National Homeopathic Hospital

This hospital was incorporated in June, 1881, but for several years had no buildings. An effort was made to unite with the Garfield Memorial Hospital, chartered a few months later, with the view of establishing "a grand unsectarian hospital where both systems of medicine could be fairly and openly tried". Indeed, paragraph 7 of section 17 in the plans of organization of Garfield Memorial Hospital read as follows: "One ward in the hospital shall be appropriated to the homeopathic treatment for such patients as desire it, and the directors shall provide for that purpose."^[1]

According to Dr. Samuel Clagett Busey, the adoption of this clause against the protest and over the votes of the medical members present, aroused the opposition and open hostility of many of its most conspicuous supporters among the profession at large and threatened for a time not only the success of the enterprise, but, what was even worse, to effect its transfer to the homeopathists." The objectionable paragraph was eliminated in May 1883, and in 1884, the board of directors of Garfield Memorial Hospital finally declined to grant to the homeopaths an equal representation on their board. As duplication of agencies involved additional cost in the way of overhead charges, it was unfortunate that the proposed union with Garfield Memorial Hospital was not accomplished.^[1]

The friends of the National Homeopathic Hospital, having received in the meantime both money and pledges from private sources, appealed to United States Congress in 1884 for recognition of a homeopathic hospital among the charities in the District of Columbia and secured an appropriation of US$15,000 for the purchase or erection of a building.^[1]

The first location of the hospital, in January 1884, was in rented quarters on F Street between Eleventh and Twelfth Streets. In October 1884, the hospital was removed to 520 Third Street Northwest, and in January, 1886, the hospital was removed to the corner of Second and N Streets Northwest, erected originally for a brewery and subsequently used as a public school.^[1]

In November 1888, A. S. Pratt, President Board of Trustees, made a statement to Congress with details of the receipts and expenditures and a report of the operations of the National Homeopathic Hospital Association for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888. Further, the board of trustees of the association instructed him to provide an estimate of the amount necessary to maintain the hospital for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1890. The amount of Congressional aid required amounted to US$10,000, in addition to what may be received from the Ladies' Aid Society and friends of the hospital and from pay patients. The income of the association at that point had been entirely inadequate to enable it to meet the expense of support of many desiring homeopathic treatment free of charge — denied admittance not alone for lack of funds to support them but for want of room to accommodate them. Free patients were at all times admitted to the utmost limit of the resources of the hospital.^[2]

The general principles intended to be followed in the proposed improvements and additions were: to create a basement story by excavating under the present building; to enlarge the space for the male division and utilize the west side, now occupied for reception, committee, dining-rooms, etc., for male ward.; to create wards for children and for a maternity ward; and to use the northeast ward for the needs of the service, and generally to plan all the improvements necessary to bring the present hospital building to the standard of a model institution.^[2]

The hospital was re-incorporated July 13, 1901.^[3]

In 1905, a handsome addition, largely used for private patients and dispensary purposes, was erected. By 1914, the Government contributed for building purposes to this institution the sum of US$126,168. The hospital had a capacity for 37 ward patients and 36 pay patients. The District paid at the rate of US$1.10 a day for charity patients, from an annual appropriation of US$8,000.

In 1956, the hospital became Hahnemann Hospital,^[4] and was located at 135 New York Avenue Northwest.^[5]