New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-09
CROWDED INSANE WAkDo'
SERIOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS Al
BELLEVUE.

SERIOUS STATE OF Ar
BELLEVUE.
PHYSICIANS SPEAK BITTERLY AGAINST sufhhlN-
rENpENr MACDONALD. OF WARDS ISLAND
WHO REFUSES TO TAKE PATIENTS
WITHOUT ENTIRELY NEW
CLOTHING.
Tho refusal OF Superintendent A. l.. MA ,,,
OF the Manhattan State Hospital on warn a., ''
% r.ce,ve tho natients from Bellevue hosp "
loss thew are clothed in entirely new gari
resulted In the Charities Commissioners SCI
mandamus upon him. compelling MN -.
the patients. The papers are re'u'n' - =,
Justice MacLean, OF the Supreme Oo' -.
o'clock to-day. On Monday last esh' 49,, 49,,
were sent to the island but admission was ~
TO them They were neatly and ceai"y
one OF them will appear to-day in the TEST case
II the case be decided adversely, 1t Is lea'eu az
cording OF the physicians coh"eV'e' W."
Bellevue Hospital, that some outbreak III '' va"
may result At present there are over my pa
tents in the insane ward, while Only s'No"'''"
can be comfortably accommodated In coise-
quence the wards crowded, ana III ri'u
ericl F. Russell in charge OF the ward mas iou"d
IL necessary 10 send some OF the patients TO one
OF the other wards in the hospital
A Tribune reporter last night went throus" the
wards used by the insane men and women re-
spectively. ard the report of the overcro"ded con-
diton found to be true. In each ward 'nefe
are two patients, one OF whom sleeps on mat
ress laid on the floor DR.. Russell said last night
that II none Of the patients was removed II wouid
be necessary to place them In the long eh'''. -
Is not difficult TO conceive the state Of affairs whch
would result II OF The insane persons shouiu
attempt violence. The number Of attendants IS
entirely inadequate to the present state OF aHairs
nd he "a
be impossible 10 control the patients one OF the
physicians said last night that the present si'ua-
ton due entirely TO the 'cussedness ana can
tankerous spirit displayed by Superintendent Mac
donald. who. he said. had grndge against the
hospital The physician added that the STATE '"u
the city by the throat again.
DIR. RUssELLs STATEMENT.
Dr. Russell said last evening:
THE average number OF patients receiver mere
in a month is 200 In February had 2l' and
In January 90 Tonight have s!xty-hVe pa
tients and have sent none TO Wards ls'ahd SINCE
February q. The regulation concerning ne" ''o'h-
Ing to be by patients is not a law II IS SIM
nly n rule OF the State Board OF Lunacy Inc
/ intention Is 20 prevent the Introduction OF con-
tagion into the island and other hospitals. IhcTe
IS fully as great danger OF contagion In new Goth
ing in Old. the position OF superintendent
Macdonald IS hardly tenable. 1t Will cost the city
more than $4,000 for new clothing lhere ISL
n treasury
for this purpose and II we give new clothing we
will have 10 refuse some OF tho necessities su'h
as butter bread or cheese. to the patients. Ihis
would be manifestly unfair. This rule OF the ''a'e
Board OF Lunacy Is not observed In any otheF
hospital in the State for the insane. II We Keep
on receiving patients and their insanity 'e'''"''
more intense something terrible Will without qucs-
ton occur unless this congcst on Is relieved.
A well-kncwn physician and a member OF mo
pord ~ phvscians In the Bellevue Insane Pavilion
said last evening:
.Macdonald has a grudgc against Bellevue Hos
p.tai with which ne was formerly connected 'n
last Monday we took eight patients to Wards ISL
and and admission was refused them The mea''"'
.unerlntcndort second In rank said. This RUE
arn,vnr TO new clothes is equal 10 the decision OF
a supreme Court Judge. What ridiculous thi"g
70 say, II the condition OF affairs were different IL
would be laughablc
ADMISSION REFUSED TO EIGHT
.rbe corpora,ion Council tod us tina; Ne should
take these p,:lonts to the ISLAND the next morning
and II admission refused them that We sno-'1
turn them loose. on s"conl Thought NJ ~ .'''
that II would be better to leave them III lhr h's-
pltal. fearing the patients would DO some damage
We received large number OF aih"a''s H""
such men as Professors Thompson and fcab,@y'
prs Wuborn and Russell. and Mr.. Craft OF the
Charity Board. ;csiifying TO the CONDITION o' al
fairs at the insane ward Of Bellevue Hospital bF.
shar
Diseases made out an AFFIDAVIT showing that u
Infected clothing were placed IN oven with the
tempera;ure at rs degrees and LETT there ior a
while the clothes would come out In ar absolutely
clean condition and entirely free from con'agioh.
Another AFFIDAVIT showed that the garments WIN
which the patients were 10 Ice clothed woud COST
sls In summer and SIS in winter. Last year we sent
90 cases 10 Wards Island You can readily see the
great and unnecessary expense we would be put 10.
The rnandamus was 10 be returned on Friday 81
last week Deputy Accompaniment Hasbrouck sue
cceded in having the test case postponed untl oaur-
day and again until tomorrow tMonday) We had
only one uatient in court but his personal appear
ance and dress were far better than that OF the ma
jori,y Of the lawyers in court that morning. A. a
member Of the Charity Commission said the Warl =
Island officials recede from their position In a
minute and end this anair
'Dr. Carlos F. Macdonald president OF the state
Board OF Lunacy telephoned one Of the physicians
a; the hospital saying that the Wards Island OIL
Gals could receive the patients without new clothes
II necessary The proposition made through
n member Of the same Board that they would pro-
vide dozen suits OF clothes 10 be used in trans
ferrlng the patients. the same clothes to be dis
infected each time and be used and over
again. They Withdrew the offer later
when insane patients admitted to Belle
vue they are placed in bath and their clothing
dlsnfected II necessary. their finger nails and
hair are cut They are then examined and II
they are violent. thought after careful eNamina-
ton to be permanently insane. they are sent TO
Wards Island Now the strange part comes. I'M
medately on their reception. they are baihed ana
examined and their clothes taken from them.
fled away for a year and the patients are sup
Piled with other clothing You can readily see
the utter nonsense OF this rule concerning new
clothing as The clothing Is only used In the
transfer 10 the Island.
DANGER OF AN OUTBREAK.
ION Friday last had ffty-two patients. with
only accommodations FOR seventeen. An outbreak
is likely occur any moment. and a homicide
NAV result II was orly n short time ago that We
received a strong. woll-but fellow. one afternoon
when an attendant opened the door 10 let visitor
ont this man spraag on him without "A moment