Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-22
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
(Continued from page 80


oral hosnital is. but merely a quasi
public institution masquerading under
Tho cloak of n free State institution.
Mr.. SPEAKER. | might go on making
comparisons with other institutions
win fully as unfavorable results to
The Infirmary. | will not take the tllne
Of this House To DO SO.
LEI us now compare expenses: Inc
nav roll OF the Lewiston hospital with
/, more patients than the lntirmary
was sll3O.Gl les than that OF the FORT
l.na institution. The cost of subsis-
tence was slS7S.0+ less. Fuel. hghts,
water and ice. sI124.26 less. The charge
for printing and stationery in the Port
land institution was S3t9.02 in the Lew
iston institution Sl45.06. Now | ask you
with all fairness. Mr.. Speaker, and gen
,Iemen as professional men, as men OF
business. do these figures and compari-
sons indicate anything other than the
most wratched financial management
or else that some one connected with
the institution is profting by its eN-
penditures.
| do not believe that this Legislature
desires to appropriate any more money
until this excessive expenditure IS sat
isfaCtorly explained. But gentlemen
the acknowledgement of this institution
is not confined to its finances TWO
years ago a well known specialist OF
the eye and ear. who had for four
wears previous been connected with the
institution became convinced that the
executive surgeon at that institution
was making use of its patronage TO m
crease his own private practice. he
brought the matter to the attention OF
The board of trustees and made Speci-
fic charges, one of which was that pa
1ients were being turned away from
The Infirmary and directed to go for
treatment to the private office OF pr.
Holt. That board appointed time Tor
hearing at which DR.. Bowers submitted
evidence in support of his charges,
which was utterly ignored. one of that
judicial tribunal was we'll known
LAWYER of Portland. who after having
made an impassioned plea for DR.. Holt
went with the rest of the board into
eyecutive session and reported reSo-
hutton generating DR.. Holt from all
The charges preferred. Having in mind
This Snecitic charge | went to work on
last Saturday. To find if possible 4 case
entirely distinct from any DR. Bowers
had presented to the trustees substantt-
ating this charge. In Il short time my
Efforts We're rewarded with success. y
poor girl who was At the time working
as a domestic in the city Of Portland
went with another lady TO the Intirmary
for treatment for her eyes. After SUI
perficial examination by the physician in
charg. she, was told that they had not
the apparatus at the institution for treat
ing her particular case, but that she woIld
have To go to the office of DR. Holt for
treatment. KNOWN OF others who had
been turned from there before her upon
this or some other slight preteXt. she de-
tiCed not to 90 10 the office of Dr. Holt
She did 90. however. TO an ocullst in the
city. who informed her that hers was a
trouble Of common occurrence. was fitted
Tor glasses and has since experienced no
difficulty. out of respect for the wishes
q. this young lady | will not make public
her name at tins time, but after this
House adjournS if any member of the
House or if any member of the board OF
trustees of the Maine Eye and Far In
Urinary desires To know, | Will gladly tell
them her name and residence as well as
the name ana residence of the lady who
went to the Intirmary with her. | am
also prepared to give the name and resi-
dence Of each and every one OF the per
sons by whom the charges of DR. Bowers
can be proven. | can cite other cases to
Slbstantiate this charge, but | will not
take the time of the House in doing so
Sufficient to say that from the investiga-
ton | have made | am firmly convinced
that the charge is true. And ! respect
fully submit to this House that a board
Of trustees which will not hold an inves-
LEGATION upon such a serious charge
worthy of that name. an investigation
that was ridiculed and coffed at by the
entire press of New England, an inVeSti-
cation at which the public Were 50 utter
~ Disguised, is wholly incompetent to
have charge Of any institution whether
public OF private.
But more recent occurrence at the in
stitution has still further demonstrated
their Incompetence. Some three montns
ago the lntrmary received as Il patient Il
little boy Of ears. He was at the in
StitutiOn seven weeks. when in dressing
the wound one day, from some cause |
am not able to state. the attending sur
geon of six months experience, having
graduated from the Maine Medical School
last June, administered corporal punish
ment. and not satisfied with the result,
placed adhesive plaster over the little fell
lows mouth and kept him all day in bed
time brought to the attention of the
board of trustees and to Dr. Holt. who
tried in every manner possible to prevent
the facts from becoming known. and to
shield this man in his shame. one ennis
sary who was sent to use his influence 20
this end even went so far as to accuse OF
blackmail the attorney who was inter
ested in the case in behalf of the boys
father and than whom no attorney in the
city of Portland stands higher in his pro
feSsion. and it was not until the facts had
pOrtan dand the young doctor was
with criminal prosecution for
assault and battery that this noted in
VtStigating board of trustees could be m
duced to ask for and accept the reSgna
ton of that young surgeon. This little
boy, gentlemen, had been in that inStitu- |
ton seven weeks and during that time |
had not been given Il bath, because the |
nurse said it had not been ordered. Think
of it. gentlemen. the nurse of hospital |
a patient to be under her care /
seven weeks without a bath because it |
had not been ordered, and Furthermore, |
gentlemen, sending the boy to his home, |
his hair filled with vermn. Is this the |
kind of an institution to which the State |
will appropriate $1,000 year for the next |
Two years. Now, gentlemen. these are |
actual facts. | am personally acquainted |
with the father of this boy. | have seen |
and talked with him and two other gem |
ilemen in Portland who will tell you Tue |
facts of this case exactly as | have re- |
lated them to you here.
Now. Mr.. Speaker. let us glance for a |
this institution. The institution was es-
tabished for the especial treatment of |
the eye and ear. There are four medical
men in Portland who are recognized as
Spt cialiSts in that line and the best in
the State. AT different times all have
been connected with the institution To-
day. three of those men absolutely refuse
10 visit the institution because of the re-
Election which is cast upon them by be- |
ing Identified with it. Since last August |
the only house surgeons have been two
graduates Of the Maine Medical School of
last june. Men Of no practice, men OF