West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1891-10-29
THE DIRECTED BOARD
Or rHE HOSPITAL FOR INSANE AT
WESTON NEXT AND MAKE uN-
TO THEMSELVES 4 REPoRr
THAT Is AS CLEAR
AS MUD.

Wosec by the Weston Democrat
that the Board Of "Directors" of
the Hospital there. in session last
week, made a report to themselves
declaring that nobody was to blame
for the recent suicides and "accl-
dental" deaths that have taken
place among the inmates. Here is
a sample extract from the report:
On July l4th. 1891. Abraham
Haines. a patient from Wood coun-
ty, met with his death in an at
tempt to escape from the fourth
story OF the Hospital building. He
was confined i'm ward 9, where are
classed a demented, aud. as far "a
can be ascertained, n harmless class
OF patients. That evening, july
14th, the attendant took number
of patients in that ward, as usual,
into the airing court. Haines de.
clined to. go-not feeling very we'll
and while the attendant was thus
absent, broke the guard OF win.
dow, made rope OF his bed cloth.
ing, tied il to plank which he in
serted in the water spouting and
tried TO escape by this means from
the roof TO the ground. The rope
broke and he fell to the gronnd and
was instantly killed. The Coroner
was notified and decided it was un.
necessary to hold an inquest.
For btfrgling awkwardness this
gives the thing away as bad as the
Democrat when it attempts to ex.
plain these Unpleasant little az
fairs" The careful reader will ask
right away il there is only one Mt
tendant on This ward as the report
would indicate, and il he was al
lowed to go out with part OF the pa
tients, "as was usual" aud leave
the rest alone to hang themselves or
jump out the window as this one
did /! And il there was another at
tendant on that ward, where was
he? And why WAS he not there to
take charge of the poor unfortunate
wretches who were unable or nm
willing to 60 out for an airing?
Does anybody believe that II an at.
;gndant had teen there on duty.
and watehful OF his duty as he
should be, that this man IIaincs
could have broken the iron bars of
his window and torn his bed to
pieces for rppcS. without it being
found out in time to prevent the
"accidcnt" that happened ? 1t ls
only Il mcicy that more OF the poor
wrctches didn't follow this one out
Of the window. Now the .fict Of
the matter iss there are two attpn-
dants for each ward, but as in this
case one is required to work out on
the farm and grounds instead o.
being allowed to take care OF the
patients OF his ward as he 81 ould.
This leaves one attendant with from
twenty to forty OF these people on
bis hands, and Of course it is i'm.
possible for him to give ali OF them
the attention they should have
and their friends expect them TO
receive. As a general thing he can't
take them all out, and one man
can't take out part for an String
and remain with tho others also,
or ut least 1t seems that this atten-
dant on No. 8 failed to accomplish
such ubiquity, and the result was
the loss Of life. We claimed
while we we're an employee Of the
Hospital, and urged it time and
again, and still urge, that two at.
tendaHts or nurses are few enough
for one whole ward and that they
should be allowed TO devote their
whole time to these pcopie who arc
the most unfortunate and most TO
be pitied sf any in cur State. The
State is able and willing to pay for
their care and keeping, and about
One-fourth the entire revenue Of the
State is used for this purpose. We
have repeatedly called tho attention
Of the Board Of "Urectors" TO this
system Of working part Of tho
nurses out on the farm 70 the Sc
rious neglect Of the patients, and
Ne shall insist in such strong terms
hereafter that something will have
TO DO done OF tho dudish officials at
thu Hospital, who spend most Of
their time in fishing, hunting and
drawing a Tat salary, will find their
equanimity considerably disturbed.
It is no use for the Weston Demo.