The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-02-09
JAMES STERLING
ANSWERS EYMAN.
He Takes Off His Gloves and
Handles the Superintendent
OF THE MASSILLON HOSPITAL
Treatment or His Son the Basis OF the
Complaint, which Also Deals with
the General Rom or the
Institution.

with your PERMISSION L VIII say
few things in reply to DR.. Eyman on
the Massillon hospital question.
Allow me, first, to say that the So
called roast" of a few days ago was
not an interview with me and was not
authorized by me. 1 had no knowledge
that any such article was contemplated
until after it was in print; and If the
reporter had taken the trouble to Sc
cure an authorized interview, could
have furnished more and better infor-
nation than was contained in the ar
ticle; but as the subject has been intro
duced and as feel that the public, the
officials, and those who are unfortunate
enough to have those they love placed
in that institution should know the
truth, and since the unfortunate fact
that my son was placed therein, took
me there on an average of about three
times week, for the three months that
he was there, and being interested deep
ly as | was, l noticed very closely what
was done, and the way it was done. 1
feel it a duty, and this an opportune
time to state a few of the many things
that / have observed there-which in
my opinion should be remedied.
Permit me to say first, that have no
criticism to offer against the young
doctors, Findlay and Manchester; but
believe them to be worthy young men.
For the fact that they have not tie ex-
perience to qualify them for the very
responsible position which they occupy,
they are not responsible. The SUPER
intendent alone is responsible for that,
and in one of his interviews with me,
DR.. Eyman gave different reason from
that contained in his statement to your
reporter, for the appointment of these
young men. His reason then given was
in exact substance, if not in the exact
words, that he appointed these doc
fNn.e hos M NA..sAN Nl.s,N
he could teach them to do the work
the way he wanted it done"
And in fact 1 have information from
other sources that while he was in
| Cleveland, the surest way not to get an
appointment from DR.. Eyman was to
come with very high certificate of ex-
perience or special qualification for the
position of either assistant physician
or attendant.
Now, as to the treatment of my son
| in the Massillon State Hospital:
First, he improved under the humane,
| fatherly, skillful and careful treatment
of DR.. Richardson, and his experienced
| and efficient assistant physicians and
attendants, and up to the date when
DR.. Eyman took charge and placed his
| imported attendants in the ward in
| which my son was detained. 1t may
| be but coincidence but from that time
on until L was compelled to take him
away, and incur the expense of his care
| in private sanitarium he was kept
| in solitary confinement, at least for half
of the time, and a part of the time he
was stark naked, not in a padded room
as referred to in the headlines of DR.. Ey-
mans interview. but in a dark room,
| without carpet, chair or a bed in
it, except that at night short tick and
a couple of short. blankets were thrown
into the corner on the floor. Dr. Ey-
man knew this well, for 1 protested to
him several times in person, and urged
upon him the danger of insanity being
produced by solitary confinement, as
proven by the experience of penal in
stitutions: but the more l protest I'd
| against it the more he was confined,
and one excuse after another was form
ed by some of the attendants to keep
me out Of the ward, so that might not
know the treatment meted out to .He
boy; and during the last six days he
was there, he was in that room COLI
stantly, except that he may have been
permitted to go into the hall to eat from
a bench part of the time, and during one
evening while l was there.
On numerous occasions when L went
there, the pretense was made that il
was dangerous to be about him: but
on nearly all such occasions took him
out about the buildings and the
grounds alone, proving that it was not
in such instances his violence, but the
desire to avoid caring for him thai
caused him to be kept in solitary con.
finement.
The attendant Miller was very atten.
tive and Industrious and the night at.
tendant / believe tried to do his duty
conscientiously in spite of his environ,
ment.
The doctors childish illusions to the
boy being eXasperating would be ridic
ulous if it were not that it were a Sc,
rious matter. Truly the insane ough
, to know better than to be exasperating
They ought not to do or say anything
that would CRATE harshly upon the sen
sitive nerves of DIR. Eyman or his mu
sically inclined attendants; but unfor
tunately, the reason they are in the hos
pital is because of their lack of tha
very quality of judgment, a quality tn,
learned gentleman placed in charge o.
. such an institution, is supposed to pos
sess in marked degree.
The doctor says, but in no instance
? to my knowledge did they maltreat tn,
, patient" Let me refresh the doctors
memory. On the oath day of december
visited my son. / was told that III
: was very violent; that he had struck {
patient and had assaulted an attend
ant; but after good deal of persistenc,
got into the hospital and / found tn,
IL
ment is denominated there.
He was on that day quite nervous
. and in fact was physically Ill, as an!
one, not a doctor, could easily see.
took care of him during the day, ant
t bathed him in the evening, and fount
8 that he was considerably marked III
1 about the neck, shoulders and body
: During the dav 1 had a conversation
. with Stroup, the man referred to in tn
: doctors interview. Stroup explained t
me that he and attendant Long hat
gone into the boys ''room," and that h
D had assaulted them both, and he SAT-
e "of course we had to hold him."
: / reported this matter to DR.. Eymar
e and told him that / could not be
4 lieye that 1t was necessar
for these two stalwart me-
to go into this sick boys room" an
4 fight him: and If the doctor does no
I know it. 1t is because he did not eve
: care enough about 1t, to go and see thes
: marks of maltreatment.
e He has scar on his left hand tina
a the doctor can see yet as result O
that unalaa and I haUa M doubt WI