New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-09
WARDS ISLAND METHODS.
DIR. RABINOvITCH CONTINUES HER
TESTIMONY.
She TELLS MORE INSTANCES OF PECULIAR

suE TELLS MORE INSTANCES OF PECULIAR
WAYS or TREATING THE INSANE
The inouiry into the methods of treating insane
patients on Wards Island was resumed before
the State Commissioners in Lunacy al 'he ram
Avenue Hotel yesterday morning. Deputy A'o'
pey-Cieneral Francis and John D. Mc"id"oH "P
neared for the state and the Commission, ana Dun
~, Edwards for "The Herald" Doctors Dent ana
TYLER. superintendent and assistant superintendent
respectively Of the female asylum on Naru > ISL
and, were present. =.
nv louise Ra5,novitch whose testimony occupied
the whole Of Thursday session. resumed the stand
Judge Mcmahon proceeded to question her III Ce-
,ou concerning that portion Of her evidence lhu's-
dav which related to the clothing OF the Patien'S'
She related that the shoes furnished tne ie'''
were insufficient in number. ana had 10 Dc SH"e
e. corroon. Thus certain OF the patients were IN
able to partake Of the morning hour OF eNeI0'Se'
cbe sai6 that the clothes never washed really
clean I'm the laundry. She said that 'T. Dent u'p
not make an Official Inspection OF 'he ""' ~
oftener than once month Shc sd'u 'ii"' 80
natients aid not have individual clolhlns' Do '
articles of apparel got mixed up at the laundry
Ths clothing was not ironed and was generally re-
turned wet The witness was accustomed 10 hahs
these clothes about TO dry. ,.
so IN addition TO being day rooms and dormito-
RES. the wards were used as drying rooms 10'
cjothesY' suggested Judge Mcmahon.
The witness said that she got one OF the attend
ants TO draw Dr. Dents attention TO it, ana re-
ceyed in reply message from the latter instruct
ing her TO continue to dry the clothes by hahs'"S
them about the wards.
II vas common. she said. for the attendants to
chastise patients When such cases were brouen'
before DR.. Dent, the attendants were gehera''Y u''
charged ,..
The subject Of the personnel Of the attendants
was entered upon. The witness said that they
were selected on account Of their robust phyS'4"e
rather than any other quaAncanoh' .u,
Several specific cases Of alleged malpractice VIZ
then gone into The first case meniionea was Ia
80 Kotbarine Hosea who suffered from blood-polsoh-
,ng folloving confinement. This condition was pro-
dnced nv the patient being confined IN the
eryspeas ward Her dea dsc %as whcn Was an
Improper diagnosis Ano;her case Was C.i" es
Margaret Rel, VINO was ofhciaE uiHf" 80 MS
being hystercal ana hypochondr!acal, and VINO W1s
neglected Accordingly. she dl-Q noWvSor, rom
was then discovered that she had sui'eroi ''''''
In answer to comprehensive question she said
INA because they were too crowded did not receive
adequate curative treatment anu "e'e ''
Dr Rabnovitch was questioned as to The treat n
meni Of epiieptic cases with bromide ana to'l an
interesting story in relation thereto II appeafeq
that reports of the successful use OF olo''i,ut NJ
ePcited the Interest of the whole stan incnang
DR. Dent The latter had authorized DT. ~, me he
treatment Dr. Sterling in turn invited the witness e
10 try the experiment Il she "sDgu s,,ifab,@ cases
cordingly selected Few o. t-e .aJ eScS siccassnll
for treatment. and found the IN ihol sue "a
SNSltiiatlNtli9 ~,
half with the best results. Finally IL cam, - ~
notice of one Of the state Visitors VINO 81
treatment in a printed report ~, Zen IL s.oc
fhe published statement that menpeT Oh ...e S;.h
was purslllng a novel system 81 trea iIleht VII
success no mention being made oil hilseii' an ii~J
the treatment discontinued. His order was 49, pe3 "a
with the result that the patients VINO hau 4Hiio'0
relapsed into their former condltioH , ,.,. 90,
DR. RabinOvitch made some reNeIallohS aul3"t ~
drlggng of patients which aIpeare 10 dS'ois, ~
CoTTnissioners She told Of Hannah FITZGERALD ~
whom on one occasion. had been given I-V sidins
of morphine a single dose. on anothrl &c e."
ninety grains of choral Were given Hcl' ai'i ""'N
she was taken out for walk ., .,o, too,
land even that did not make her Steep eNc'i''iie'
.W@I She died" replied the witness she
dropped down dead while on; wa. ing. - ,,.
au.Op-v was performed on Mrs J. llHSFi an
body and her death Officially ATTRIBUTED -
cerebral hemorrhage. This diagnosis was susses'eu
The witness was asked some questions about !(r.
a p Mcdonald, the general superlnt zen lent OF w
insane poor, who Is at present reported 10 -.
ously mi at Wards Island. She said that ~. -dg
Donald and his family had quarters, IN tne a.
Winter and sojourned in Central lslip In summer
time She had never known him 10 make Il thorough
inspection Of the asylum. 80 ,,-. 49,
a great portion Of Dr. Rabnovtch eNI We,
a repetition OF the testimony she gay IAurs-hs:
All her statements were made deliberately pu'
without hesitation " - ~
Al $40 Judge Mcmahon announced that ne han
finished his examination OF the witness, Inc "iN-
Gals against whom the inquiry is directed were m
yited 10 cross-eXamne the witness. VINO was pc pc
ginning 10 look faiisued Dr. Dent apIeaiIer eas -
10 avail himself OF the opportunity, and rose 10
his feet looking rather excited pu Dr Mace laIu
announced that the inquiry would be a1JouIleu u'-
I'll next Thursday.