The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-05
CRUELTY TO THE INSANE
THE FLArBUsH ASYLUM ABUsEs-INsUFFIcIENr
CLOTHING, BAD FOOD, NO RULES FOR Guild
ANCR or ATTEND ANra

ANcE or ATTENDANTS.
Yesterday afternoon the State Commissioner IN
Lunacy, DR. John ordronaux, and the committee ap
pointed by the Mayor OF Brooklyn to investigate III,
alleged abuses in the Kings County Lunalic Asylum
in the office OF the Flremans Trust Insurance Com
pany No. POI Montague street There were present
beside the Commissioner, Messrs. John j. Van Nos
trand, Dwight Johnson, exJudge Greenwood Charlei
Townsend Alderman Ropes, Commissioner OF Charities
Midas DIR. Bartlett, and six or seven ladies, members
OF the committee OF the State Aid Association.
The proceedings opened by the reading offs
statement prepared by Miss Dora Robinson one OF the
humane lady members of the local Visiting Committee
of the Kings County Lunatc Asylup. The statement
set forth that the witness had a patient Bessie
Cooney SO tightly strapped in a comisole that she
could not move her hands had also woman with
no clothing on save dress and comisoe; Mary
jaeger a patient in hall A. had been refused blankets
In winter, because she tore the pair that had beer
given her. knew seamstress to be pat
So for making a dress for nurse; delicaciei
which the former doctors gave to the sick were
denied by the present physician, DR.. Blanchard;
knew OF seven to have boon discharged from the
asylum for piierng the stewards wife resided at the
asylum.
TESTIMONY STRIKING.
Mrs. Mary Striking, of Washington avenue testified
that she Is member OF the Aid Association Commit.
tee and visited the German patentsa the had
been going there since September 1874; went there
once or twice month; witness SAID she had seen Dr.
Atwood when she first went there he frequently ac-
companied her through the halls; the present phys-
she had found not very gcntemanly ia their
manner or bearing when she called; they did not rise
when she entered, but sat smoking, leaning back
in their chairs with their feet the table;
there a woman named jaeger there who once told
witness that she had received severe beating from
nurse; the woman showed no marks OF violence to
Witness she had seen poor old woman bleeding from
a By
nurse; Mrs Legget was the name of this patients the
violence on that occasion was in excess OF the neces
sitythe patient refused to be dressed; last Novcn-
Der, year ago. witness noticed that the lower hall
there thirty eight very poorly clad patients;
the patients were suffering from the excessive cold
did not mention II TO DR. Blanchard; the committee
are not allowed make complaints in the asylum Of
anything that they may wrong; they must report
through the chairman once however witness told DR..
Atwood of Mrs Legget's case; Dr. Macdonald the for
physician, always went with the COMMITTEES
through the hall; had never met Dr. Blanchard in the
halls never met the maron, Mrs. Cunningham, in the
wards; If the doctors went through the wards the
nurses would not dare to be
CRUEL THE PArIENTs
the Goldfish and potatoes gwen the patients not t
Tor dog; the tea and milk were pretty good but tho
sugar like clay had been in the Kitchen but could
judge OF its cleanliness anything about 1t the
indications she found pointed to the tact that the asy
lum was not well managed for poor German men and
women who come over here and lose their be-
cause they are strangers to everybody there should
SPEAK: they should have AO German as DOCTOR ecu1S
also there 204 Germans out of total Of 800 pa
tients; the German male hall is the best in the build
ing the proportion OF German nurses to those Of
other nationalities is now about hall.
MISS DORA ROBINSON
Miss Robinson, who was recalled, testified that on
May j. in hall No s, the steward came in with three
men, whom he showed through the place; saw the
same official on another occasion going about the nst
tuition with men, saw a patient compelled to exhibit
himself animal; Mr.. Backmeyer, nurse, when
spoken to about this, said "oh, that is nothing;
discharged for peculaiion, had been met by witness
IN the hall on subsequent occasions; knew OF man
who kept boarding house at Flatbush and who used
the vegetables raised on the grounds OF the insttu
tion this was discharged by the Commissioners;
never met Mrs Cunningham in the wards; never heard
the patients speak of her. witness had not met the
matron since last January she never spoke of the
patients though she intimate acquainted with
them; the seamstress VINO made the dress for the
nurse for So not discharged the seamstress re-
ceves $50 per month from the county tor her
vices: nurses are appointed without any regard 10
their fitness for the position
NARRATIVE A VETERAN NURSE.
