The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-28 00:00:00

TREATMENT OF PATIENTS IN BETIILEM

HOSPITAL.

On Friday an inquiry was commenced at Bethlem
Hospital as to the circumstances of a charge of ill-treat-
ment of a patient confined in that establishment.
The patient, a girl 20 years of age, was the daughter of
very respectable parents, residing in Waliteral, and was
admitted into the hospital on the Ith of April, suffering
under symptoms of cerebral disease, tending to mania.
She was then a little thinner than during her ordinary state
of health, had an average amount of flesh, and had no
wound or abrasion of the skin on any part of her body.
The father who took her to the hospital, was told he could
not hear of her within eight days. On the eighth day
he went to the hospital, and was told, " She was better,
and was taking her food better." A few days after-
wards he beard something which led him to be-
lieve she was worse, and on the 18th he wrote to
the hospital, receiving an answer on the tame day
.to the
effect that he had better fetch her away. Ile did so mime-
diately. The peer girl was in an awful state ; her bones
nearly protruding through her skin, and she had several
wounds on her body. On inquiry being made those wounds
were accounted for in various ways. On the 21st the poor
girl died. A past mortem examination was held, and it was
found that the immediate cause of death was disease of the
bruin. Before she died, and whilst perfectly sane and col-
lected (which is attested by the surgeon and clergyman who
attended her) she said she had been beaten by a woman.
The father, not being at all satisfied as to the treatment his
daughter had received, and, acting under advice, wrote to
Sir Peter Laurie, one of the governors of the hospital, who
romptly replied " That the matter should be' immediately
&against into," and accordingly the father received a notice
to attend a board of governors with his witnesses on
Friday. The investigation was private, but the billowing
particulars of what took place may be relied upon as correct :
The father of the girl having stated the circumstances
which induced him to make the charge of cruelty and
neglect against the servants of the hospital, called his wit-
nesses, who spoke as to the state of the deceased girl upon '
her coming out of the hospital contrasted with her State
when admitted. The evidence of the family medical
attendant fully sustained the statement given above as re-
gards the young girl's appearance when she went into the
hospital, and her altered and injured state when she came
out. She had a wound on the right side of the nose and
one on the upper lip (said to have been caused by the pa-
tient being fed out of a broken cup.) There was another
wound on the right cheek. On the right elbow there were
several wounds or abrasions ; on both hips there were also
several similar wounds ; on the knees and on the outer side
of the legs were some small wounds of the same character ;
also on each ancle there were wounds. These wounds, as
already stated, were variously accounted for. The matron
considered they had been caused by the cut cods and rough
portions of the straw on which the patient had lain. Sir
Alexander Morrison, of the hospital, considered they
were produced by the patient kuucking herself about.
Dr. Wood (also of the hospital), who was present at the
post mortess exanination, was of opinion they were self-
inflicted, by pricking.
The patient was confined in the basement of the building,
and the matron, im being asked if she ever visited the
' rooms in this part, said, " No." She also said she was not
aware of the girl's laying any wounds upon her person,
and no report was made to her upon the subject, and she
repeated the statement as to the broken cup with which the
patient was fed, but could assign no satisfactory reason for
such a thing being used.
Four female keepers who were examined contradicted
leach other on important points, but all agreed that they
saw no wound upot the girl, although they had several
times undressed her and put her in the bath. They differed
as to the days and number of times she was put in the bath.
Seine said she wore her own clothes, and others were as
positive she wore the clothes of the hospital. It further ap-
peared there was no tell-tale clock (for the purpose of re-
gistering the number of visits paid by the night nurse) in
the room in which the girl was confined, and that she lay
upon straw. Oa the other hand, the testimony of the medi-
cal gentlemen puts the existence of wounds beyond a doubt.
'I he evidence having been heatd, a resolution was passed
to the effect that in future a report be made to the matron
and surgeon by the keepers immediately on the appearance
of any bruise or wound, on pain of dismissal. The father
was told by the board that it was a very proper ease for in-
vestigation, and the proceedings, for the present, termi-
nated. The father of the girl states that he is perfectly sa-
tisfied with the way in which the inquiry was conducted,
and that he received the greatest tfindneei and atten-
tion from the board mad the officers of the institution. The
affair has created a great sensation in the neighbourhood.

SECESSIONS FROM TILE CHURCH AT llULL.—An-
other of the curates of the High Church of Dull, the Rev.
Thomas Dykes, has publicly announced his resignation, on
the same grounds as those stated by his late coadjutor, Mr.
llarff. Mr. Dykes says that he entertains " doubts," and
will not again minister until those doubts arc removed.
TILE POPULATION OF THE BOROUGH OF PORTS-
xocre, as ascertained by the census, is 67,036, being an in-
crease since 1841 of 14,706. Including Oosport, the entire
population of the port is now 83,389.