wisdom in conciliating the medical profession by providing that the medical and surgical staff should visit and prescribe for patients in private rooms as well as those in the public wards; but such patients were required to pay the usual fees to the attending physicians and surgeons. The cost per week in the wards of the hospital was fixed at $6, with an extra charge for a private room. The prices now range from $7 to $20 a week, according to the accommodations.

To the free public wards patients are admitted on the order of the Surgeon-General of the Army. In the report for 1896 the statement is made that while the appropriation the hospital receives is limited and provides only for the nonresident sick, yet by receipts of money from private wards a large charity fund is created for the sick poor of the District. No cases are refused admission except those of insanity or diseases of a contagious nature, thus fulfilling the requirements of a general hospital. While nominally the Surgeon-General of the Army admits public patients, they are really admitted on certificate from the sanitary officer of the District of Columbia.1

The hospital was well patronized from the beginning, and in 1896 the receipts from pay patients were $31,844.88. The sum of $149.50 was received from the Marine-Hospital Service for the care of merchant sailors, who are treated by medical officers of that service. The hospital cares for between 2,200 and 2,300 cases a year, and is resorted to by persons in every walk of life. During the past year 351 laborers, 230 domestics, 225 clerks, 128 housekeepers, 100 old soldiers, 42 students, 12 physicians, 27 lawyers, 16 merchants, 5 journalists, 12 actors, and 2 Congressmen were among the persons treated; in all 120 occupations were represented. The largest number, 251, had no occupation. As to nativity, 56 States, Territories, and countries contributed to the total, the District of Columbia leading, with 605; then Maryland, 328; Virginia, 318; New York, 182; Pennsylvania, 126.

The present medical board is made up of 24 physicians of recognized standing, the special departments, such as gynecology, laryngology, and the eye and ear, are in charge of specialists.2

1 See testimony of Surgeon-General Sternberg, Sister Beatrice, and Sanitary Officer Frank before the Joint Select Committee on the Charities and Reformatory Institutions of the District of Columbia. Senate Doc. No. 185, Fifty-fifth Congress, first session, p. 242.

2 The staff at present is as follows: Consulting board: Drs. S. A. H. McKim, N. S. Lincoln, J. W. Bulkley, J. T. Young, G. L. Magruder, Z. T. Sowers, Robert Reyburn, W. H. Hawkes, H. M. Newman, Walter Wyman, George M. Sternberg. Surgical staff: Drs. J. W. Bayne, T. F. Mallan, Harrison Crook, James Kerr. Medical staff: Drs. C. V. N. Callan, M. F. Cuthbert, Thomas N. Vincent, C. R. Luce. Gynecologist: Dr. J. Wesley Bovee. Diseases of the throat and ear: Dr. C. W. Richardson. Ophthalmic surgeon: Dr. Swan M. Burnett. Bacteriologist: Dr. E. M. Parker. Pathologist: Dr. W. M. Gray. Resident physician: Dr. Jesse Ramsburgh. Externe: Dr. Charles C. Marbury. Dentist: A. J. Brown, D. D. S.