The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-02
THE INSANE ASYLUM.
The Question of Diseased Meats on the Tables
of the Asylum Definitely Settled.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
In our report to the executive committee of
the Indiana Civil-Servce Reform Association we
said there was no doubt that great deal OF dis
eased meat had been consumed as food by the
patients of the Insane Hospital. In reply to this
charge, DR.. Harrison stated in the Sentinel Of
Sept %:
1T is true that some of the hogs died of chol-
era, but it is maliciously false to say that one
ounce or diseased meats were ever used on the
tables, and the superintendent will testify,
der oath, that such charge is wholly untrue"
We challenged the production of such an afida-
vitfrom Superintendent Fletcher. Now comes Dr.
Harrison with a statement from Superintendent
Fletcher which contains the following:
"By accident there was paragraph omitted
| from the statement made by me regarding meats
at the hospital. While large number of hogs
died upon our hands, in no instance was diseased
pork ever slaughtered or put upon the tables. l
usually inspected thehogs before they were killed.
and invariably did so while the meat was in the
icechest Parts of the same pork was used with
out selection, upon the officers tables as well as
my own"
We submit that the above quotation is not the
affidavit whose production we challenged. And
we do not believe that Superintendent Fletcher
will make any such affidavit. Our reasons for
so believing are these
On or about the 4th ult Mr. Swift and Mr.
Morton called on Superintendent Fletcher at the
Insane Hospital. Then and there Dr. Fletcher
IN response to inquiries regarding the use of
diseased meat at the hospital, told them that kill
the dying drove of hogs. Mr. Swift said You
must, then, have fed diseased meat to your pa
tients," and DR. Fletcher replied II have not the
least doubt of it in the world"
A few days before the publication of our re-
port, Mr.. Foulke read the following extract to
DR.. Fletcher:
''It may be we'll to state in this connection
that between Dec. 9. 1884, and July 3d. 1885,
ABB pounds Of dead hogs were sold by the asy
lum for fertilizing purposes. Most of these
hogs died soon after they were purchased by the
board How much diseased pork finds its way
to the tables of the patients it is impossible to
say, since the annual report contains only the
record of the hogs which were so badly diseased
that they died before the time of killing ar
rived, and we're sold. There is no doubt that a
great deal of diseased meat has been consumed
as food. Of over six hundred hogs purchased
more than half died. One lot were apparently
deathstricken' when delivered at the hospital
They began to die rapidly, and at the same time
Strengthening went on for the tables 1t was neck
and neck between disease and the butchers
knife"
Mr.. Foulke asked Dr. Fletcher whether this
was correct and he answered that it was.
AS regards the charges of cruelty contained in
our report it is sufficient to say that these also
were read to DR.. Fletcher, and that he said to
Mr.. Morton: 1.-THE instances which you men
ton are nothing, merely nothing, compared with
what occurs"
In conclusion, we desire to state that W have
given, and do give, great weight to these asser =
tons, coming as they do from the superintend-
emit of the Insane Hospital himself. We cannot
conceive of any motive for deception on his part,
believing him to have the best interests of the
institution at heart, and to be earnestly DESTROYS
Of stamping out the infamies which hitherto
he has been unable to prevent
WILLIAM D. FoULKE,
OLIVER L. MORTON,
LOUIS Rowland.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Oct. l. 1886