, 1876-12-22
ALLEGED MALPRACTICE

I ALLCJED III tA1l 1 1btAN i 1SIs
! DEATH OF MIR. HULL At THE INSANE ASYLUM
serious case OF malpractice, resulting in thu
death Ut 1 worthy citizen Of Chicago, is reported
| from the Northern Hospital for the Insane Al
Elsin, and II the details related by the friends
of the deceased be true they develop IN inconl-
potency aud Encouragement on the part OF the
medical gentlemen in attendance which should c1.
pose them to the pains and penalties Of criminal
prosecution, and forever debar them from filling
any position in any of the charitable institutions
in the State.
On the 1st ins:. Col. James S. HULL aged SO
years, was removed from his residence in this city
to the Asylum at Etgin for treatment for IN inter-
mittent form Of insanity, which was the result o!
an injury to the spinal column, produced BY gun
shut wound, which he received at the battle OF
Stone River where he commanded the Thirty
seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry.
Tue :day morning last Mr Hull arose quite @ Early.
rather violent manner BY one OF the intermittent
fits, during which he imagined himself once more
the field OF battle. and gave military orders IN
into that Of an adjoining patient, and thence
into the bath room. His gestlcnlatlons were
w 10 and Of hi t1s talk he eud oesaa Go4
handle the faucets in way TINT seemed to bodc
mischief to the patient in the tub. Several OF the
patients became excited over his insane manifesto.
lions, aud the services OF the attendant; one
George Crane, were callel in requis'tion. lie or
dcrcd SIr Hull to retire to his own apartment but
no attention WAS paid to the command. Mr.. iiul
ut Ills time was thoroughly and dangerously cx-
cited and he struck the attendant iu the face.
causln; his to bleed quite profusely y scuhlc
cn$ucd. The attendant lost his temper. md Mr..
Hull made vigorous resistance, but to no pnr-
pose, he was thrown u tho floor In the stfug-
Gle his foot got caught under the bath-tub. which
is raised about six inches from the noor aud as ne
fell
FRACTURE OF THE RIGHT LEG
just above the ankle joint resulted.
caton OF atfairs rushed fof Dr. Kibourn The med
ical director, who in another part Of the room,
lie made urriedappearance, aud with the atd OF
three or four Of the attendants, carried by main
force the wounded nun, who Was lashed into
terrible excitement, to his own room. Attempts
were made to set the fractured i1mb but all to no
desperately. DR.. kilbourn ordered him to be
dozcd with opium and whisky. gave him a hypo-
dcrmlc injection OF morphine, and, hndin. that
these remedies given III heroic quantities weFe
pnwcrlcss, prescribed
AN INHALATION OF CHLoRoFoRM.
The Doctor remaned with him until o'clock:
with the hope that by that time the patient would
have been reduced to such condition of helpless
ness that he could make no opposition TO thc set
ting OF the limb in what is known us the fracture
box" At that hour the condition Of the patient
showed 10 relaxation. His paroxysm were he vio-
lent as ever, and, DR.. kibourn had to leave for
Chicago he gaye instructions to the assistant doc
tors, MeEsrs. Dewey and Brooks, to persevere
in the treatment prescribed. DE. Dewey gave
him three doses-euch one double the quantity
prescribed by Dr. kilbourn At IL O'Clock, about
two hours after the occurrence OF tue fracture,
Col Hull sank into profound stupor. The symp-
toms Of morphine poisoning began TO exhibit
themselves. Restoratives we're applied, but in
vain. The doomed man sluulbercd OIL, the vital
functions gradually Weakened and at 10 o'clock
at night he breathed his last.
THIS UNEXPECTED AND FATAL RESULT
completely unner.ed the young doctors in charge
They afraid to telegraph the fatal news either
10 him or to the relatives of the deceased,
whose address coulu have been readily atccr-
tanned by an inspection Of the books Of the nstitu
ton. For hours the young physicians suffered
intense torture, and finally 1t was determined that
one Of them should take the train the next Wedncs
news to III. ki1bourn. This programme WAS
rigidly adhered to. DR.. Kilbourp ut noon that
day. fourteen hours after the fatal occurrence,
lawyer otacing at 157 Fifth avenue, and broke
the news
The "Wednesday afternoon train to Els,n took
bcrs OF Col. Hull's family, and the law partner of
his son. An investigation WIS then aud there
commenced, resulting in the recital Of the foreso-
CAUSED Co.. Mnll DEATH Dr. kilbourn at drst
stated that it was caused by the breaking uf the
main artery near the ankle joint; but on being
of the cumulative effect Of the oplates used.
The family OF the deceased wonder why the serv-
ices Of medical experts were not called in when
the young physicians discovered the possibility of
a fatal termination to their course Of treatment;
and it is also OF Inquiry why Or. kjlbuusn,
who wat in Chicago two three hours after tho
poor unfortunate man Ind received the fracture
OF his leg did not visit the family aud inform them
Of The occurrence
1t il the intention OF the relatives Of the deceased
to ask the Legislature at it's coming session to
der thorough Investigation Of the affair. that
the blame may be placed on the shoulders to which
it rightfuly belongs; and that in the future the
families of those who may happen to he under
treatment in the Elgin. Asylum can rest assured
that their loved ones will not be slaughtered the
altar of incompetency and malpractice.
The funeral services will be held at the late resi-
dencc, No 451 South Lcavtt street, this afternoon
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