The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-01
ENGLISH TREATMENT or LUNA.
TTNg

tics killed by brutal keepers. whose favorite
method Of maltreatment seems TO have been
that of breaking the ribs and the breastbone
by pressure of the knees. Here are some of
the cases reported, which we're officially in
vestigated by coroners-
Peclttdm House, Pockhdm.-In 1851 male
lunatic named Barnes had struggle with his
keeper and was thrown down on the floor by
the latter, and his arm was broken. He died
eight DAYS afterward, and post-m0rtem ex-
animation revealed the fact that four ribs
were fractured In this case Hill, the attend
ant, got twelve months imprisonment.
COIney Hdtch Asyl,tm.-In 1868 a lunatic
named Swift was kicked, maltreated, and
dragged about by a keeper. He died two
days afterward. His liver was ruptured and
eight ribs and the breastbone were broken
The attendant was not punished, but Mr.
Rose, the gentleman who conducted the post-
m0rten1 examination, stated with remarkable
frankness that ribs might be fractured with
out any outward mark, provided they we're
squeezed or crushed and not broken by a
blow. There was a ball at Colney Hatch
Asylum the week before.
Stafford W0TtLto1tS6. 1863 in thelunatic
ward, patient, j. NJ, had a struggle with
two attendants, and died two days afterwards
Eight ribs were broken on the left side six
in more than one place. On the right side
eight ribs were fractured at one point, all in a
continuous line. No one was punished His
son stated that, before his being in the work
house, he had been accustomed to sit on his
fathers chest in order to keep him quiet.
Lancashire County AsyGstm. In Nav. 1868,
an imbecile male patient twenty-three years
old, sickly and understood, had q violent
struggle with his attendant, who flung him
on the floor. The poor fellow died in few
minutes, and rib was found on examination
to have been broken directly over the heart
Another attendant named Lord was present,
but gave no help. The attendant directly
concerned was reprimanded, but was for some
time afterwards suffered to continue as head
attendant in the ward, the visitors declining
to dismiss him.
Lancaster C0unty.-In 1869, December
10Th, patient named William Wilson, in the
same place, died suddenly. The body was
examined, and it was found that twelve ribs
were broken, three Of them in two places
Presta0ich Asygum-In 1868, February
oath, patient, t. r., died of general
paralysis, accelerated by pleurisy and pneu-
monia-the last was caused by two broken
ribs: The fact was only discovered by exam
ination after death. No one was punished
Wakefield Asytum.-In October, 1868, a
patient died, accordingto the jury and medi-
cal evidence, from natural causes. Exami-
nation showed that two ribs were fractured
on each side. At the inquest it was sug-
gested that they had been broken after death,
but, as the commissioners observed, ''the
facts disclosed were such as to account for
them in far more probable way" No one
was punished.
CaTnartten Asyl,tm.-A patient died eight
days after admission. Verdict, "Pleurisy,
caused by fractured ribs" In fact, eight of
his ribs was found to be broken. The assist
ant-surgeon observed that ''similar cases had
occurred before, and had been unaccounted
for, except by the evidence of the attendants.
He believed that person quietly kneeling on
the patients chest, the patient resisting,
would be sufficient to break the ribs" No
one seems to have been punished
HdnaoeH ASytum.-In 1862 patient named
Matthias Geoghegan, paralyzed and imbecile,
died rather suddenly, the medical officer
Thought from pleuro-pneumonia." Some
bricklayers and laborers saw his keeper,
Jones, beat the deceased on the back with
fret shovel; he then threw him on the floor,
and walked backwards and forwards on his
body, dragged him into the corridor, knocked
his head several times on the stone floor, and
kicked him in the belly. The assistant
medical officer, DIR. Jephson, observed
numerous severe bruises on the body.
There was one on each buttock,
and peculiar shaped bruise on the
abdomen. This gentleman had sense enough
to look with some attention into the matter.
He said:-''I took off my boot, and it fitted
the bruise as if it had been kicked or trodden
on" The wife exclaimed in court that her
husband had been murdered-and persons
out of court might entertain the same idea
but DR.. Begley still thought that he had died
of pleuro-pneumonia; and, Incredible as it
may sound, the verdict of the jury on the in
quest was, Deceased died after receiving
certain injuries from external violence, but
| whether the death was occasioned by natural
causes or by such violence there is not sufi-
cient evidence to show"
| HdnoM.-In March, 1868, female luna
tic, E. S., died of inflammation of the lungs
and pleura, consequent on fractured ribs and
breastbone, but how those injuries were in
ficted there was not sufficient evidence to
show" Six ribs were found to be broken,
but the nurses who undressed her every
night either did not perceive any marks of
ill-treatment or did not report them. No one
was punished.
HdnDeA-In May the same year another
woman, M. II. died of the same complaint
She was admitted May 10th, was examined,
and was then free from all injuries; died on
the 26th, seven ribs and breastbone broken.
No one was punished.
HdnaoeN.-In October, 1869, the case of
M. Santi Nistri occurred. He died ten days
after admission, with eight ribs and breast
bone broken. No one was punished.
RanaoSN.-In March, 1870, male lunatic
died of the same disease. There were -four
broken ribs, congestion of the lungs, and
various bruises ON different parts of the body
The medical evidence went to show that
epilepsy was the cause of death, and the Jury
found their verdict accordingly. No one was
punished.
Here we have list of thirteen well-authen
ticated instances of aggravated manslaughtel
committed with something which is only