Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-29
The Columbia Hospital Envestiga.


The board Of managers Of the Columbia
| Hospital and Lyingin asylum, and the medi-
|. cal gent temen connected Herewith, We're CON
| yered last night at the hospital building, TO
| inves igate series of charges against Dr.. p
| J: Murphy, preferred by Henrietta Mouske. a
| dismissed nurse; Miss Mouske entered the
| services there, the latter part of March last
| remaiecd one month only, and was discharg
! ed by DR.. Murphy, the surgeon i'm charge for
reasons which appeared to himself good and
| Themselves aggrieved, have made consider
| able talk about the conduct of affairs at the
hospital, and short time since, charges
| Secretary Schurz, who turned the matter over
to the medical faculty of the hospital for suci
action as seemed to them proper.
| AE0ther series OF charges made by Mrs.
doubleday, pay agent, of similar char
| acter, were also filed and took the same
course; and both prosecuting witnesses with
! directors to testify. Mrs. Doubleday did not
| appear, but Miss Mouske was present.
R LhG Physicians Chfs present were Drs J.
! Sewers, R. Reyburn, H. c. Narrow. J. O. Stran.
ton Chas. II. Cragin and others, and the
Treasurer, Mr.. J; 7. Mitchell besides some
| twenty or thirty ladies' interested in the in
| yestiSation. Dr. Ritchie presided, with DR..
| StrdntOn as secretary.
| a letter was read from the secretary of the
BOARD OF managers, setting forth that q
thorough investigation of the charges was
desirable, and that the matter of a public
hearing would be left TO the discretion of the
A motion was adopted, that the charges be
| taken up and considered seriatim.
DR.. Murphy here asked that he be allowed
counsel, and that a full and thorough investi-
CATION be made of the charges preferred The
request was accepted and agreed to.
=, Inc secretary read note received from DR..
MURPHY, asking that the investigation be made
i'll public
THE SEVEN CHARGES OF MISS MoUsKE
were then read. The first charge was great
disregard for truthful speaking on the part of
DIR. Murphy: second the examination of cases
with the same instruments used in other SINH
lar examinations without washing or cleaning
such instruments between examinations: that
The surgeon in charge pays only one visit to
the wards in each twenty four hours and that
they are never permitted TO call him after
mat IN grave cases in private practice the
attending physician sees the patient every
twelve hours, and perhaps Oftener: ObStetTical
cases at night are left to the nurses who are
not III All cases either learned or Skiflful: that
the surgeon in charge refuses to hear the
statements OF the patients in regard to their
symptoms; does not give sufficient amount
OF time To his visits in the wards and is cross
rude and prOfane: that the food is poor ana
often not suitably cooked. but is nO;iceab bly,
improved on inspection days: that patients
are given regular ward diet and when thay
cannot eat 1t 90 without: the beef used in
making beef tea for the sick patients is after
wards Tried and served to the cOnyaieScentS:
that no recreation is permitted to patients,
though there are games belonging to the hos
pltal and that the library is left for the eXclu
Slye use OF the surgeon in charge and the par
Tors Tor the exclusive use OF the surgeon in
Charge and the matrOnS, no one of the inmates
BelhS allowed IN either except by their special
PERMISSION. though each have also large and
elegantly appointed rooms for their use.
THE CHARGES PREFERRED BY MRS. DOUBLE
DAY
are mainly Of general character as to the
lnSuilIclency OF proper food; that beef used in
making beef tea was afterwards baked and
served TO patients: that vegetables were unfit
for use; mat tea WAS 5eryed at $50 O'Clock,
Tour hours after dinner; that generally that
meal was piece OF bread, a little butter and
dried peaches; that friends outside Supplied
her generally: that in the Protestant hospital
IN Baltimore where she had been an inmate,
Things were different, and better attention was
generally shown to patients; that in Columbia
hospital they are annoyed by rules at every
turn and corner; that she had been refused
permission TO 90 into the parlors to play the
piano: that the gentlemen visitors to the hos
pital were OF no possible use-simply walking
through the rooms, &c. sc.
a member here stated for information that
this investigation had not been ordered by
the Secretary OF the Interior. He had simply
tors who had ordered ii.
Or. Young moved that witnesses be sworn
before II giving testimony adopted
he OatnS were administered by Justice Don
aidSOn, who was present.
THE TESTIMONY.
Inc first witness called was Mrs. Clarke, re
siding on 18th street, who testified that she had
been patient in this hospital at the time Mrs,
Doubleday was The charges preferred byt lat
lady were not in accordance with the eXpa-
food.
ana oil a good quality, and ii was always care
July prepared.
Here member called attention to the fact
that the charges made by Mrs. Doubleday had
not been made under oath.
MIS- Clark, continuing, said the matron had
always shown disposition to remedy any
mule matter OF complaint made by patients.
Mrs. Judge RiXIOrd was the next witness
She testified that she lad been an inmate of
the hospital i'll July, August and September
OF last year. Mrs. Doubleday was present at
a hn,l i
very good attention, and her food and trea;.
met were altogether very satisfactory. Mrs.
doubleday used to complain sometimes, but
witness had the impression that her com
plants were instigated more by her husband
than through her own YOlitiOn: she used TO
say say that her husband was very much dissatis;
ned, and that the treatment she had received
better.
Mrs. Gov. Ford testified that she had been
patient at the hospital; she had no cause to
complain either OF the surgeon or of the food:
her TODD was plain and good the matrOn in
charge was attentive and Obliging.
Mrs. Strong, daughter of Mrs. Ford, testi-
ned TO the same import.
Mrs. Briggs here stated that these witnesses
were all from among the pay patients. She
from. The Secretary said that any witnesses
she desired to be heard should be summoned.
Mrs; Briggs said she was a visitor at this hos
tell her experience.
Rev: DR.. Paret here took the floor and en-
teTed MS protest against trying all kinds of
insinuationS from all kinds of persons They
had before them written charges and had such
witnesses summoned to sustain the charges
He was not willing to have outside matters
brought In at this stage of the case.
MIR. Brady. counsel for defence, said the
charges had been made by pay patients and
the examination, SO far as related to Mrs
Doubleday, was closed.
~. Miss MOuski was then sworn, and gave tes-
nmOny on support of the charge of untruthful-
ness. 1t was based almost entirely upon the fact
that on entering the hospital Dr. Murphy had
promised her a new carpet for her room and
he had tailed to comply with his promise.
lengthy statement in relation to the use of the
'Specula" upon patients successfully without
washing or cleaning was made, and lengthy
crOSs-queStiOning followed but the testimony
OF other witnesses cOnfiicted very much with
her statement, and was not finished. The five
other charges were not reached at the hearing
last night.
The Capitol Homicide.
THE JURY OUT ALL NIGHT.