaplains, a Catholic, an Episcopalian, and a Lutheran, who are paid $50 per month each, except the first named, who receives $15 additional for organist and choir. They do not live at the Home. In addition to their Sunday services they officiate at funerals and minister to the sick. There are five barracks at the Home, known as the Scott, Sherman, Sheridan, Anderson, and King buildings. The two first named are of stone, and the last three of brick. The Anderson, which is stuccoed and is the smallest of the five, was not originally constructed for barrack purposes, and is used principally for the band. There is room in these buildings for 710 beds; they contain 652. There are basements in all, which are used as amusement and smoking rooms, barber, tailor, upholsterer, and shoemaker shops, museum, reading and bath rooms, and storerooms, and a few have bunks in them. The annual expenses, exclusive of permanent improvements, have been reduced to $146,415.82, of which nearly $81,000 was met from the interest paid by the United States on the amount of the permanent fund on deposit with the United States Treasurer, and the remainder from the principal of that fund and some small incidental receipts. The average daily number of members on outdoor relief during the year 1896 was 318.58. These beneficiaries received $26,471.06, or an 1 On June 30, 1896, the permanent fund amounted to $2,711,124.52. The per capita expense was $171.71. THE NAVAL HOSPITAL. 39 average of $83.09 each for the year. The maximum amount paid was $96 and the minimum $24. The system of outdoor relief at this Home gives general satisfaction and the expense is less than half the cost of maintaining these beneficiaries at the Home. Combining these with those constantly present at the home, a daily average of 1,006.58 members were cared for at an annual cost of maintenance per capita of $143.66. On September 30, 1896, 76 of the 85 beds in the hospital were occupied by patients, which is a decrease of 5 from the number reported a year previous. The average number of daily sick during the year has been 77.18 in hospital and 6.44 at sick call. The total number of patients treated was 2,775, and the average number of days each case was treated was 66.94 days in hospital and one day at sick call. There were 341 patients admitted to the hospital during the year and 137 discharged as cured. The number of deaths during the year was 67, against 55 the previous year, and the death rate per 1,000 present and absent was increased from 52 to 62.73. Forty-two members died in hospital, 5 in other places on the reservation, and 20 outside of the reservation. The causes of death were: Natural, 45; suicide, 2; result of accident, 1, and unknown, 19. The average age at death was 64.63 years. Deceased members are buried in the Home uniform in a coffin made at the Home shops at a cost of $6.12. The funeral is reported to cost $6.42. Fifty-three members and 12 ex-members were buried at the neighboring national cemetery during the year. An allowance of $25 is made for funeral expenses of members buried away from the Home. Hygienic conditions seem excellent and the sick are well cared for, $3,017.88 being expended during the year for extra diet of the sick. The average daily cost of the hospital ration, including special diet, per man, is reported as $0.198. The insane are quartered in two small, barred isolation rooms when necessary, and in the general hospital quarters. When they can not be properly cared for there, they are sent to the Government asylum, St. Elizabeth's. The average annual number of insane is about 25, and between three and four have been sent annually to the asylum for the past five years. The blind members are quartered on the first floor of the Scott buildings, and seem to receive all the assistance they need. Three are totally blind and 23 have impaired eyesight, so as to be unable to read. One man is employed to read daily to them. The hospital employees number 29 members and 3 civilians, who received a total compensation during the year of $6,417.76, or an average of $200.59 each. IV. A small naval hospital or infirmary for the accommodation of the marines stationed at the Washington Navy-Yard was maintained from the time of the removal of the seat of government to the District of 1 Report of Gen. J. C. Breckinridge, inspector-general, H. R. Doc. 2, Fifty-fourth Congress, second session, p. 641. |