Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-03
DIXMONT ALL RIGHT,
A State Board Committee In
spects the Asylum.
NOTHING FOUND AT FAULT.
The System of Receiving Wards for
Insane Was Approved.
NOTHING FOUND AT FAULT.
A SATISFACTORY EXAMINATION

Without word of warning William j.
Sawyers, James B. Scott and G. w. Starr
of the State Board of Charities dropped in
on DR., Hutchinson at the Dixmont Insane
ASYLUM yesterday, and declared their in
tention of investigating the institution.
With them were representatives from the
various Pittsburg newspapers. After look
ing over the hospital for five hours the
committee could not find anything that dis
pleased them. and said that so far as they
could learn everything was satisfactory.
When the party started in Mr.. Scott said
thev would investigate everything they
could think of, and asked the reporters to
put any questions they desired. In fact,
the inspection was made because of the
number of rumors which have been circu-
lated recently about Dixmont. The COM
mittee also said they would have an investi-
cation if any of the newspapers would make
charges.
THE WARDS EXAMINED.
They first made tour of every ward in
the different buildings, and every depart
ment was found scrupulously neat. The
laundry and culinary arrangements were
also pronounced first class. A large num-
Der of the patients were interviewed, and
most of them declared they were well treated.
There were, however, few of them who
told tales of ill-treatment but when each of
the cases were investigated, they proved to
be without foundation. There were no marks
of violence on their bodies, and it was clearly
shown that they were either violent, or so
ill-tempered that they could not get along
with any of the other inmates.
Mrs. jackson complained of being
illegally confined, and OF not
receiving proper treatment The doctors
said she was in a condition to leave, but
that she was so hard to get along with that
her husband refused to take charge of her,
and there was no place Tor her to 60 to.
They said she would be released just as
soon as a place could be found for her.
William Franz, OF Allegheny was an
other. He has been in Dixmont several
times, and was sent there the last time, it is
alleged, for trying to kill his father. He
was SO violent that he had to be tied in bed,
and that was the burden Of his complaint.
THE MINNIcK EPISODE.
The Minnick case was also discussed, and
with it came the question of putting all the
new arrivals into one ward until the doctors
could determine in what department to put
them. These wards contain a number of vio-
lent patients, and has therefore more at
tendants than any of the other wards In
the male department this ward Is on the
first floor, where it can be readily reached
from the Office and on the women's side of
IL, ~ ie nm tho Sepond floor near the
doctors sleeping apartments. All patients
when they are received who are pronounced
violent, or where the character of
their malady is unknown, are put
into these wards. They only remain
there until it can be decided into
what ward they car be placed. The average
time which patients who are quiet enough
to 60 TO another ward remain there is about
"a hours.
The doctors said that when patient was
sent there, and marked as being wild by the
physicians who issued the certificate, ne was
put into a wild ward and the doctors send
ing him there were indirectly liable for any
injuries be might inflict on other patients
SIZING THE PATIENTS.
When a patients character is unknown,
the physicians said it was impossible to tell
whether he was violent or not bv single
examination, and they therefore put him in
the ward where there were the
most guards, as they could not
endanger the lives of milder patients
bv putting him in a ward with them. They
said they intended to move the receiving
ward to the second floor, and fit up the first
floor as an open ward for mild patients
They said the system of having receiving
wards had been used ever since the institu-
tion was founded. and there had never been
any bad results from it. The committee eI-
pressed their satisfaction with this arrange
ment, and approved of the system.
In every ward the members of the investi-
eating committee were beset by inmates
who wanted to explain their various hobbies,
One woman gave Mr.. Starr big package of
closely written paper. She said 1t was a
treatise on the science of life. She said
there was not anything about the subject she
did not know.
LOOKING FOR A PUBLISHER.
She wanted her work published, and said
she would have another rinstallment of it the
next time he called. Another case was that
of tall, fine looking man with black hair
and beard. He said he had a special ar
rangemement with the Deity by which he
could mold the future into anything the
brain OF man could desire. He could also
heal all diseases bya touch of his hand
He said no one had any trouble that be
could not turn TO happiness. He declared
he had calculated within a sixteenth of a
second just how long it would take
Venus 10 iall from her present posi-
ton into the lap of the sun. He said
she would fall inside of a year. and be
knew he was just sixteenth of second off
in his calculations. When he finished talk
ing he pointed to little bunch of silver
hairs nesting among the black, and said it
was the mark of wisdom placed there by
God. Another middle-aged man insisted
that the party should hear him play an air
on the violin. He said the angels had
taught it to him in his sleep. One of the
women ordered Mr.. Sawyer 10 stop talking
sweet to one of the nurses. The woman de-
clared she was a queen, and did not know
why men were allowed to invade her private
apartments. The most amusing incident
was when big German said Nh. Scott was
Bismarck, and asked him to have one of the
attendants shot.