New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-08

terrible CONDITION OF ASfAiNS oN "N''"S
.r.xp-PATlENTs PACKED IN lLL-vENTI-
-,n AND POORLY EQUIPPED BUILD
,.cs MADE TO WORK HARD. AND
TED on NAUsEsTING FoOD-pR
DENTS ALLEGED INDIE
FERENCE.
c,,ts Commission OF Lunacy began its in
Inv ,,or NJ the abuses charged aga!ns, the
vesue~ a. charge If the city asylums for the In
O". a, the Park Avenue Hotel Yesterday Dr.
sane nor, medical superintendent Of the Mems
'.r,ur. on Wards Island. was present ana 50
A'' 49, Macy. medical superintendent Of the
"'' asv,um. Clarence w. Francis. Deputy
"'."snsv-General Of the State appeared for the
A.S,-it,es. and was associated with Judge John
,s.vahon Of Rome. the legal representative
Commission President II. H. Porter. OF
commissioners Of Charities and Correction,
Wv crescent. and so were few members of the
wa Island staff Of attendants. Duncan Ed
ID appeared on behalf Of The Herald to
We. the charges OF neglect. cruelty improper
r,.~.ging. insufficient food. and general Ill treat
..r. Of patients charged against the asylum
officers.
nsnutv Acknowledgement Francis made a state
D",-v He said that the investigation would BE
"a m the charges made by The Herald" but
s,-a would also be a general inquiry into the
.,rsuct Of the city asylums. President c. f. Iac-
snnald announced that the newspaper charges
vould be heard frat.
n, Edwards then called his first witness. Dr..
D,b,poyitch. the female Polish physician. who
~,s associated with the medical staff Of the
mr.
p.h,noyitch is a prepossessing woman with a
rns,csl voice and gave her evidence In an in
,.aIgent manner apparently without bias. She
.sa that she got her first appointment at Black
.ws Island in May 1891. and became fourteenth
assistant physician under Dr. Dent. Before she
,r thore last May she had become fifth senior
..s,.,ani physician. Win reference to the build
,,ss which were vacated on Blackwelrs Island
wbsn the asylum was removed to Wards Island
las, April she described them as utterly unfit
a, habltation, many of them admitting rain
and snow. and having low a temperature as
,A,rtv degrees In winter time But in some re-
,oac,s the condition Of affairs on Wards Island
r,s not much better. according TO the witness.
rbs yerplank Hospital, for instance. she de-
.ribed as consisting Of ten halls. each Of which
I. dorrnitory and is made to accommodate
.,x,v or more patients. There is no gas or cleo
TIC light. but the attendants are supplied with
swinging lanterns, which are placed on the
h,,r or hung on doorknobs. as might be con-
vsnent. always within reach of the patients.
The latter the witness said. are put TO bed at
twilight In darkness and without sufficient at
tendance which she considered mminently dan
ssrous IN view Of the suicidal and homicidal
character OF many OF the patients. and their
mania for concealing weapons. The beds are
ranged along the walls so close together that
thu patients have to climb In and out Of bed
over the footraiis.
SIX BATHS FOR $50 PATIENTS.
Tuning TO the bathrooms It was developed
that so patients had. to the witnesses knowledge.
10 share the facilities Of six baths That was by
Dr. Dents orders There is a regulation pro-
vang that every patient should have a bath
once a week, but the witness said that the lack
Of facilities made this impossible. She described
boe, In Hall Of the Verplank Hospital the
undressing Of patients for bathing had to be
Effected outside the bathroom. in view OF other
PATENTS The defective condition Of the closets
was also described
DR.. Rabinovitch characterized the dress pro-
vided for the patients IN winter as being IN
sufficient TO protect them from the cold. Cases
Of pneumonia were extremely common.
In the laundry she said that the ventilation
was SO bad and the heat so excessive that she
had known Of patients kept at work there re-
peatedly TO faint from exhaustion. The motto
Of the attendants was Get es much work out OF
the patients as you can" She also alluded to
patients who were employed at whitewashing
walls. and 20 others who were employed every
forenoon scrubbing floors. Among these scrub
bsrs the infammatory disease known as house
maids knee" was prevalent. The witness said
she had done all In her power to better their
condition by endeavorng to assign the work in
such a way that IL would be varied. but Or.
Tyler. the assistant superintendent, had objected
to this.
The witness affirmed that all the members OF
the medical staff with the exception OF Drs.
Dent and Tyler disapproved the excessive labor
the female patients were compelled TO perform.
% being asked 10 mention their names she ex-
pressed fear lest those who are still employed
a. Wards Island would not care 10 corroDorate
her evidence. On being pressed. however she
mentioned Drs Cheney. Stedman and Mosely.
FOUL AIR IN THE DORMTTORIES.
Her description Of the foul atmosphere in the
oorniories appeared TO make an impression on
the commissioners. 1t was developed that the at
windows. The only fresh air the patl 'nts enjoyed
was what they breathed during the!r hour OF
exercise In the morning. On stormy days they
got none at ALL
The building known al the Annex. on Wards
Island, was described in detail. The cellar Is
used as laundry. and the plumbing Is so &c
iectve that the waste water stands in pools on
NE moor. The windows were all guarded to pre-
vent the patients from throwing themselves OUT
oui DR.. Dent would not allow the windows 10
Dc opened lest the patients should throw paper
ana string into the grounds
The rotten and dilapidated condition OF the
Branch. the south end OF the island, was de-
scnoed. The Branch contains a number or small
eels formerly used by the old immigration Com
missioners for the confinement OF criminals. They
are dark unwhoesome places. without ventNa-
non OF any kind When the witness was at
wards Island sick patients were confined IN
these cells The whole building swarInS with