Poor Eggs, No Milk

Ill-cooked eggs, cold toast, no drinking water, no milk, no soup, no jam, no jelly-- upon such things and conditions did the Secretary of War have to spend attention last week. Such things and conditions had been found to exist at Walter Reed General Hospital, the Army's largest medical establishment.

Walter Reed Hospital occupies a large scrubbily-wooded tract at the far end of 16th Street, Washington, near the District of Columbia-Maryland line. It is composed of central stone buildings surrounded by numerous one-story frame houses. Commanding is Brig.-General James Madison Kennedy, U. S. M. C.

The hospital was named in honor of Major Walter Reed (1851-1902), Army Surgeon, who was dispatched to Cuba in June, 1900, to learn the causes of yellow fever ("yellow jack") and whose discovery that the disease was transmitted by Stegomyia calopus (mosquito) paved the way for the slaying of that "yellow dragon" and the construction of the Panama Canal. Major Reed died of appendicitis, is buried at Arlington. To the place named for him are taken men hurt and broken in the nation's service. Wives of Army men travel thousands of miles to bear their children there, with free and excellent medical attention. Last year 237 Army babies were born at Walter Reed. Calvin Coolidge Jr. died there (1924).

Some three months ago complaints of Walter Reed patients reached the ears of Senator David Aiken Reed, chairman of the Military Affairs Committee (no kin of the late Major Reed). The complaints were: insufficient food of poor quality, "wormy" fruit, no milk to drink, squelching of patient criticism.

Secretary Good had the Reed charges investigated. Last week he answered Senator Reed specifically, telling which charges had been found true, which untrue. True conditions acknowledged over the Good signature included the following:

"No water was served in the dining room," no soup had been served for "several months," no milk for drinking "for more than a year."

"Hardboiled eggs have been served at breakfast, this not with the intention of furnishing hard-boiled eggs but because the cooking arrangements were such that by the time the eggs in the bottom of the large cooking utensils have been removed, they have been allowed to cook beyond the soft-boiled stage."

"Socalled 'scrambled eggs' were uninviting. The eggs were not really scrambled but were broken and mixed with milk and then beaten and cooked, resembling egg custard more than scrambled eggs."

"The understanding of the patients that only one egg was allowed for breakfast . . . was justified, since only one egg per individual was placed upon the tables and the patients did not understand they might obtain another egg upon request."

Secretary Good added: "The inspector has concluded that criticism of the mess was warranted. . . . As to all other complaints the inspector has reached the conclusion that they are not justified by the actual facts. . . . The hospital is rendering a fine service to its patients. . . . I have brought the deficiencies of the mess to the attention of the commanding general of the hospital and have instructed him to remedy them at once. . . . I anticipate . . . an improvement."