Omaha daily bee., 1895-05-15

Patients at the Lincoln Asylum Put to
sleep with Paraldehyde.

LINCOLN May 14.-(Special.) Parade
hyde appears to have been a soft" drink at
the Lincoln hospital for the insane during
the superintendency Of DR.. Hay. Whether it
be deleterious drug or not it was in docu-
mentary evidence this morning that its ad-
ministration by physicians AMI attendants was
of almost nightly occurrence. Governor Ho-
comb got hold of monthly report, submitted
by DR.. Sophronia Lane, second assistant ply
sician at the hospital, and showed that 1t was
frequently given by attendants whenever pa
tlents became noisy, troublesome or destruc-
tive.
DR.. II. B. Lowry of Lincoln was first ex-
amined this morning by Governor Hocomb in
the Hay investigation. Witness was quite
severe in his denunciation of the use Of par
aldehyde as narcotic. He did not consider
quite number of sedatiyes mentioned one
tenth as injurious as paraldehyde.
The testimony of Mrs. ]. A. Weart yes
terday was to the effect that this drug was
frequently administered by nurses and at
tendants without specific instructions from
physicians; that Mrs. Browns jaw had been
broken while an attempt was being made to
feed her with a siphon tube, and that Mrs.
Mobeley had complained that DR.. Hay perse-
cuted her. Her husband had testified that
patient named Parrotte had died under the
influence OF paraldehyde. 1t was in rebuttal
of this evidence that witnesses were called
by General Webster today
Dr Scroggs is railway examining sur
geon and has been in practice fifteen years
For four years he was an assistant physi-
clan at the Pennsylvania Hospital for the
insane. Three years ago he was in the same
position In the Lincoln asylum Had been
acquainted with Attendant Morland against
whom charges Of brutality were on file in
the governors office. Witness considered
Morland humane attendant, of good char
aoter. and one in whom he always placed
confidence.
Cross-eXamined by Governor Holcomb he
said that In his practice, as an alienist, he
knew 1t was often necessary to employ mar
cotlcS. III patients, when violent are not
put to sleep with sedatives they wear them
selves out Thought 1t proper for attendants
TO administer drugs by specific direction Of
physicians, but not otherwise. Witness
thought the Lincoln hospital compared favor
ably with any other similar institution with
which he was acquainted Asked II it would
be safe for attendants to administer medi-
cines without specific instructions from physi-
clans, he replied that 1t would not. When in
formed by paraldehyde had, according to
the monthly records of the hospital been
freely administered without specific instruc-
ttons from physicians. witness said he did
not consider that safe Witness said he was
acquainted with the Dictionary of Physiolo-
g1cal Medicine" journal Of Medical Science"
and the United States Dispensatory" and
considered them works Of undoubted author
ity.
DR.. Sophronia Lane, second assistant
physician at the hospital, knew Mrs Weart
whose testimony was taken yesterday Said
that she had been a substitute nurse for
four nights. Mrs Weart had not been per-
mitted to administer any medicine. The
paraldehyde used at the hospital was kept
in pound bottle labeled to be given as
directed" The night record kept by Mrs.
Weart showed that the latter had given
no medicine during her four nights watch.
Paraldehyde Lad been given to several
patients the nights preceding and succeed
ing Mrs, Weart's attendance. Dr. Lane
knew of the case of Mrs, Brown, whose Jaw
was dislOcated, The patients case was one
of melancholia. She refused food and 1t was
necessary to administer it with a siphon
and by force, DR., Lane said Mrs Weart had
held the patients head and she had inserted
the tube Witness delicately insinuated that
II was likely Mrs. Weart had handled
patient trife roughly, which accounted for
the dislocatiOn OF the jaw. Witness had not
reported the disloeation for forty-eight hours
after 1t happened. Witness knew Mrs
Mobeley of Grand Island. Had not tam
talized her, Mrs Mobeley abored under the
hal!ucination that DR.. Hay prosecuted her.
Witness knew of the death Of Parrotte
but did not know that he died from the
OBJECTS OF an overdose of paraldehyde
Patients disease was paress. General Web
ster drew from witness the statement that
peresis frequently terminated in apoplexy
Witness frequently administered sulphenel as
sedatlYe, but said its action was slower
aud she believed the after affects worse than
those of paraldehyde. Witness preferred
paIaldehyde to chlOraldine.
T. j, Mayer was an eX-attendant. Had
known Morland and could not speak too
highly Of his ability and character as an
attendant OF the second ward. Knew of no
cases OF violence on the part of Morland
but had. himself. once resorted To yiolenca
in self-defense. and had been severely repri-
manded by DIR. Hay.
o. III. Musel had been an attendant at the
Lincoln hospital and at the Northern Hos
pltai Tor the Insane. Wisconsin. Had known
Morland since 1883 and could speak i'm the
highest terms II him.
Then General Webster placed in evidence
tho seventeenth edition of the United States
DispeRsatory, Ia which peraldehyde was de-