National Republican., 1877-03-17
THE DEATH or BERNARD CASSIDY.

Result OF the Oficial Investigation-Report
of Commissioner Lubey-statement OF tho
Resident Physician at tho Washington
Asylum.
Col. Lubey, commissioner Of the Washington
Asylum, yesterday submitted to the District
Commissioners q report In the case Of Bernard
Cassidy, who died at the AlmF- house hospital
last Wednesday. The following is the text Of
the report:
OrFIcE OF Gowns OF W AsuISGroS AsYLUM,)
DISTRICT or CoLuNBIA,
WASHINGTON, March IS, lsT7.
To the Cow nis,ioHers Ths Diitrfct Of CColumbfa:
GENTLEMEN: transmit herewith letter OF DR..
Nm; Page, visiting physician In charge OF the
case Of Bernard Cassidy. In addition l submit
the following facts on the same subject obtained
after personal investigations: Cassidy arrived be-
tween ESQ and p. m, in the asylum ambulance,
lying on n mattress. DR.. Faulkner, the resident
eafy. sro was pSeseut, asked ior the permit and
was info med by the driver that there was none.
some conversation ensued between the parties,
when by order OF Mr.. Horner the hospital attend
ants lifted Cassidy out Of the ambulance on the
mattress, which bent so much beneath the weight
that Il was decided necessary TO send for q
streteher, which was done at once. While await.
ing the arrival OF tho stretcher, which occupied
nearly I'VE minutes, the mattress aud body were
laid on the ground. Cassidy was then carried
into one OF the hospital wards, and made as COM
Portable as possible by the nurse, and there he re-
tendance, owing to the fact that the nurse did not
report the case to the resident physician on his
to have been about iO31 or II O'Clock.
The nurse assigned as his reason for not max
ing the report TO the physician was because he
thought Mr.. HOrner, the apothecary, who occu-
pied the same quarters as the physician, would
have reported the case to him on his arrival,
Although the patient was made as comfortable
by the attention of the nurse as was possible
under the circumstances, both the nurse and Mr..
Homer are censurable tor not reporting the case
Mr. Homer, It Should bc stated, is new to tho
situation. having been but recently appointed,
conyersant with the rules of tho institution. The
nurse Is a man detailed from among the pauper
sick and should not be employed in that capacity.
The Institution is now, and has been for some
timo, under the direct control Of the physicians,
and they should see that such rules are estab.
lished, and obeyed, as will prevent like occur
renee In the future, and also, that In the neces.
sary absence Of the resident physician from the
called at moments notice.
Very respectfully,
timothy LunEY, Commissioner
COMMUNICATION FROM pn. rAaE.
The following is letter from Dr. Page accom-.
WAsurNdToS AsrLrx HosrIrAL,
March II, isI7.
Colonel Tinoihy Lvbey, CommiiSionsr Rashing.
DEAR SIR: Your communication with reference
ply to the newspaper scandal, have to state tnat
| In lis worst particulars It is utterly false.
be aseertsined, &c are as foiioss ' Bernard CASSIDY
| was brought to this hospital about dusk on the
evening q ,hs S I'm Instant hcin. hs druFs;t % sR
gate, remarked that the man had no permit, but
sent in Immediately after the stretcher kept at
the asylum building. This occupied about Ave
| minutes during which time the invalid was on a
| bed covered with clothing brought by his father.
| The resident physician had been called to the
| city TO see sick friend, but returned In hour
| or less after the reception Of the patient, and
was in his Cfiee, few steps from the ward, until
II p. m, when he went to his room In the aims
| house, where he remained all night, without any
| notification OF his presence by the nurse, whose
| duty Il was to give such notice.
will remark that after being in and out OF
the hospital during the day until night, II l. not
usual TO again visit the wards unless there is q
very Ill patient requiring frequent visits or some
| special call from nurse. In the morning, on
| bis rounds, the Doctor did all that could be done
| for this patient, and rebuked the nurse seyerel y
for not calling MIN in the night. He also told
| Cassidys father that, in his opinion, hts son
| could not possibly recover. On visiting the hos.
| plial in the morning, and carefully examining
| the invalid, also expressed tho opinion that he
| was, and had been for some time. beyond med.
/ cal aid. All had been done and was being don o
that could possibly benent the unconscious pa
| tIent.
1 have the honor to be, very respectfully, your
obsdient servant, wN. NJ. PAGE, NJ ID.