New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-15
FILTH IN THE ASYLUMS.
MORE TESTIMONY CONCERNING THE
TREATMENT OF THE INSANE POOR
BUILDINGS INFESTED BY RATS AND OTHER YER
MIN-PATIENTs COMPELLED TO UNDREss
FOR BATHING IN SIGHT OF EACH
oTHER-THE POOR FOOD
GIVEN THEM.

GIVEN THEh
The State Iunacy Commission investigating the
charges made against the officials OF the insane
Asylum on Wards Island resumed their work AZ
the Park Avenue Hotel yesterday forenoon freS'-
dent VI H. Porter Of the Commission OF 'nuI'-
ties and Correction. was present, ana SO were Ni'
Dent medical superintendent Of the femaie A7S :
lum on Wards Island and DR. Macy meu'VHi
superintendent of the Male Asylum br. a. t.
Macdonald. the general superintendent or the III
sane made his first appearance al inc H''eS''e"
zion The discrimination Of DR.. RaDihoNl'C"
was deferred Miss Frances c. Mcintyre TOOK '"e
stand and said she had been nurse lo' ~
years She was for two years nurse at i"O"
wells Island under Or. Dent she lei' '"e'p o'
September J. 1890 Eighteen months OF that u'e
was spent In the hospital and five months III 'he
Office
In answer TO a question OF Judge Mcmahon the
counsel OF the commission, respecting the accommo-
dations afforded her on BlackweHs lSIahu' sle
said that rats infested her sleeping room 10 SUN
an extent that she unable to sleep until alte'
a time she became accustomed 20 them. S"e
recounted the particulars Of a case OF woman
who In her opinion had been terribly burned and
was at the time patient in the hospital. she was
swathed in bandages The ointment used for the
burns attracted the rats and the latter used 10
gnaw the bandages to pieces at night
Questioned as to the treatment OF the SIGN ue-
mented patients in the hospital she said that 1t
was Inadequate No cows milk. said the witness.
was used. She never remembered any improve
anent being made In the diet. except on one occa-
sion. when the Grand Jury visited the Island wheh
lettuce was placed on the dining tables. In an
swer TO Judge Mcmahon. she said that she had
seen DR. A. +. Macdonald about five times during
her stay at Blackwell Island
Mrs PORE then called, fdshl0naDN uresSet
and rather attractive young woman; she described
herself a newspaper woman me WITNESS sdld
papers In April last she detailed by The
Herald to inquire into certain reports relating -
the improper treatment Of the insane patents on
Wards Island In pursuance OF hef instr
she obtained employment attendant at Ward =
Island on April p, and remained Their three days
The witness described the meals Which she sd"
served. Coarse black bread. rancid butter, a
been either tea or coffee weird species or gnger
oatmeal that had been burned, stale fish ana putril
a. She had observed IT, She described the kitchen
ss being filthy with pools of greasy water on the
Hall No of the Verplanck Hospital There were
two attendants there in charge OF sixty pauents;;
lack OF ventilation was exceedingly bad. and the
hall was Lighted only by three common n barn an an
wilton to take the place Of an assistant nurse
who was away on pass There was only one nath-
brought over from the Annex to be bathei. These
patients were uadressci in flll view ot the pa
stood outside the bathroom ana threw their clothes
on the floor. In the same way, after each had had
a bath. they dressed again In the warl
Judge Mcmahon next drew from the witness an
account of how she combed the heads or Sixty
Did you do It wci?'' asked Judge McMahon, en-
corragingly a., .. ,..,, ~ not, 20.
turned the witness, promptly; Il only Know that l
was sick when got through"
Her feeling of nausea. she said. was due TO the
vermn in tho heads OF the patients.
She said that during her stay there she saw an
snake %nrnv patients. she evidently hurt them for
they screamed and at once became quiet she had
seen chickens 9eng taken 10 Dr. n he in
quiry until $50 tomorrow morning.