Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-11
THE DANIELS CASE.
Report of the Executive Committee of
Garfield Hospital.

Report Of the Executive Committee Of
Garfield Hospital.
THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITIES UPHELD IN THEIR
ADMINISTRATIONS OF THE HOSPITAL STAFF
ADOPTED By THE ooMNrTTEE-AppIrroNAIE yr-
DENcE
Aspecial meeting Of the executive committee
of the Garfield hospital called to inquire into
the case of R. C. Daniels, who was removed
from the hospital to police station because of
alleged insanity, was held yesterday afternoon
and adjourned over to meet again this morn
ing. There were present, of the committee,
Henry A. Willard Joseph K. McCammon. DIR.
John s. Billings and Reginald Fendall, and DR..
j. NJ. Toner, president of the medical staff.
The chairman stated that on the 9th inst. he
had addressed a communication to the staff
asking for information as to the admission,
treatment, and discharge Of the patient, r. c.
Daniels. DR.. Toner reported that special
meeting Of the staff to consider the matter was
held the next day, at which were present Drs.
]. M. Toner, W. W. Johnston, James Kerr,
Joseph II. Bryan, J. W. H. Lovejoy, Lewis
Mackall. j. Ford Thompson, William May,
Swan NJ. Burnett, and Lloyd NJ. Magruder.
They heard the statement of the resident phy-
stefan and his assistant. the matron, several of
the nurses, the orderly, and five of the patients
who had been more particularly disturbed by
Daniels.
RESULT OF THE INVESTIGATION.
After thoroughly examining this evidence the
staff unanimously adopted the following reso-
buttons: THAT in the opinion of the staff Mr.
Daniels was undoubtedly, on account of mental
disturbance, an unfit person to remain in the
hospital; that as Mr.. Daniels violent and
noisy and was by his actions disturbing the
other patients Of the hospital, and as his
friends had been already notified by the resi-
Y for
| charge and of his intention to send him to the
police station if they should decline to make
other proper arrangements for his care and
they refusing to receive him, it seems that
there was no other place suitable for his tenn
porary supervision"
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE.
The data on which the report of the staff was
made was submitted with the report and they
were regarded as fully supporting the conclu-
sions reached. Additional evidence, such for
example as the written statements of the police
sergeant. Drs. Klineschmidt and Synder. indi-
eating their approval Of the treatment the
patient received at the hospital and their con-
currence in the measures taken for his removal
in view of the fact that Mrs. Graves and her
daughter, his intimate friends, were anxious
not to have him return to their house, fully
warranted the eXecuev We committee in accepting
this report. Additional testimony taken by the
executive committee showed to its satisfaction
that in the present mental condition of the pa
tent any statement from him must be incon-
elusive and that at no time since his removal
from the hospital has he been capable of maxi
ing reliable statement.
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
The following report was adopted, and the
chairman was instructed to present it to the
board of directors.
AS the result of careful investigation into
the facts of the case of r. c. Daniels, alleged
to have been improperly treated at the Garfield
hospital, and to have been sent from there to
the police station without sufficient cause: and
having before 1t the report of the medical staff
OF the hospital, the written statement of pa
tients, nurses and other employees of the insti-
tuition, and also the statements of the persons
who placed Mr.. Daniels in the hospital the ex-
ecutive committee reports as follows:
Il. That Mr.. Daniels, at the time of his adj
mission into the hospital was somewhat con-
fused in intellect, and his own statement that
he was suffering from the effects of excessive
use of bromides is very probably correct
~. That very soon after his admission he
began to have Authorizations. to complain of
Wi tches in the room, &C., and soon after that
became so extremely noisy and violent as to
be cause OF great annoyance and alarm to
other patients.
50. That hisfriends were communicated with
and requested to remove him. on the ground
that the hospital has no facilities for treating
noisy and unruly patients. and that his friends
were told that if they did not remove him it
would be necessary to turn him over to the
police authorities; that those who placed him
| there declined to take the responsibility of
taking charge of him, and merely requested
that when he was turned over to the police
they should be notified
"A. His violent condition continuing with re-
fusal to take food, and manifestation of various
decisions and Authorizations, police head
quarters were communicated with. and on the
request of the resident physician of the hos
pital, he was sent away under the charge of two
policemen.
rs. That it is believed that this action was
proper and wise under the circumstances that
he could not be kept in the hospital without
risk to himself and danger to other patients
that it would have been unwise and inhumane
to have allowed him to leave the hospital UNI
| attended, and that his friends refusing to re-
celve him, the only course was to turn him over
to the police authorities for such disposal as
they might find expedient or necessary
&c. That when seen after his removal from the
station-house he was still in daZed confused
state of mind, uncertain as to what had really
happened, and ready to certify to almost any
thing that was suggested to him: that he then
admitted that he could not say whether the
previous statements to ill-treatment, &C.
in the hospital were founded on fact or not,
ana showed that certain amount of delusion
was still existing.
~. That during his stay in the hospital he
was kindly and properly treated, and then no
blame attaches to the medical staff, the resi-
dent physician or toa any nurse or employe of
the hospital in connection with his case
SO. That the systematic attempt which seems
to have been made to induce Mr. Daniels to
certify to false statements to injure the repu-
tation of the hospital by sensational and untrue
accounts of the case, and to prejudice the
committee of appropriations of the House of
Representatives in order to prevent the grant
ing of the usual appropriation, is highly dis
creditable to those concerned in it, and is
utterly unwarranted either by the facts of this
particular case or by the previous record of
the Garfield hospital and the character and
standing Of those connected with its manage
ment."
A CONFIDENCE TRICK.