IN REPLYING

ADDRESS THE SURGEON GENERAL
U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE

AND REFER TO

TREASURY DEPARTMENT
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
WASHINGTON
January 3, 1936.

_ PERSONAL

Medical Officer in Charge,
United States Narcotic Fam,
Lexington, Kentucky.

Sir:

We are being pushed to accept additional prisoners
at Lexington. As you know, the Act which authorized the
institution provides that reasonable accommodations shall
be made for prisoners first. At the present time, we
have approximately 586 prisoners and 131 voluntary cases,
which seems somewhat disproportionate.

T note your recent letter recommending the desira-
bility of limiting the number of prisoners, but public
policies demand that we accept more Federal prisoners at
the earliest date possible. I do not want to appear
arbitrary in this matter, but I am sure that you will
understand the Bureau's position, which might be awkward
in the event we. do not accept more transfers from the
Annex. .

For some time we have maintained a tuberculosis
ward in connection with the hospital at the Annex. This
ward accommodates the semi-ambulant and bed-ridden. During
the past several months, several deaths have occurred among
these prisoners, and the Bureau of Prisons has become
somewhat restive about our not accepting transfers more
liberally. I imagine there will be somewhere in the
neighborhood of from twenty to thirty tuberculous patients
that could be transferred from the Annex. Please advise
by return mail how many more prisoners you could reasonably
absorb within the next thirty days.

By direction of the Surgeon General.

Respectfully,

Assistant Surgeon /General,

WLT: gt Division of Mental Hygiene.