Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-23
MADE THINGS LIVELY.
An Emergency Patient Creates a Big
Sensation.

Life at the Emergency Hospital is 10y
no means sinecure. The regular duties OF
the resident staff OF physicians, the nurses
and the employees are not light or of
pleasant nature, from the standpoint of an,
outsider, and at times episodes occur that
are considered equal to those that usually
mark sensational literature. Only a few
days ago things were so lively at the
Emergency that the neighbors for a hun
bred yards around were disturbed, to say
nothing of the patients and others In the
establishment, the situation for several
hours being similar to bull in a china
shop with a plentiful supply of blood add
ed to give color. When the trouble was
all over a summary showed that Dr. Smith
had been bitten DR.. McGTath was suffer-
ing with painful chin, DR.. Peralto felt
weary, the clothing of Walter Chapman,
the head janitor, was badly torn, and Miss
Wallace one of the prettiest of the corps
of nurses, had undergone a severe fright.
to say nothing of the perturbed spirits of the
engineer, the ascistant janitors, the
hulance driver and the nurses.
The unseemly state of affairs was caused
by an injured colored man, who had been
carried to the HOSPITAL for treatment, and
who evidently imagined that he was about
to be murdered. The patient had been
drinking which was largely responsible for
his conduct. At first il was thought TO be
a case of delirium tremens, out later di-
ness" Reuben Bird was the name Of the
man, and while under the influence OF
liquor he fell from building near 21st
and ID streets, sustaining a scalp wound
and confusion of the knee. He was taken
to the hospital about 1870 O'Clock in the
morning and promptly laid on the operating
table in the emergency room. Bird was
disrobed and appeared quiet until an at
tempt made to explore the scalp
wound, and right there the trouble began.
He fought, ranted and raved in the most
4
with cries of Murder and Police" and &C
| was found necessary to call in the janitors,
| the ambulance driver and the engineer to
| hold the man on the table while the head
he was then placed in what is known as
| the strong room, an Enclosure that differs
| from a private ward only in that 1t is
guarded by heavy, iron grated door.
There he amused himself by shouting and
tearing off the bandages. At midday, when
| the house staff was at luncheon, Bird in
some manner, as yet unaccounted for,
| freed himself from the strong room and
| appeared in the passageway. unclothed and
| with blood flowing from the wound in his
head, just Miss Wallace was leaving
! the dining room. With a fiendish yell he
| made a dash for the young lady, who also
| screamed, and slammed the door and lock-
| ed it. Bird then caused dire CONSERVATION
| in the kitchen, and next endeavored to
reach the street. He was headed off. how
ever, by Chapman, the jantor. The pair
scuff'ed and for few minutes matters
| were Just little lively. chapman Is a
| stalwart man, but before assistance ar
rived the greater portion of his clothing
4 was i'm shreds, his face had been battered
| and generally he was in no condition to
| appear in polite society.
| With great effort Bird was again placed
| in the strong room and strapped TO the
| hospital cot, where, even in that condi-
| ton, he succeeded in destroying the bed
| clothes and scattering the room with blood.
| Early In the evening an attempt was
| made to redress the injury, and then the
scene of the morning in the operating room
| was repeated with extensive embellsh-
| ments After the entire number of at
taches had been more or less disabled, Bird
| was strapped on the table and the BAN
dages replaced. During the entire period
the man positively refused to take medicine
of any kind. and although morphia was
| given kypodermically it failed to quiet
him. While he was on the table in the
evening his brother reached the hospital
and said to Reuben "Come on home.
| Thereupon the latter, to the establishment
| of all, quietly arose. donned his clothing.
drank the medicine. said Good evening
and peaceably walked out. Everybody
breathed a sigh of relief and once again
the usual Emergency calmness reigned.