The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-02-24
The Insane Hospital Investigation.

Dr. Harlow, superintendent of the Insane
Hospital, was the first witness examined by
the committee Tuesday. He testified that he
made the rounds of the wards every morning
between $50 andl 7.30 o'clock, and inspected
the physical condition of every patient. DR..
Sanborn also went through the hospital ev ery
morning. There are now in the institution
440 patients, about half of them females, and
forty attendants, two-thirds of the latter hay
ing had previous experience either at this or
other hospitals. DR.. Harlow was not favor
able to the employment of a female physician
1t had been tried once and failed. He said
DR.. Neal was skillful physician and kind to
the patients, but was not loyal to the insttu-
ton and was trying to supplant him (Dr. Har-
low.
Mrs. G.. W. Quinby made short statement,
in which she gave her views relative to the
management of the institution. She thought
the hospital was not in the front rank of insti-
buttons OF its class in some respects, but did
not believe abuses would be sanctioned by the
officers If they were aware of them. She re.
commended the employment of larger mum
Der OF attendants; the employment of two
head nurses, one on the male and one on the
female side OF the hospital; the appointment
of board OF seven visiting physicians; better
discipline among the attendants; en-
ployment of female physician; that some
plan be devised by which violent patients may
be kept covered and not thrust into the lodge
in nude state more individual treatment of
cases. AS general rule she believed the at
PENDANTS were humane. She thought some
slight prepar ations had been made at times
when she visited the hospital She knew that
the temperature had not been allowed to fall
below go in any part of the building during
the coolest weather.
DR.. Neal said he did not think the Maine
hospital was up to the times. 1t was not pro-
gressive institution: He thought that if a
man of larger abilities than DR.. Harlow had
beer in charge of the hospital the discipline
would have been better. The chief idea at the
institution seemed to be to lay up money. Cur
ing patients was secondary matter. He
thought every insane asylum should have a
female physician. He said he employed coun-
sci because he thought the trustees were dis
posed to make a scapegoat of him, and he in
tended to defend himself.
William Wilson, formerly an attendant in
the hospital, testified that man named Samp-
son, the engineer, was accustomed to abuse
shamefully patient named Peter Haynes
who was employed in wheeling coal.
Geo. w. Craig, employed at the hospital as a
painter and glazier, had seen patient thrown
down and "churned" and Joseph G. Millett,
also employed at the hospital, had seen two
cases of abuse of patients
The prosecution here closed their case. DR..
Butler made a statement to the effect that as
a matter of form, he did not wish to appear as
a voluntary witness. The committee voted to
summon him. DIR. Butler testifed.-I took a
member of my family to the hospital in 1876
she was put in the private wards did not
see her for month; then visited her often
and became enamored of the hospital; wrote
an article to the Bangor Wing commencing
the institution; believed what l then wrote
subsequently changed my mind and became
convinced that things were not all right;
nave talked with all the officers of the institu-
ton about the management, and have often
said there ought to be change; L soon found
that the lady patient to whom L refer was
marked upon the limbs and body, the marks
apparently having been inflicted by some per-
son other than herself; L have gone to the hos
pital and found the lady without an attendant,
and in a nude condition in her room and suf-
fering from cold she used to complain about
the sheet being thrown over her head; when
the term "churning" was used here by wit.
nesses I remembered that the lady pa
tient had described the same form OF
punishment to me; since 1876 have visited
the hospital very often until this winter;
know that the attendants were very neglect
full; the lady was very sick at one time; DR..
Harlow thought she could not be helped, and
honestly thought so; she was subsequently re-
moved to another part of the hospital; she
was still very weak, and one day l was sitting
Trying to calm her into sleep; succeeded In
doing so, when outside in the hall some of tine
attendants began laughing loudly, and she
woke up; this occurred twice before remons-
strated with them; removed to Vassalboro,
and one time l came down to see her; asked
DR.. Sanborn how she was, and he said, ooh,
same as usual, she got into difficulty with
another patient and she struck her." l went
up to see her; when 1 entered the hall two
women came towards me, and one of them l
distinguished by her dress to be the person l
had known for more than thirty years; her
face was so disfgured that l could not dis
tinguish her; her eyes were blackened dread
fully; asked how the matter occurred, and
subsequently learned that the patient went in
to the room of another patient who was very
violent and was attacked by her, resulting as
described; the attendants were away at the
time, leaving the patients alone; since this &C.
Cured the lady patient to whom / refer has
been better taken care of than formerly; j
have been prompted in this investigation to SO
act as will best promote the interests of the
institution; in regard to my finding the
patient with marks upon her body will state
that her wrists appeared to have been wrung,
and l learned that her hands were damned in
to the bath tubs, and soap put into her mouth
by the attendants; the matter was investigated
and the attendant was discharged, but 1 was
surprised to learn by this incident that an out
slider could come in and find out case OF
abuse without the officers knowing about it.