APPROPRIATIONS BY THE TWENTY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY. Old peoples' building and furnishing same-balance July 1, 1899.. 473.00 473.00 Col. C. C. Horton, Commandant Iowa Soldiers' Home. : SIR I herewith tender you my biennial report for the period ending June 30, 1901. The hospital department keeps pace with the growth of the institution, and is again in need of more room. The following extracts from the records show the increase in population since. I first assumed charge of the department, August 2, 1894. At this time most of our work is done by non-members of the Home, which greatly increases our resident population. During the early fall, winter, and spring, the hospital is severely taxed for room, and many needing its care must be turned away. To relieve this condition I would suggest that measures be taken to secure an appropriation to build an annex to the hospital sufficiently large to secure wards for about twenty women patients on the lower floor, so arranged that some. could be isolated. On the upper floor, rooms should be provided for all the female nurses and other female help about the hospital. A suite of rooms, preferably on the lower floor, for the superintendent of nurses, is desirable. Dining-rooms for these patients as well as for the helpers needed, and a small kitchen where dietary cooking could be taught the nurses at a minimum cost. Baths, closets, and lavatories would necessarily be included in this building. A proper system of ventilation should be the primal thought in construction. This improvement would relieve us greatly and give us about twenty-eight more beds for male patients in the present hospital. There are some improvements necessary for the care and comfort of patients in the hospital in present use. The heating and ventilating system needs re-arranging so that all wards can be heated and ventilated properly during all kinds of weather. This can not now be done. Having studied heating and ventilating for a number of years, I feel confident, after numerous discussions with Engineer Clayton A. Dunham, that he could remedy the present defects admirably, so without further remarks I pass the subject of heating and ventilating over to him, with this single suggestion, that it is more economical to heat from a central plant. If this were done, the hospital would be freed from much of the dirt and smoke, and the room now occupied by the boilers would be available for cold storage. The whole of the interior wood work needs retouching with stain and revarnishing with good spar varnish that will withstand soap and water. The walls and ceilings need some repairs and ought to be painted thoroughly. Then the walls and ceilings of the wards could be washed and cleansed as often as necessary. Gradually we have substituted outside help in all parts of the hospital. During the summer just passing we have employed women cleaners in place of male members and find it a great improvement. We still retain a few male members as nurses, but the time draws near when they will need to give place to younger and stronger men if the work is properly done. From all indications our population will increase for a number of years, and the work of the surgeon correspondingly increases. Up to August 2, 1894, medical care was given patients by a sur geon and an assistant surgeon, Since that time there has been no assistant. The increased work and responsibility prompts me to suggest that we need an assistant surgeon, possibly with the pay of a fourth attendant in an insane asylum. Permit me through you to extend my thanks to your staff for courtesies received, and to the Board of Control for their hearty co-operation in all plans for the betterment of the hospital, and for considerate kindness extended. I also ask that you accept my earnest and grateful thanks for your thoughtful and courteous treatment extended. throughout all our intercourse, as co-workers for our more unfortunate comrades. etc. Herewith find tables showing treatment, operations performed, Respectfully submitted, Number treated in quarters... Number treated in hospital... Number treated at sick call, each case counted but once during the year. 518 Died while absent from the home, men 9 NOTE--Every disease treated in the hospital or convalescent companies, whether appearing alone or in complication with other diseases, will be reported. |