St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-11-27

he complained of such assault and inimv We
were unable to procure the testimony of any
witness who saw the assault committed We
do not lind that the assault, il any was COM
nitted upon him, was by consent of, or with
the knowledge OF the superintendent nor are
we certain that knowledge of the fact was
communicated to him, though one witness
testified in substance, that he told Dr. Gidlings
the facts, and ut his request DR.. Giddings at
tended upon Fitzslmmons and gave him medi-
cine, and remarked to the witness that it was
a very bad state OF affairs, and that il il was
known he (Giddings) could not stay there ten
minutes" This was denied by DR.. Giddings,
and ms to whether it. fact was said the com
mttee are not agreed. The record of Fitz-
slmmons's case taken from the asylum case
book is as follows:
October 0, 1892. Mr.. Fitzsimmons was re-
ceived IN apparently good physical condition;
no nervous symptoms except mania; he has
deuSlons, but appears satisfied with himself,
excepting to remaining in the asy lum. lie is
quiet and agreeable to meet land conyerses on
ordinary subjects, though not inclined TO talk
without encouragement.
November 1.-The urine examined shows
no abmen nor sugar; heart, no evidence of
organic trouble; lungs apparently sound; mus
cular development, good; sleeps and eats
well Signed, Graves.
December ll.-Mr Fnsmmoms has APP
peared duller than usual.
December 12.-Mr. Fitzsimmons went to bed
sick yesterday and developed nephrytis rapidly.
lie is under the care of DR.. Giddings; has re-
tentlye urine, which has to be drawn four times
per day; urine shows blood as well as abumen;
nyscrOpCal examination not made.
/ December l3.-Fit2simmOns rapidly became
worse, and his wife sent for. He has no con
WILSON'S, but is becoming comatose. Mrs.
Fitzsimmons with him.
December l4.-Alr. Fitzsimmons died at four
a. NJ. Cause of death, acute Bright's disease.
The evidence shows that Mrs Fitzsimmons
arrived at the asylum before one o'clock on
the morning of December H. very few hours
before her husbands decease.
The attendant who was said TO have az
sauted FitZsimmons remained in his position
after Fitz5lmmOns' death for some weeks, and
left the employment of the asylum of his own
yoli.ion
a patient named Bertha Hall was Il girl
about eleven years Of age. afflicted with cpl
lepsy, who came with the patients from Brat
tleboro; she was found one morning last sum
mer under the following circumstances: A
carpenter named Fife, who worked in finishing
some of the rooms in the north wing, after the
patients had come from BIatteb0ro. and were
occupying the wing left his handbook OF tools
al night and locked the door. On his return in
the morning, he went to the closet for the pur-
pose of getting his tools, unlocked and opened
the door and saw the girl lying upon the floor,
perfectly nude and apparently unconscious.
Her eyes were closed and she was very white.
The witness could not state whether she was
asleep or unconscious.
The size of the closet was about two feet by
four feet. Ii was unventilated. but there was
a crack under the bottom Of the door about
three-fourths of an inch in width. There is no
evidence to show how long the child remained
there on this occasion. The workman locked
the door of the closet and left her as he found
her.
The evidence further shows that on another
occasion the same child was by an attendant
locked in the same closet peri city nude, eX-
cept that she was wrapped in n blanket, while
crossing tho. hall from her room to the closet
and left there while the workmen went into the
room she was taken from and did some work
which occupied twenty to thirty minutes.
There was no evidence to show that Dr.
Gddings knew OF the facts or consented to the
child's being SO treated or to show why she
was so treated
A patient named Somerville, was being
bathed by one of the attendants. and on being
directed to get out of the bath tub did not
obey, whereupon the attendant remarked that
he had lifted his patient ont Of the bath tut
all that he was going to- and he would see If he
could get out, and turned the hot water faucet
and allowed the hot water to run into the tub
The patient was scalded quite severely; the
shut the water off cot the patient ont. and re
ported to Dr. Giddings. in substance. that tn,
patient had accidentally been scalded bv slim
ping into the tub while the hot water was be
inc turned in No investigation was made nj
the facts at the time it occurred: the patien
was confined to the he'd two or three weeks h,
the injury before he was able TO be again abou
tbe halls, The attendant was not discharged
The facts of fine affair were established bv n,
eve witness and nrohahIv MIGHT have nee,
learned at the fine bv careful inyestiration
The evidence did not show that anv inyestign
tion was made. Inf that on the contrary III,
statement of the attendant was received N
true.
In the female wards a custom prevailed
among the attendants of sometimes applying
we cloth over the mouth and nostrs of a pa
tient il violent and obscene i'll talk or profan,
and indecent in language. The effect of thi
application was to prevent breathing, and hav
ing been once used, afterwards terrorized tn,
patient so that at the sight of it they would
subside, 1t was occasionally practiced by Mt
tendants without the presence and direction o
any physlclan' but the pIacuce was peIihlttet
by the superintendent; It was shown that the
act was dangerous TO the NE OF anyone ailecte'
with heart trouble ana III the OPINION or the
committee the custom was unwairahtahle ah'
ought NOT TO nave oeeh permitted
several olhet instances Oh unnecessary Nlo
lenee and severity to patients were testified to
and, without, gong INTO the circumstances OF
each we ma tlat 'he ATTENDANTS at 'llles' uSeo
more violence IN subdHing refractory patients
than was necessary
we are UNABLE TO stare now much knowledge