Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-11-27

tient had accidentally been scalded by slip
ping into the tub while the hot water was
being turned in. The man was burned so
that he was confined TO his bed two or three
weeks. No investigation was made, and
the attendant was not discharged.
The Wet Cloth Treatment.
In the female wards a custom prevailed
among the attendants of applying a wet
cloth over the mouth and nostrils Of pa
tient of violent and obscene talk or profane
and indecent language. The effect of this
application was to prevent breathing, and
having been once used afterwards terror
lied the patients so that at the sight Of it
they would subside. 1t was occasionally
practiced by att ,dants without the direc-
ton of any physician, but the practice was
permitted by the superintendent.
1t was shown that the act was danger
GUS to the life of any one affected with
heart trouble, and in the opinion of the
committee the custom was unwarrantable
and ought not to have been permitted.
Several other instances of unnecessary
violence and severity to patients were tes
titled to, and without going into the cir
cumstances of each we find that the at
tendants at times used more violence in
subduing refractory patients than was
necessary. We are unable to state how
much knowledge of these practices actually
came to the superintendent. The instruc-
tions to the attendants required kind treat
ment of the patients and prohibited acts Of
this character.
We feel that the supervision ought to
have been so thorough as to have prevent
ed the commission of such acts without the
knowledge of the superintendent
The Patients Clothing.
The committee make no criticism upon
the clothing furnished the male patients,
except with reference to some who were
accustomed to go to work on the farm or
in the winter time to the woods to chop.
These men we're without sufficient pro-
lection for their hands and feet and in
consequence there were instances where
their hands and feet where frost bitten.
In the female ward some of the most VIC
lent and destructive patients were at times
secluded in their rooms without clothing,
beds or bedding, and since the north wing
has been occupied some of those female pa
tients have been secluded in that manner
in basement rooms with cement floors.
We think these patients might and
should have been supplied with clothing
adapted to their condition and needs and
| that the practice of secluding the patients,
especially in the basement rooms, should
be discontinued, and that measures should
be taken to provide clothing and beds for
patients who necessarily are secluded.
The HOyt Woman.
We desire to give these suggestions spe-
cial prominence from the fact that the evil
dence disclosed that patient named Hoyt
had been secluded day and night, from
some time about the 10Th day of June,
| 1896, until about the middle of October
last, in basement room about eight feet
wide by II feet long, and only one window,
and that shaded by an opaque curtain,
without clothing, bed covering or furni-
ture of any kind, except at times single
blanket. This room was in the north
wing, and was sometimes damp, especially
after it had been washed out by the at
tendants. The reason for their secluding
this patient was that she was destructive
of her clothing and filthy in her habits.
Doubtless she was destructive of her
clothing and filthy in her habits, but your
committee would recommend that sufficient
money be appropriated to procure attend
ants for that class of patients so as TO rem
der seclusion under such circumstances
and for such length of time unnecessary.
The Death OF Sally Towne.
The most shocking part of the commit
tees report, and one which was touched
appears in the story of the death of Sally
Towne, a single woman of about %, In
good health, who had always been deaf anC
dumb, and who was silly and foolish In
manner. The asylum records of Angus
10, 1898, show that an enlargement of th'
abdomen bad existed for some time, but i
was not until October 20 that diagnosis
of pregnant was recorded after an exami
nation by Drs. Ferrin, Johnson, Gidding'
and Bidwell. (Drs. Ferrin and johnson
were state supervisors and DR.. Bidwell thu
first assistant at the asylum. The record
in detail are given, the woman dying oil
Nov. @, after being delivered with forceps
The body was buried in the asylum GENE
terry by direction Of the overseer of the poo
of Pawlet, Vt, and the child was burie
with her. The trustees appointed MI
Wing, one of their number, to make spec
ial report on the case. His report state
that the superintendent had done all poss
BILE to discover the author of the woman
: condition, but that 1t was not possible t
obtain any information from the patient.
: There is no evidence to show that th
supervisors instituted any enquiry OF mad
|
, offence or instituted any reform by whic
its repetition might be prevented. A brie
: mention is made in their records of tn
I. facts as communicated to them by DR.. GiC
|. dings.
u Your committee did not find that reason
c able steps were taken by the supervisor
: or doctors to discover the paternity of tn
child. The condition of the woman shoul
: have been known as early as August 10,
y the evidence tends to show that at thi
u time she was advanced about six month
= No enquiry appears to have been made u
!, y til a month or more after her death.
~ Whether any blame should be imputt
to DIR. Giddings for the treatment of tn
patient, or whether he is any degree r
RI sponsible for the death of Sally Towne,
7, her child, the committee do not agree.
At No MatrOn Employed.
;: We are unable to state what effect Il
n presence of competent matron of the /
h stitution might have had upon this train
m circumstances. We express our regr
2, that the asylum at that time, and at |
ct time since its establishment, has been wit
ut out the supervision of such an official. Y
le recommend that the plain provision of d
r statute with reference to the appointme
I'd of matron be obeyed.
ne The Asylum Cemetery.
d The patients who have died at the asylu
40 40 whose bodies have not been claimed by r
" atives or under the provisions of sectio
y, 4041 and 4649 Of. Vermont statutes, ha
~ been buried upon plot of ground sltuat
81 upon the top of hill about one-halt m
/ Il l. l. l.