The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-24
THE SCANDAL GROWING
GRAVE EVIDENCE AGAINST CITY
HOSPITAL SUPERINTENDENT.
Charged with Torturing One Woman
and Teasing an Insane Patient
The Board of Health Involved.

information concerning the investigation
has been given to the press from day to
day, and the most damaging and sensa-
tfonal features of all have been suppressed.
1t leaked out yesterday that charges OF
cruel conduct and fnhuman treatment of
female patients, one of them an insane
woman, were made by Miss Wicks, prin-
cipal of the Indiana School of Nursing,
against DR.. John D. Nichols, the mex
perienced young superintendent of the City
Hospital, during the course of the investi-
cation Thursday afternoon. The charges
were corroborated by other nurses. Evil
dence also showed that gross neglect had
been exhibited in another case where a
male patient, upon whom an operation had
been performed, lay from one day until the
next without any orders for his care hay
ing been given by the physician in charge.
1t was shown that DR.. Nichols had no
knowledge of this case, although he was
the superintendent in charge of the hos
pital. Information touching these three
cases and the charges against DR.. Nichols
in reference to them was not given out
after the testimony was concluded Thurs
day afternoon.
Last night an effort was made to con-
ceal the facts relative to a noisy session
during the afternoon, during the course of
which some acrimonious language passed
between DIR. Morrison, president of the
Board of Health, and Mrs. c.. +. Sayles,
secretary of the board of managers of the
nurses school, and other managers who
were present. Mrs. Sayles was relating the
facts that led up to the open rupture be-
tween the school and the Board of Health.
She said that charges of maltreatment and
cruelty were made against the management
of the hospital by Miss Wicks, and when
these facts were laid before the Board of
Health that DR.. Morrison requested her not
TO make them public, assuring her that if
the matter was KEEP quiet and nothing was
said as to the charges some way might be
devised to smooth over all differences and
the Indiana School of Nursing be allowed
to remain at the hospital. This statement
was challenged by DR.. Morrison and other
members of the Board of Health who were
present at the time the conversation took
place. All testified that a wrong inter-
probation had been given to the words used.
The ladies resented the imputation that
they had made misstatements and with
drew from the room in anger. The story
as outlined above was obtained by ques-
tioning several of the persons who were
present and by putting their different
stories together.
CRUELTY TO A WOMAN.
All the trouble occurred while evidence in
support of what Miss Wicks testified to
Thursday was being introduced. Miss
Wicks testified that in February. shortly
after DR.. Nichols was made superintendent
of the hospital, she noticed the first act of
cruelty. a colored woman was taken to
the City Hospital from the workhouse. She
was unruly and very noisy. The nurses
were unable to quiet her and sent for DR..
Nichols. He spoke to the woman in a tone
of voice calculated to aggravate rather
than calm her, ordering her to shut her
mouth and keep quiet. His manner toward
her was not such as to quiet her and she
r~edoubled her screams. Then DIR. Nichols
grabbed an instrument known as a tongue
forcep, which is used in holding down the
tongues of patients during surgical opera
lions. He went to the woman's bedside
and laid hold of her violently. She fought
and struggled like a mad woman. but he
overcame her by placing his knee upon her
breast and holding her down in the bed.
Then he damned the forcep into her mouth
and got hold of her tongue. All the time
she was struggling and fighting. Finally,
after he had the instrument fastened, he
keep quiet he would pull her tongue out
by the roots!' Miss Wicks's story of this
criei occurrence was corroborated in every
respect by at least two other nurses, one
OF whom said that she was SO overcome by
the scene that she was compelled to rush
from the room to avoid Witnessing what
she feared would be a horrible termination
of the affair.
TEAsED AN INSANE WOMAN.
The treatment of the insane woman. while
perhaps less cruel, considered in a physical
sense, was none the less nhuma mas
much as the unfortunate woman was made
the victim of cruel practical jokes. In
the height of her deliriums, If anything oc>
CURED to anger her, the woman was given
to using violent profanity. Miss Wicks
testified hat DIR. Nichols pinched and
leased the woman to enrage her, in order
thar hn raiohf No nc - -. -
He even threw water on her to increase her
rage, according to the testimony. Then. ii
is said, he slapped the woman In the face,
in punishment for abusive language ad-
removed to the Central Hospital for the
Insane.
deplorable neglect on the part "a some one
which resulted in a man, suffering great
pain from a surgical operation, lying for
hours without attention from his physician.
Several nurses testified that the physician
in charge OF the case gave no orders for
the mans care. One of then, said. how
ever, that orders had been given to the
day nurse, who forgot to transfer them
into the night nurses order book. Miss
WickS's explanation of the case was this:
The head nurse in charge of the ward in
which the operation was made was away
that afternoon. knowing that a major OPP
Grafton was about to be performed and that
the patient would need especial attention.
Miss Wicks detailed one of the Junior nurs-
es to look after the case. She remained
at the mans bedside all day. No orders
were given her. When she left the ward at
night she did not transfer orders into the
night nurses order book, because she had
received none herself. Miss Vicks testified
that when she made her last round at
night, about 1890 O'Clock. eight hours after
the operation, no orders had yet been given.
Her testimony was backed up by that of
the other nurses, with the one exception
above given. Miss Wicks declared in her
testimony that if the order book shows
that any order was given for the mans
care it has been inserted recently.
NICHOLS MAY BE REMOVED.
The Board of Health has been cognizant
of all these facts for several weeks. They
were first made known some weeks ago,
when President Morrison called the man.
ayers of the Indiana School of Nursing to-
gether to have four young women who
were dismissed for infractions of the rules,
reinstated. At that time the managers re-
fused to be ruled by the Board of Health,
declaring it impossible to reinstate the
girls under existing conditions" Demand
ing an explanation of that expression, the
board was informed of the cases above re-
ferred to. DIR. Nichols was confronted with
the statements. He denied them Mn toto
and challenged proof. Tuesday members OF
the Board OF Health denied the charge that
a big scandal was about to be brought
to light at the City Hospital. but nevertne-
less decided to order an investigation. 1t
was given out that if the investigation dis
any wrong that he would be removed at
.onpa Last Dirhf DIR Morrison nraGidant