The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1889-07-12

two occasions | was forced into Scutfit
with her She pulled out my watch on one
| occasion and threw 1t on the floor. /
ever | put pegs IN her mouth 1t was fOl
the purpose of feeding her. Patient:
sometimes refuse TO eat and have 10 be
fed by force. This consists of opening tbs
mouth with small pegs and pouring il
fluid. This done to save life IL cases
Of protracteo fasting that might end II
starvation. Insanity frequently takes
the form of refusing to eat. The met nod
of feeding 10y fO.ce is frequently i,ru,iuu
| tive of good results. i lady patient III
the asylum was on one occasion fed bS
force for several weeks. Her lie wa5
thus saved and eventually her mind was
restored and she was discharged.
Mr.. Whitaker objected to the filing of a
letter from this young LADY, alfut regard
ing her condition.
After much discussion by the counsel
on both sides the letter was Withdrawn.
DR.. Grissom stated that forced alimenta-
ton was accomplished both with tubie
and with pegs. Miss Roberts has been at
the sylum four or five years. She has
improved. She is less violent and is more
easily managed. | never used such an eX-
preston as Miss Edwards attributed to me
when she said | called the patients wild
cats" Such an expression never passed
my lips.
Mrs W I. Howe was admitted in /. al y,
1887. The allegation in regard to offer
ing personal indignity to Mrs. Howle is
cruelty and UNANIMOUSLY false There has
been rule for more than l0 Years, un-
derstOOd by all the officers and employees,
that no male, either visitor o. physician
should ever have an interview with fe-
male patient unaccompanied by a female
Il
mony as to this charge to the effect that
she was with me and | sent her away and
when she returned | was dallying with
Mrs. Howle. 1t is utterly untrue. | never
offered Mrs HCwle an indignity of any
kind, anywhere or under any circum-
stances, nor to any other female patient
Of this institution Mrs. llOWle is not now
a patient here. She was transferred to
Mt. Hope Retreat, November 5, 1887. i'm
proved as | thought She was a victim
Of chronic mania, bordering on dementia
while here. She had no perfect lucid in
1ervals. She was removed by her husband
Oh my advice, because i though it would
be better for her to be away from visitors
whom she knew. and because there were
more facilities fer recreation there than
here. Her home was IN Wake county
Her husband visited her here occasionally
have no sort of recollection that dur-
ing 1887, that il was made known to the
superintendent that an attendant had a.
saulted Mrs. Summeriin a patient, and
that the attendant was retained; bat if 50.
| must have Investigated th9 matter ana
took such action as in my discretion
seemed just and proper. Mrs. Summerlln
was discharged III July, 1889. cured. She
never mentioned to me any complaint
The discharged patients always have an
opportunity TO make this complaint.
Mr.. W. G. Pridgen was admitted here
on September 10, 1880 He died January
30, 1889, OF paralysis. He was p years
old when admitted, had epileptic mania
had been an epileptic since he was p .
While here he lost his eye>ight, from neu
ralgia it was thought. He had periods of
maniacal excitement. lie would sing,
talk and move almost constantly about.
He would get upon the door or window
guard and IN such places as would seem
almost Impossible for one to get. After
his blindness he had to be frequently re-
strained, or have an attendant to hold
him. This latter seemed to Irritate him
and cause almost constant struggle. He
was in the habit, after going blind, OF
sprlnglng upon persons | remember on
one accession he sprang at me, and know
that it was my habit when he done so to
catch him on both sides of the neck and
hold him of till he became quiet. | do
not remember the occasion alluded to in
the charge. If on any occasion put my
hand on his throat or neck, it was for the
purpose of restraining him in such a way
as thought proper. | used no more force
or violence than was necessary.
W. F. Upchurch was admitted here as a
patient on January II, 1878, and is here
now He belonged to the criminal insane
and was decidedly homicidal shot his
brother and attempted to kill other peo-
Pile. He thought that his bones neck
&c, were crushed; had hallucinations of
to kill him. On one occasion he kicked a
guard out of window and defied any one
to come to him. He was strong and dan
gerous; would wake at night and tear up
his bed clothes. His attacks on people
were sudden and without warning and
but for restraint would have happened
two or three times day. About June,
1888, it was reported to me that he had
torn bar from his window and was de
flying the attendants. | went to the room
accompanied by attendants and possibly
by the steward One attendant, named
W. H. Carpenter, proposed to go into his
room with stick. | told him no. No
such means should be used; and then at
my suggestion, he covered himself with a
mattress, and understanding that he
would be followed by others, rushed upon
f.;m, seized him and disarmed him. A
violent struggle ensued in which think
neither Mr.. Thompson nor myself took
hold Of him The attendants handled him
rather clumsily. Everybody including
myself seemed more or less excited. |
told them to throw him down. They did
50. | then put one foot upon his neck
| with view to holding him down till he
should become quiet. In about minute
| his par0XSm seemed to sUbside and | took
my foot from bis neck. He was then re-
| strained to the bedstead do not remem-
| improperly of such violence. | did not
| stamp him, because if | had stamped him
in the face, being under excitement as We
all We're l would probably have broken
the b. nes of his face or nose. If | had
stamped him on the neck, under the cir
cumstances, | would have mostly likely
have broken his neck. l did not stamI
him anywhere and there was no indica
tions of violence except a little blooC
which did not come from nay foot, but
| from the struggle | remember with ac
curacy the main incidents of this affair
| because | regretted the bad example il
might have on the attendants, they
might not understand the motives tina
prompted me. The affair was reported a
| night, and the report contained no recOr(