Timothy &. Harley said he had been attendant In
the Flabush Asylum; had been in several English
lqnis for unatcs; near London, at Chselhurs Manor
House, at Hamilton and at Northumberland in this
country he had been in asylums in Ohio and in this
State; less he had been twenty four years an
attendant upon the insane he is judge OF the treat
OF the insane; he left the Flabush Asylum Of his
own accord; III May and June 1874, he had heard pa
tients complain OF the food unfit for
use; DR.. Macdonald left the institution IN
August 1874 DR. Blanchard took charge Immediately
aer the removal OF Macdonald; DIR. Blanchard never
inquired To the condition of patients; knew him
to be absent from the ward in which witness
patients; the uniform treatment, in former experience
OF Witness was an inspection OF the patients twice
day; witness had been in halls Q, and 2; IL was In
hall that witness noticed that
BLANCHARD ABsHyTED
for nineteen days. in Flatbush the attendants could do
just they pleased there printed rules in
structions for the guidance Of nurses have known
patients TO be restrained by attendants every day;
patients PROFESSIONALLY suffer from want OF restriction
the part of attendants the attendants had not keys
TO admit them to any part OF the house, with the ex
ccpton OF the engineers and mechanics these latter
can no I'M nall he m
witness own patients in the convalescent
ward did not suffer from the want Of cloth
ing there thermometers at Flathush;
sometimes patients complaints well founded;
knew of nurse there to DO discharged for cutting
patients head; rule II would not be safe TO take
the word OF patient; there EXCEPTIONS; witness
said he lett the asylum in disgust because OF the gen
eral management and the manner in which he
treated; any of the attendants under the
nuencc OF liquor; the cook was one of
BIGGEST RuFFIANs
witness met; he was frequently drunk while pre-
pairing his food and used vie eptets; had seen him
drunk and Quarreling with early in the morn.
ing the cook had his relatives there from cook Ia
superintendent they all had their relatives eat
ing and drinking there long they liked beef tea
and cruel given out in the morning and the nurse
had to make that do for the whole day. Dr. Blanchard
SAID, when the witness complained of this arrange.
mcnt that "hc could not help that was the rule
there - food was the opinion OF WITNESS wasted some
had too much one day and not enough the next
thought they had coffee though what they were
given went by that name the bread gooa; Bread
coffee and molasses was the morning meal; butter was
for the delicate PATIENTS the pay patients were all put
into ward without regard to classification; ihia
saved expense; the effect of putting refractory pa
tiens among convaescents excite the latter and
do the former no good Dr. Cory ordered this change;
the usual question OF the visiting committee in gong
through the ward, Are there any sick ~ they never
ask about the condition OF the mind the effect Of
THE VISITS or THESE COMMITTEES
is soothing and refining; the grade of the atten-
dants at klatbush is lower than witness had ever
met with IN his twcnty-four years experience in
asylums for unatics; lunatics were employed in
the kitchen; sometime ago paid were en-
ployed IN the laundry, but Tor economy they were
discharged and pauper females from the Almshouss
were set 10 work in their stead consequence the
clothes were torn 10 shreds and satisfaction was
gwen witness had understood that the
matron said she would not be satisfied .
while he renamed but that was
the only cause Tor his leaving; had any
cruelty but he had seen llltrcatnent; he
more undigned and incompetent stall OF medical men
than are al the asylum now; lie went once to Dr.
Whetley to get him 10 go and n named John.
son about nine O'Clock the Doctor did not respond to
the call till MONDAY typhoid fever patient had been
kept III a ward where there were twenty six well pa
tients In the hot summer time there WAS no In1rIn