DIETARY STUDIES AT THE GOVERNMENT 

 HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The series of studies lierein reported were made at the U. S. Gov- 

 ermiient Hospital for the Insane, which is situated on the Anacostia 

 River, on an elevation overlooking- the city of Washington, D. C. 

 This institution is designed priniaril}^ for the benefit of persons who 

 have become insane wliilo performing Government dut}^ as soldiers and 

 sailors, although all the insane of the District of Columbia are also 

 committed there. 



The hospital seemed especially well adapted for carrying on dietary 

 studies l)ecause, as explained below, the patients were of an excep- 

 tionally good class. Jn similar investigations at other institutions it 

 has been found especially difficult to obtain correct data where tiie 

 ])atients were violent or hostile. The interest in such work manifested 

 by Dr. A. B. Richard.son, who was then superintendent of the hospital, 

 made it possible to undertake this .series of investigations, in which 

 the Government Hospital and the Office of Experiment Stations coop- 

 erated, and the experimental work was very largely carried on during 

 the fi.scal year 1902-3. Doctor Richardson's death occurred before the 

 results were finally prepared for publication. His successor, Dr. 

 W. A. White, recognized the importance of the work undertaken and 

 gave it his active support. A sunnnary of the investigations reported 

 in this })ulletin has appeared in a report of the hospital." 



PATIENTS. 



The institution had at the time about 2,200 patients, of whom 1,675 

 were men and 52.5 were women. The majority of the men patients were 

 .soldiers and .sailors, a large number being veterans of the civil war. 

 The women were very largel}^ patients committed from the District of 

 Columbia. The general class of male patients of this institution dif 

 fered in several respects from the average found in State institutions. 

 First, they were very largely men who have become incapacitated in 

 military service; that is, they came from a body of men who were 



oRpt. (Jovt. Hospital IiLsane 1903, p. 7. 



