New-York tribune., 1900-12-30
WEST ON DEPENDS BELLEVUE
THE CORONER'S PHYSICIAN SAYS RE-
SPONSIBILITY RESTS WITH .,=
THE HEAD"

At Bellevue Hospital yesterday DIR. Albert T.
Weston Coroners physician. criticised the present
investigation of alleged abuses at the hospital He
upoeld the institution and its Medical Board, and
denounced the system Of allowing pupil nurses to
take charge of patients. DR.. Weston said to a
| group of reporters: $3.50 o.'-
| want to say right here. gentlemen. that wish
the newspapers would give Bellevue Hospital fair
81 d in % t DsiTct AttorneVss oice? lie
i RGoseEet & 90 IN ba 5e snbSrin,te He removed the
head of the department., Colonel Gardner
Bellevue Hospital and hope that Of your city
editors will print my statement. Mr.. O'Rourke Is
cause the help are bad he have control over
them There is lot OF PduRer per- neP, fp de ber ne work
All Mr.. O'Rourke do is TO recommend. lie
He has not even the authority to purchase or sup
ply. The head of the department is respohsio'e
The medical or surgical supervision have nothing
to do with the employment or be The neP have no sT
Of of Bellevue Hospital is as good the Board Of
and respected. They have the power 70 ppiI appGclII
treatment of the patients They are not Iesponsi-
ne and do not employ me dep P or ronsdsred Is the
character of the patients This thing have 1 oHen
IS the dumping ground of All the hospitals in this
city The patients are In theiE Iast Stages "nTa mn
they are noisy and hard care for The other
hospitals hold to the Easy cases and send the
hard ones here. -s s.ts
DIR. Weston was asked about the insane pavilion.
He said that since DR.. Frank w Robertson who
had charge of the insane pavilion at Bellevue HOS
pital resigned in July to become the resident phy-
sician of the Elmira Reformatory no one was di-
rectly responsible for the treatment OF the insane
in the pavilion. DR.. Weston continued;
think the proposition under consideration TO
chanGe the pavilion to the state care ana rlake
excellent idea l say this because think ply
0,,Id tolls after
charge now is not Competent. He is competent
but he has not the experience.
Dr. Weston was asked who responsible for
the alleged wrongs Of the nurses WHO Is re-
sponsible? Who appointed Them? he asked he
was told that Mrs. Willard had testified at the
Hiliard inquest that she appointed the nurses and
assigned them to the wards The doctor asked
about their instruction and wanted to know who
had full charge Of them and their practice. When
he learned that ]. R. Davis who is accused OF
aiding in the alleged i'll treatment that resulted In
Hiard's death. was head nurse of the insane
pavilion DR.. Weston sad
This thing is all wrong, don't believe , in letting
pupil nurses TAKE Gna ge ot and have them mt in
charge Of each % %STd esvne 9e Hos1a e
right to the head.
DR. Weston then told at length how patients
should be treated and how the nurses should be
supervised by graduate nurses. He ended by saying
There is no reform needed in Bellevue Hospital.
Bellevue is good and is maintained good any
other hospital in the city They have a good house
staff and the Medical Board is one Of the finest in
the world. AS | said before, don't blame Mr..
Two conditions act to the detrlment of Bellevue
Hospital one is the psuper help and the pupil
nurses the other is the head of the Department OF
Public Charities.
Superintendent ORourke. when told Of DR. Wes-
toms statement said he had nothing to say but
would perform his duty until he had to give way.
He added that he never attacked anybody, but
always defended himself when the time came.
he Training School gOlld he
DIR. George F. Shrady quoted yesterday
afternoon as saying that the Medical Board OF
Bellevue Hospital responsible for conditions
i'm the hospital. After seeing DR.. Weston's state
ment, DR. Shrady said a Tribune reporter:
have been misunderstood In saying that the
Medical Board of Bellevue Hospital should be
held responsible for the abuses. DIR. Weston is
right far his statement refers to the COM
mssiOners. The misapprehension probably arose
from the fact that said II the Medical Board
had been directly responsible the wrongs would
have been rghted long ago. 1 have heard OF many
instances in times gone by when the Medical
Board made suggestions to the Commissioner
which were ignored or regarded as impractlcable.