The Portland daily press., 1882-02-08
The Insane Hospital.

IQ6 luSdu0 hOSpiVeAi.
SKowHEGAN. Me-, Feb. 6, 'S2.
To the Editor of the Portland Press:
My attention has been called to statement
in your issue of Feb. 9th in reference to case
Of suicide in the Insane Hospital few months
since. The paragraph closes with the follow
sentence, "This case which occurred only q
few months ago has not received, If We rightly
remember, even the illumination of coron'
er's inquest, and the Hospital has snot evinced
the slightest disposition toward any investiga-
tion of the sad affair" In reply to the above
allow me to say that the trustees visiting com
mittee on the part of the Governor and Coun-
Gil, and officers did make all the investigation
that the law and the unfortunate affair de-
manded.
The,trustees made full inquiry into all the
particulars of the accident and satisfied their
minds that all reasonable care was being exer-
cised to prevent the occurrence of such 'deeo
that it was an accident not only liable but
does happen occasionally in our best regulated
hospitals.
The laao places the investigation of suicide
in the hospital in the hands OF the visiting
committee. AS this committee have given the
details of this affair in their report which is
being printed with those of trustees and super
intendent we will here quote it SO far as per
tains to this suicide;
We have to report several sudden deaths
among the patients, including one suicide.
Fortunately, member of the committee was
present at the hospital at the time of each sad
occurrence, and in no case was there circum-
stances of reasonable suspicion as to the inno-
cent cause thereof" which would require the
holding of coroner's inquest, as provided in
section 8 of law in regard to the duties of your
committee in such cases.
We should deem it inadvisable to dwell upon
the painful details connected with any sudden
death at the hospital, but as public attention
has been called, through the press and other
mediums, to the suicide of b. L. RackliH-the
case above referred to-we are constrained 10
briefly state the facts of the sad case. which
did not, as has been intimated, warrant the
summoning of coroner. At seven o'clock A.
NJ. Sunday, October 23d, Drs. Harlow and
Sanborn reported TO member OF the commit
tee present at the hospital, that one OF the pa
tients, Mr.. b. I. Rackliff, had committed sui
eide. The visitor proceeded Immediately to
the room which he occupied, and found that
the unfortunate man, though yet warm, had
ceased to breathe. The attendants were at
once summoned, and, after close inquiry, the
following facts were elieited Mr.. Rackliff had
been an inmate of the hospital but three days.
TO take his life. That morning he had refused
to eat and remained in the hall connecting his
sleeping-room with the dining apartment.
While the other patients were at breakfast, he
passed into the room, and, before he toas missed
bg the attendants, who were waiting on the pa
tients at the breakfast table-some Of whom
were passing in and out at the time-he sue
ceeded in breaking small mirror, hanging by
the side of the window, and with fragment
of the glass made wound about an inch IN
IL IL e l. rIYlrr n
large vessels and important structures in that
locality and causing death almost Immediately.
From the time he had left the hall until the
discovery of the act, not more than i've min
utes had elapsed. From the length and ragged
appearance of the wound, it could have been
made in no other way than by the pieces of
glass found covered with blood, close at hand
The member of the committee decided the
calling OF coroner unwarranted ~ Be-
cause l. y IS i7eit that Mr.. Racklif came to
his dc.4;l ny his oSn hand from wound in
ficted with piece of glass. ~. No derelic-
tion on the part of officers could be discovered.
The attendants were necessarily absent for a
few minutes, in the dining room. with the
doors open into the hall, as il always is at eat
ing hours. (3) A coroner is seldom called out
side the hospital in cases of suicide. (4) A
number of similar cases had occurred before at
tho hospital and former visiting committees
had established precedents for not calling
coroner, and the law could not be construed by
the memDer WHOSE uuty IL WAS JO dCb III tuiS liz
stance, to conflict with such precedents
(5) The feelings of the relatives were consid-
cred, it being presumed that they would prefer
to have particulars suppressed, if assured that
the facts were beyond doubt. Mr.. Rackiiff's
brother-in-law, who came for the remains,
made no request for coroner; neither have
his family nor the authorities of his town asked
for further proceedings.
(Signed)
FREDERIoK RoBIE, Visiting.
JOSEPH HINRLEY, canrait Zee
MRS G. r. WHIDDEN
We trust the above will furnish all the de-
sired information pertaining to this sad affair
and satisfactory reply to the charge that the
hospital management have showed not even
disposition to investigate it.
Very respectfully yours,
J. S. CUSHING,
President of Board of Trustees.
@[The words in italics-the italics are ours-in
the above report contain the whole gist of the
matter. That patient put in the Hospital
specifically for protection against his tendency
toward suicide, should be able to wander forth
and find time and material wherewith to kill
himself "before he was missed by the attend
ants indicates some radical fault in the disci-