The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-18
P0UNDLINGO' Home INVESTIGATION.
Doctor WaggOner Presents His Side
of the Case.
Some of His Witnesses Do Not APP
pear-The Testimony in Support
of the Charges.

by DR.. Waggoner at a meeting OF the
City Board of Health against the man
agement Of the Foundlings' Homein TINS
city was begun at the Supreme Court
room Yesterday morning by DR.. RuggleS'
President Of the State Board of Health,
assisted by it's Secretary, DR.. Lame.
DR.. Ruggles said that he had been re-
quested by the Governor to conduct the
Investigation. He came to the task free
from prejudice and with no acqualnt-
ance with any of the parties concerned.
He should conduct the investigation
fairly and fully, giving both sides every
opportunity to make good their claims.
In relation to the matter of the infected
bedsteads, he would say that the dl-
rectors of the home had replaced the
wooden ones with iron ones, and that
it would not be necessary therefore to
consider that charge. The evidence III
the case would be presented as nearly
as possible under court rules.
DIR. WAGGONER'S EVIDENCE.
DR.. Waggoner testified first and
stated that reports concerning the lnstl-
tuition had been coming to the City
Board Of Health, of which he is mem
Der for the past two years, and as they
visit it and find out for himself He did
so in October. and found the lower floor
all right, but up stairs it was dlffereht:
The walls We're broken and Smeared
with finger marks, and IN anything
but sanitary condition. lie told the
matrOn that a public institution shOulu
not be in such condition. The carpet
in the infants room was very dirty
One of the directors soon after called
on him, and, after a conference, prom
iSed to caicipiline the walls ana maze
the suggested Improvements. on ms
next visit he found that the improve
ments had been made 1t was his pelleI'
however, that the building was III
fected and that the mortality among
the children was due to the bacteria
there. The grounds were also grown up
TO foul weeds. He had made the charges
because the committee to which he De
longedl wished to Investigate the cause
Of the great mortality.
HisI visit was in October, and the
chalrges were filed on December !Zth-
AT the latter date the walls had been
fixed and the building had been cleaned
Al the time of his first visit the COOK
had been in the habit of dumping her
slops out at the kitchen window, ana
the ground was saturated. he calleu the
matron's attention to the fact, ana IL
was remedled.
Ie2AlU
mates were subsisted on two and han
gallons of milk a day, he said that the
natron told him that was the tact, ana
one of the directors also told him so
Judge HoH, who appeared for the dl-
rectors, objected to this as hearsay les-
timony
This charge and the one that the chill
dren were underfed were taken up to-
gether. DR.. Waggoner saying that Tor
the latter he should rely on the DIS OF
the institution and the testimony OF
witnesses who saw the tables. He knew
nothing personally regarding 1t.
MRS. HUNTOON
Testified that she was at one time
director. but resigned about year ana
a half ago At that time the chlIdIeh
we're well fed. There were not SO many
inmates as now, as the institution was
i'm its infancy and the managers had
plenty of money to do with. The child
rem were we'll careu for.
Judge Holl interposed an objection
that no charge Of want OF care had been
made
DR.. Waggoner said the object Of the
investigation was to ascertain the SAM
tary condition of the place, and he did
not expect to be hampered by technl-
calities He was no lawyer and knew
nothing Of such things. The Board of
Health only wishes to ascertain the
cause of the unusual mortality.
Mrs HuntoOn further stated that
while she was director the children were
well fed and had more milk than they
could use.
MRS. SHAW,
The Matron, testified that when DR..
Waggoner visited the place in October
the walls were broken. The carpet was
not very dirty, having been cleaned
three months before. The doctor called
oF4 Ton, To hi r11 aa
reported them to Mrs. Clayton, the
President. Some objection was made
to remedying the matter and it was de-
cided to put it off awhile. There were
not so many deaths as DR.. Waggoner
had reported.
Dr. Waggoner stated that in conse-
Quence of a mistake in the Secretary s
report making it June instead of jan
uary. it made a difference of six
months in the time in which thirty
seven deaths occurred.
DR. Waggoner, Mrs. Shaw said, gave
her instructions how to sterilize milk
and she procured a boiler and pre-
pared 1t in that way. He was mistaken
as to the amount of milk used, as she
told him three gallons. She did not re-
member saying that Mrs. Clark had
said that they had already raised the
amount half gallon and would raise
no more. She was now giving the
tiit1ltu MIX three times z cay. DuT
they would not drink it at noon. Soup
was made for the children until they
became tired Of it.
The children do not say SO" said DR..
Waggoner.
children say great many things, -
was the reply.
Proceeding, Mrs. Shaw said that the
children had mush and milk for break
fast and now they have meat potatoes.
etc, for dinner and supper Before his
visit in October they had bread and
butter only for dinner and they had no
milk for supper. She had no recoIlec-
ton Of telling the doctor that she wouId
not turn a child of her own away at
dinner without milk.
Before DR.. WaggOner's visit the d.
rectors had ordered the walls cleaned
and calcimined. She made a monthly
report Of all the children brought to the
home. only one child over two years
old has died in the seventeen months
she has been Matron and that died this
week of brain fever Several young in
rants brought there died soon after. be-
cause they were not properly cared for
before they were brought in
more than two-thirds of those that
nave died since she came there were I'M
Ger hFe months old The directions Of
l)r- Naggoner were followed. EXCEPT
stefilzing the milk. as IT would not stay
on the infants stomachs, and Meuin's
food and matted food were used in
1onsld erable merriment was excited
Wbeh she said that one of the doctors
told her to give the children chopped
cabhase and another told her not to.
She thought they had all been well fed
and none Of them had ever suffered
from want Of food. They car have bur
ter, syrup or gravy with their bread.
ana never had TO eat il dry She had q
ern1 800