The evening world., 1894-06-08
NO CARE FOR the SICK
A Doctors Story Of Abuses of
Blaokwell's Island Insane.
Three fragrant Instances OF Death
from %lnattention.
No Medicine and No Nourishment-
brutality OF Attendants.

s'i"'Si'y Va
The proceedings In the investigation OF
he manner in which New Tor!; takes
care OF its insane poor. which Is being
carried GA by the State Commission In
l.unacy at the lark Avenue Hotel. was
resume at II O'Clock to-day with DIR.
Louise q. EabinoyitCh again on the
stand.
i;A-JudGe John ID. Mcmahon continued
the examination OF DR.. Rabinovitch,
who yesterday told 10 much about the
way the patients were treated.
Tine witness was first asked 20 de
scribe the clothing worn by the women
patients in Winter on Blackwel!'s
Island. Dr. Rabinovitch said that in
her Judgment both the Winter AMI
Summer clothing Of the women was in
sufficient. In Winter the clothing con
sisted of n suit OF canton flannel under
wear, u short petticoat OF some coarse
material like canvas and n Bingham
dress. Cotton yarn stockings. knit by
the women and heavy shapeless shoes.
much too large for their feet, completed
the outfit.
Sometimes. according to the witness,
there were not enough shoes to 20
round and the women who were with
out footgear were compelled to remain
In the wards. while those who had shoes
took their daily walks. Sometimes the
patients took turns wearing the shoes.
and then all got their walk.
In Summer the women's clothing con-
sisted of "A chemise. IA snort petticoat
and the same Bingham dress worn in
garment to clothe their neither limbs In
summer.
DR.. R%ahinovitch said she had never
the laundry which was not so dirty that
II was nara to believe that 1t had seen
the washtub.
The clothing which came from the
laundry, was invariably so damp that 1t
had to be hung up in the wards to-day.
me steam arising from the drying cloth
TO health. She had so expressed herself
to DR.. Tyler. who was recognized as the
medium of communication between the
staff physicians and DR.. Dent, the Medi-
cal Superintendent.
Frequent consultations were held
among the staff physicians concern
ton, but no complaints were made to
DR.. Tyler or DIR. Dent. because both
gentlemen knew the state of affairs as
well as any one.
The witness declared tina DIR. Dent
made a round OF inspection not oftener
than once n month.
COMMISSIONS Reeves brought out the
fact that there was no system by which
patients could keep track of their cloth
Ing sent to the laundry, and that every
thing was what might be termed inter-
The witness said hat she had often
heard of acts of personal violence com
mitted on the patients by the attend
violent ward, had told the witness that
he had often seen attendants intilct
bodily punishment on the poor de-
DR.. R~abinovitch was called to quiet a
patient. a Mrs. Brown. She found that
an had been having a re,
was holding the insane woman on the
floor.
Each member of the medical STAFF, ac-
a hypodermic syringe ready to jab into
any of the patients who became violent.
She had hers with her, but didn't find
1t necessary to use 1t.
The witness had frequently spoken to
DR.. Tyler about the incompetency Of
the attendants; They were selected
were qualified physically. but had no
mental qualifications. Some could hard
ly read or write.
DIR. Rabinovitch was asked concerning
the treatm ent OF sick patients, She said
that in the case OF a Mrs. Hosey, who
was taken in childbirth shortly after
lected that blood poisoning ensued, and
Nshe died, the witness thought. of septic
nephrites. Drs. Mosely and Tyler had
charge OF the case. and when the woman
1890 ~ 'h'
ease as the cause.
For eight days after the birth OF the
child Mrs. Hosey did not receive the at
tention which Is considered by the
medical profession indispensable in every
obstetrical case.
Mrs. Hosey was not properly nourish-
ed. Weak. sweetened condensed milk
was about all she had from the in
Stitution's harder, and a half ounce OF
whiskey, given twice every twenty-four
hours. was all the stimulant the woman
got, when she should nave had an ounce
every two hours.
The proper treatment was not given
the woman until she was nearly dead.
according to DIR. Rabinovitch's way OF
thinking.
Another patient. Madeline Reil, who
complained of much pain and was plain
ly jaundiccd, was not treated, because
DIR. Mosely, who had charge of the case.
said that the woman was hypochondri-
acal, and only imagined she had pain.
However, Madeline Rel died, and the
autopsy showed that she had gall stones
and chronic p~eritonitis.
A case of strangulated hernia, the
witness said, could not be treated sur
giCally, because there We're no orders
given to that effect, and only manipula-
ton was used TO reduce the ~strangula-
ton.
The patient died from what the wit
ness thought VAS lack OF proper treat
ment.