The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-15
THE INSANE HOSPITAL
are the oncers Doing their Duty

Press called attention to the circumstances at
tending the death, by suicide, of gentleman
a patient in the Insane Hospital at Augusta,
Special attention was called to the fact that in
this case, although the circumstances were
such as to awaken strong suspicion that the
officers had been guilty of criminal neglect.
yet the law requiring coroner's investigation
was disregarded by those whose duty it was to
notify coroner of the violent death. The
Kennebec journal of last Saturday gave an
account of the DEATH at the Hospital, of a pa
| tent who died suddenly there few days after
she was committed In this case, although the
cause must have been clearly apparent to all,
about the patient as being entirely beyond the
control of the officers of the Hospital, yet the
officers deemed 1t best to notify Coroner Libby
| who viewed the body and deemed an inquest
unnecessary. This was right. The hospital
did its duty. And now the friends of this pa
tient and of the Hospital will rest satisfied
that the officers did all their duty in this case
Aud these officers should have full credit for
the faithful discharge of their duty. Had
| they taken a similar course in similar cases be-
FORE aud had they as faithfully obeyed the
rules and the laws made for their government,
| in past years, the dissatisfaction and COM
| plants made against them would never have
been made. But the Hospital has but half
| done its duty in the cases of the TWO suicidal
patients who have died there within few
weeks This act of duty does not hide their
neglect in the case of the Vassalboro patient,
nor does it justify their silence when request
ed. in courteous terms, by the correspondent
of the PRESS and by an editorial item in the
same paper, to give public explanation OF
their neglect to notify a coroner in the latter
case. If coroner was summoned in the case
of the lady who died there last Friday, there
were hundred-fold stronger reasons why he
should have been notified in the Vassalboro
case This lady starved herself to death in
the presence of officers and attendants But.
in the other, man, known to be determined
to kill himself, was left alone. with means sufi-
Gent and time enough to do the deed. Yet no
coroner is notified, and no good reason given
for the evasion of the law.
The arraignment of the Insane Hospital is
not now IN ide from captious spirit, or HOSTILE
ty to it. or personal ill-wil towards its execu-
tive officers 1t is to utter anew and again,
protest against their old and cherished method
of disposlng of each, every and all complaints
OF their conduct which is, either to faIly de-
ny their truth, or to treat them with silence,
Justice, as in this last case, and then publish
this act to the world as an evidence of their
unvarying fidelity. This was the method
adop5ed in the investigation of last winter, as
in the case OF the engineer who was charged
with most shameful conduct towards Haynes,
and whom the Hospitals own witness swore
he saw seize a poor, dementei patient zby
the collar, trip up his heels, sweep oat the
floor with him as with broom, and then kick
the poor fellow out of DOORS The engineers
case was disposed of, and the cruelty to Haynes
was 'disproved' by taking Haynes the very
next day after the charge was made, out of the
engine room, clothing him in a new suit, and
putting him into one of the best halls of the
hospital
The conduct of the hospital, and all the pub
lie utterances by and in behalf of the hospital,
in all cases of alleged neglect or abuse, is
declaration that there never has been, under
the present administration, a single case OF me-
gleet or abuse for which the executive officers
were responsible.
The investigation of last winter settled moth
ing. Nothing is ecer settled that is not rightly
settled" The conviction is wide spread and
deep seated that the report of the Legislative
commit. ee, last winter, was shameless suppress
sion from public sight of the facts in case, and
an attempt that was temporarily successful TO
break down the individuals who instituted the
investigation But time is wonderful vindi-
Gator OF truth The Hospital comes out from
the investigation serene in its conscious recti-
tude, and asking all the world to behold and
see how clean its skirts are. and walks straight
on its old way. And now in less than year
from the day it was charged with criminal
neglect it is charged with admitting suicidal
patient, who, ON the third day after, is left to
commit suicide, and the officers will not even
ask coroner to see his body.
1t has been the hope ofsanxious friends OF the
Hospital that such changes would be made in
its government as would insure radical change
in It's conduct, and would command the conf
dence of all right minded people. Indeed,
inumatons, il not assurances, have been given
by those who had right to give them, that
this would soon be done; and this, too, to par
ties other than those who have ever been en-
gagged in any investigation. But the changes
have not been made; and whenever an iasight,
by accident, is gained into the true snaCdrd'leSS
of the institution, it is found that there is no
improvement upon the carelessness ard
neglect that may sacrifice life and limb of de-
fenceless and unprotected patients.
The government of the Hospital makes
grave mistake if it supposes that public anxi-
ETY. is appeased with regard to it. The unfit
ness of some who are there, from causes that
do not mpeach their integrty-worthy gentle
men as they are-is well known. 1t is incredi- |
Bile that the Trustees should be ignorant of |
this.
No enmity or personal hostility prompts |
these utterances. There is not sane man in
Maine that would harm the Insane Hospital |
All men wish its success in the beneticent |
work it was created for. 1t does not belong to
the trustees nor to the officers who have IL in |
care. 1t belongs to us all. 1t is the home OF |
fathers, mothers, husbands wives, sons and |
daughters who have gone from their once hap
by homes, leaving in those homes desolation |
darker and more dreadful than the shadow Of |
death. We, the people, the State, have a |
right to have there the greatest skill, the pro-
foundest wisdom, the genteSt patience, the |
most conscientious fidelity that money aud |
care can procure 1t is our institution. The |
officers are our servants. They and all those |
who are constant attendants and guardians Of |
the patients common humanity teaches should |
be men and women who can supply, so far as |
it is possible, the care and tenderr ess and |
enduring patience of affectionate friends. |
They move and act, often, where no other eyes |
can " atch Them. The theory that the patients |
are constantly under the eyes of superinten- |
dent or physicians or even supervi or is |
myth. For many hours of every day they |
are at the mercy Of attendants alone, and oc- |
casionS az occurring every day when 1t IS With |
in the power of an attendant to give loose |
reins to passion and to infict what punish |
ment his anger may prompt, and no eye but |
Gods can ever see it. There is no place on |
the civilized earth that is shut out from |
society's knowledge and protection as the |
rooms OF an insane hospital The voices OF |
sufferers there can scarcely ever reach an ear |
without, SO as to receive credit. even when |
those voices utter truthful appeal,
Every complaint of patient of ill usage can
be put aside with the plea that 1t is only the |
delusion of insanity. Society does not watch |
the inside of such a place. Friends shrink |
from the terrible distress which Expresses
them when there, and often their presence is
injurious to patients. Who then but men and |
women prominently fitted for such trust,
should receive it? In the name of humanity
and of love, put the insane hospital in the
hands OF the abest and best men to be found.
Give these people-the most difficult to care
for of all the race of man-into the hands of
attendants fitted by nature and by education
for such charge. Place it SO far as such a
thing is possible where temptation to wrong, in
the conduct of its affairs cannot come; beyond
the possibility of contention and strife and par
tisan rule and personal hostility.
We propose in the next letter to take the
readers of the PRESS inside of an insane
hospital.