Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-10
HUMANITY ABUSED.
Criminal CareleSSneSS and Thiev-
cry ReignS Supreme.
Additional Revelations of the MiSman-
agement OF Blackwell Islands
Hospitals.
Between Ignorant Attendants, Filthy Food
and Poker Playing Doctors the Pa
TENTS Life is Indeed Rocky.
spe cial to the Gazette.

spe cial to the Gazette.
NEW YORK, sept. 9.-The Evening
Sun to-day prints more reVels tions Of
abuses in BlackwelI's island institutions.
In the charity hospital, which is but
stones throw away from the peniten-
tiary hospital, it IS alleged criminal care
lessness and thievery reign supreme.
The diet is poor The patients have cab
bage leaf tea for breakfast and supper.
On Tuesday 5 and Friday S they get cod
fish and two pretty bad potatoes for din
ner. They receive soup, boiled beef ana
bread for dinner on all other days. The
patients about to undergo operations, or
those who have undergone them, are
usually ordered on an extra diet of eggs
and milk by the operating surgeon. The
patient
SELDOM RECEIVES
this extra diet without paying for it.
When milk is brought up to a ward, the
orderlies bring in their pitchers and fill
them out of the supply ordered for the
patients. They also steal the eggs. Two
eggs can be bought from an orderly OF
the ward or from his factotum, the
table man, for ten cents. AS u rule or
derlies are ignorant, corrupt and inoOm-
petent. Ward No. . is kept for pa
tients requiring operations to be per-
formed on them. There are usually be-
tween thirty-ave and forty patients in
1t. The orderly in charge of this ward
is a newsboy about seventeen years OF
age, who came from Pennsylvania to
fill his present situation. One sample of
his incompetency or gross carelessuess is
tyvO months old
man named Charles Morgan had pre-
scribed for him two ounces of wine. The
orderly of ward No. 5 brought him half
an ounce of some preparation of digit
ais in liquid form, patient
KNOCKED THE GLASS
out of the orderly's hand Just as he pre-
sented it to Morgan IS lips.
In ward ten the orderly is q boy under
twenty. Some time ago man named
King was ordered to take dose of EPSON
salts This orderly brought him full
pint OF a strong solution of ohlOrate of
potash and forced King to drink it. The
bottle out of which the solution was
poured was distinctly marked, "not to
be used internally - King fell down in
commissions. and the orderly thoroughly
frightened ran up stairs for young doc
tor and stomach pump. King recovered
W u
Black Wells Island.
At night the 700 patients are in care of
two patients. who sleep or walk around
the ward as they please. The young
doctors who reside in the hospital are
supposed to be in different wards from 9
to u O'Clock in the morning
and 7 to 8 O'Clock at night.
As a matter of IA ct they are
NEVER TO BE SEEN
except when the visiting surgeon or
physician is going his rounds. At other
times they are up stairs playing poker
from one to five cents ante. The young
men must be perfectly aware of ths
abuses which exist, but they are afraid
TO open their mouths. The warden or
steward can make Blackwell's Island
too hot to hold them if they do.
The hours observed in the hospital are
outrageous for sick men. at O'Clock
every morning all patients not absolutely
helpless must get up and dress. Then
each must sweep his section of the floor,
clean windows and make his bed.
Breakfast is served at $3.50, dinner at
ll:3O, and supper at 4:30. Sheets are
regularly changed once q week, or
when one of the visiting doctors is
expected to examine a critical case
This does well enough in some cases, but
in others where the bed clothes should be
changed every day the
CONDITION OF THE PATIENT is AWFUL.
The worst abuse in the charities hospital
is the way that the orderlles steal the
whisky which the doctors order for con-
sumptive patients, and for those who
have undergone operations. The usual
dose ordered is either two or four ounces
a day. OF this quantity patient possi-
bly, receives half an ounce in the morn
ing and half an ounce at night. The
remainder is kept by the orderlies.
Those who drink make milk punches
with 1t at night when they 90 to their
rooms to have a carouse. Those who do
not drink whisky sell what they have
stolen to patients who can afford to pay
for it.
One of the meanest tricks praoticed by
Steward O'Flaherty is on visitors to the
hospital. Many of them bring small
baskets with them containing special
food
FOR THEIR FRIENDS.
These baskets are examined BY,
O'Flaherty personally. He seizss any
whisky bottles he finds in these baskets.
Then he sends the unfortunate visitors
across the river to the city again, but re-
fuses to restore the whisky to them. He
keeps II TO entertain his friends, who
soon dispose of it. Both Wardens Roberts
and O'Flaherty are surly brutes, who
never have a kind word for any one,
whether patient or officer. They might
do well enough for a workhouse or peui-
tertiary, but are out of place among sick
people.
1t is impossible, for want OF space,
says the Sun in conclusion, if for no other
reason, to print all communications re-
ceived az this office concerning the mis-
cradle neglect and abuses in the peni-
Tertiary.