The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-02-06
AN ISOLATED PADDED ROOM
Was Used Instead OF the Resting Sheet
Formerly Employed.
POLITICS CUT NO FIGURE
Says the superintendent who Denys Maxi
ing Any Radical Changes In the Ad-
ministratiOn or Hospital Affairs
--Reasons For Appointing Boys
as Assistant Physicians.

--Reasons For Appointing Boys
as Assistant Physicians.
Special to News-Democrat.
Massillon, Feb. 5.-The recent publi-
cation in the Democrat of the
alleged i'll treatment of Will Sterling,
the soldier son of Attorney James
Sterling, caused q mild sensation in
this city. Massillon is proud of the
State hospital in which Will Sterling
was placed after his horrifying expert
ence in Chicago, where he first gave evil
dences of disordered mind, considered
result of his trying life inIthe Philip
pines, and his unluclSy meeting with
foot pads in the Windy city. If things
are not as they should be at the hospi-
tai the people of this city want to know
it. SO do the residents of the state.
With view of obtaining some light on
the subject the News-Democrat re-
preventative called at the hospital today
and interviewed DR.. Eyman, superin-
tendent of the institution, in regard to
the Sterling case and also in regard to
rumors Of radical changes made at
the hospital which, it was alleged,
caused dissatisfaction among attendants
and employees. Reports have been
rampant that attendants and employees
have left the hospital as a result of the
strict discipline maintained by the new
management and that many of those
remaining are hanging on to their jobs
only until they can get other positions.
1t was also reported that one of the
attendants had been seen on his way
to the hospital in drunken condition.
This particular attendants name was
"a H. n L Rn
date was named. Mr. Stroup Is an
attendant In what is known as hospital
center and it was in this portion of the
hospital that Will Sterling was an in
mate. Consequently the young soldier
was under the care of Mr.. Stroup. 1t
was said that Stroup had been discharg-
ed from the Cleveland hospital by DR..
Eyman who then hired him over again
upon becoming superintendent Of the
MaS5ifion asylum. Some of the alleg-
led misconduct was charged to Stroup.
The Massillon hospital patients are
attended by two young physicians, DR..
Findley, of Mansfield, and DR.. Man
chester, son of Rev. c. e. Manchester,
of Canton. DR.. Findley graduated from
medical college but a short time ago.
DIR. Manchester is also a medical novice,
but it is said had about twenty months
experience in the Marine hospital at
Cleveland. He never had days ex-
perience with insane people before he
came to the Massillon hospital, yet he
was chosen to take care of several
hundred persons suffering from mental
diseases The public has asked, "why?''
Parents and guardians of the afflicted
have wondered why it was that two
inexperienced young men have been
employed by the state to care for those
stricken ones. Why not older men,
with practical knowledge of the
methods of treatment to be employed
on this particular class of patients?
Then it was also said that DR.. Eyman
was politician and was acting as sort
of a governmental agent whowas expec-
ted to gather his forces and keep them
well in line for the party in power.
1t was with view of obtaining DR.
Eyman's explanation of these questions
that the News Democrat man called
upon him at his Office in the administra-
tion building, at the palatial group OF
buildings south of town. He first
touched upon Attorney Sterling's recent
interview in the Democrat.
II was considerably surprised" said
Dr. Eyman, when read Mr.. Sterling
interview In the first place he says
that If he had permitted his son to
remain here he would have been made
a raving maniac. Now, l can assure
you that the young man was better in
every way on the day he left this in
stitution than upon any day since he
was brought here. Mr. Sterling also
says that when his son was in con-
dition needing treatment we did not
Ia LII a.. n
and then the attendants would go in
and out and get him into a fight. In
explanation let me say this; under my
predecessor, DIR. Richardson, the young
man was not locked up in a dark room
The room Mr. Sterling refers to is one
in which patients are placed when they
become violent. They are isolated from
the other patients and can do no harm
either to themselves or the other
patients. We found 1t necessary to
place Will Sterling in one of these rooms
on more than one occasion and it was
done without any violence being used.
DIR. Richardson's method of treatment
under like conditions was to place the
patient in resting sheet This con-
sists in placing a sheet over the patient
and tying 1t so securely that he can
not move any part of his body except
his arms. 1t is a subject of discussion
which is the better plan; whether to
use the sheet. or isolate the patient In
a room in which he may use his limbs
and give free vent to his paroxysms
without doing injury to himself 1 am
inclined to the latter treatment: DR.
Richardson used the former. AS to any
attendant entering Sterling's room and
attempting to induce him to fight will
say that If 1 found such a charge to be
a fact should preemptorlly discharge
the attendant, The boy was at times
exasperating, know, he would say YOU