Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-03-02
THE INSANE HOSPITAL.
a busy Session of the Investigating
Committee.
me Hospital Shown to be Kent Sui.
nc'entIy Warm in Winter
Inc Brother of Peter Haynes Writes
that He Still Believes
THE INSANE HOSPITAL,
That Peter is Not III lrsea

yes
terday afternoon, ID. B. Kimball r;oh.
r''"ee' the temperature record of the va.
rious nails during the cold months of w;,,s,
taken In the night at 9.l2. and 2 o,c,ooL
Inc lowest temperature registered ia ar ?
O'Clock in the morning At this bou- d,,,
ing 'ne month of January, there is one oc-
casioh where the mercury dropped to GO de-
srees' IL ranged from 60 to 20 degrees all
through the month, In February. the tenn
Perature ranged from G3 to 20. The sslodpes >,
where violent patients are sometimes locked
up In nude state, are kept warmer than
other parts of the building. Mr.. KimbaIj
goes through the lodge halls every bour
also Mr.: Coburn. Whenever thew find anv,
one In the ''lodges" who requires clothino /,
Is part OF their duty to supply it.
Cross Observation-Disclosures in the s.lodgs"
seldom ask for clothing; they are rarely put
In naked Have frequently given clothing
10 parents who were put into the s'lodge"
without anything on, after their mania snb-
sided SO that they would not tear clothes which
might be given them
V. X. Luce, supervisor on the male side
since July testified. Was night watch nearly
four years. The rounds are made by watch
every half hour. and all the wards visited.
was always Informed by DIR. Neal what pa
tlents would need particular attention during
the night. We had clothing all ready to put
upon patients in the ''lodges" just as soon as
they could bear it. The lodges" can accom-
modate ~ patients; out of these, only three
or four would be naked In all the lodges
there would be plenty of bed clothing. In
the four years in which was night watch
have not seen these lodges" within twenty
degrees OF freezing point Cold nights the
engineer always took extra precautions to
keep steam up, so that the s'lodges'' were
really warmer on cold nights than on mild
ones.
By DR.. Butier-'Dd you ever hear the
word 'churning' used at the IIospital:''
AnSwer-''I heard it when | first went
there, but have not heard it of late"
By DR.. BMler-''Did you ever see pa
tient abused?''
AnSWer-''No, sir; not single case
By Dir. Batier-''Did you ever abuse a
PATIENT"
Answe,-''I kicked a patient once. and
was discharged for it. He had me by the
throat. and l could not escape from his
clutches
= By Mr.. Baker-''Was 'churning term
in general use at the Haspital?"
Answer-''No, sir; it was not.
DIR. Harlow said that he was going the
rounds one morning, when he Luce in
the act of kicking a patient. Did not know
the circumstances, and discharged him.
Afterwards became satisfied that he was act
ing IN self defense and reinstated him. He
is useful man.
The Doctor was then questioned in regard
to the temperature of the Asylum. The
''lodses'' never fall below so degrees. |
keep the sleeping rooms cooler. as l am sat
Il. l.. o1sl.k 81 g., &I,.,
patients.
DR.. Cakes said he had at one time gone
into the ~'lodges' in March of last year.
Went without notice to officers. Found the
lowest temperature sc and highest 60. This
was on the floor. Thinks SO too low.
Francis NJ. Stackpole of Augusta. now in
the grocery business employed at the Hos
ptal in different capacities for about four
years Began employment there eight years
ago. At one time was assistant night watch.
Visited the ''lodges" at irregular intervals
during the night. Have never seen the
sslodge' when | did not think it was COM
Portable as regards temperature. On an
average night there would not be more than
two or three patients in the lodges without
clothes. Have given patient clothes when
I supposed he would be all right, but in less
than an hour he would tear them into shreds.
Cyoss-eramined.-"Ch urning' is com
mon phrase at the Hospital. Have seen
cases of ill treatment. Remember the case
of a man bv the name of Sweeney who was
EMPLOYED in the fire room. Have seen the
floor swept with him, and then he was kicked
ont into the coal shed. Sampson, the en-
pineer. did this. Sweeney would lay piece
of coal on the floor. and after talking to 1t
a while. would strike it with a shovel. Some
times he would break the shovel. sampson
would take him by the collar and sweep the
floor with him. and then kick him out. Never
saw this done but once
psJ;,sct -"Churning' was common
expression. When there was noisy patiehl
some one would say that he deserved a
s.cburninp." Never heard the word used by
.nv one in the presence of an officer. Have
heard Motherwill employ the word.
Sweeny broke several shoveis by
brekinq chunks of coal. Did not re-
nort the fact 1t wouldn't have beeh
healthy for me to report Mr.. Sampson 10 Dr.
Harlow Sampson would have watched HE
night and day in order to get ciahce " *.
,ai;ate DIR. Harlow would have been CRATE
f,i in nv opinion, if l had told him ABOUT
his abuse. This occurred some elght Vi
nine years ago. ,, coo,;,s
Elbapan williams, who attended .nooSihs,
the natient with the bad sores, testiheu '''a'
sores were beginning to come on MS P.a
when he was put into the sick room occa-
stoned bv bed being frequently wet Every
fling was done for him that could De uone
Staekpole recalled: Knew this man uoo-
Gins. Attended him nights when ne was -
Tho sick room. Do not see how tnese soles
oou,d he avoided. Have changed ms osu
clothinp ten or eleven times during "''
night. ,,., ,.,,re of Goo
~ ~ d;srase. The sores were inevitable. ne
s,m' -ott;ng alive. Everything was done tha'
uou,d he done to mitigate his sufferlngs.
WI. Allen. gardiner at the Hospitai; sta'eu
Tho, he furnished the patients with no"eis
They are first put on the tables ana '' m,n ,he
mad, adj M into bouquets and carried INTO '''e
patients' rooms. uos ESQ
, letter was read from Zenas HAYNES hsq,
Sc tho Boston Herald, whose hrother re'.'
:" omnloved in the engine house at the Ilosp,.-
al Witnesses were produced by .he P.os .,ad
a., 70 nroye that Peter was brutaiiy uea;su
bv the engineer After reading the a,,sr .n DIR
oy;dencc Mr.. Haynes wrote ieuer 70 n,
p.,.Ior which he requested that gen'leu,an
nu.a before the committee: Inc Wrl'.s
.b ~ DR.. Butler for the kind inVl'aa,o. ~ ~
attend but is unable to do so on aeroaH. rs
az I'a.i,L From his personal ooser'A,ions
mn no had seen nothing 10 shaAe