The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-03

| Concord, testified that in their opin-
| ion the diagnosis was correct. The
| other two physicians, tO-wit: DR.. i.
/ y. Taylor, of Chatham county, and
DR.. I. NJ. Jordon, of Raleigh, testi-
| fed that in their opinion the diagnosis
was incorrect. If it be conceded that
| Drs. Taylor and Jordon are right in
| their conclusion. still we are forced to
| the decision that both Drs. Mckee and
| Jenkins did all that they could for the
| patient, and there is no suggestion
| from any source that anything more
| could have been done than that which
was done to save the life 0 fNal
| But some have criticised DR.. Mckee,
the superintendent, for not having an
/ autopsy in order to determine the
guilt or innocence of the four attend
ants concerned in the capture Of the
patient. Had he held the views of
| Drs. Taylor and Jordon he would
| doubtless have one so, but holding
| contrary views as to the cause of the
| death of the patient, to-wit: dilata-
| ton of the heart and exhaustion Tin
| which he is sustained by seven Of the
| expert physicians, his suspicious were
| not aroused: hence he did not see
the necessity for an autopsy. The
most that can be said is, that, if there
was an error i'll the diagnosis it was
an error of Judgment. If the said
Thomas H.. Nall died from blows on
bis head or received evil treatment at
the hands Of the said attendants who
captured him land we do not pass
upon these matters now for reasons
before given), we have no reason to
think that the superintendent, DR.. Nc
kee or the assistant physician, DR..
Jenkins, had any purpose or intent
whatever to conceal the facts or to
shield said attendants.
In addition to the expert physicians
examined by us, we had summoned
DR.. s. D.. Booth, of Oxford, DR.. Geo.
w. Long, OF Graham, and DR.. w. H.
IL Cobb, of GOldsbOrO, all of whom
are admitted to be experts in their
profession, but whom we regret to
say could not appear before the board.
Relative to the expressing of the
body of Thomas H. Nall, deceased, to
his father, W. desire to say, that the
remains of inmates dying in the insti-
tuition are decently inferred in the
hospital cemetery at the expense of
h institution, unless by request Of
the family or friends Of q deceased
patient the remains are delivered or
sent to them, at their cost. 1t is not
the policy of the institution to pay
the burial expenses Of the remains of
such deceased patients as are deliv-
cred to Or sent to their families or
friends The father of Nall, deceased,
wired Dr. Mckee to send to him the
body of his son. Complying with that
request, DR.. Mckee turned the re-
mains over to an undertaken with in
structiOns that he must not look to
the institution for the burial expenses.
That the father was not prepared to
promptly meet the &C. o. D." charges
on the remains was his misfortune
(Which We deeply regret), which could
not have been anticipated by DR.. Nc
Kee. With a view to avoiding in flu
ture any embarrassment to the family
of a deceased patient, the Superinten-
dent has been instructed to notify h
family of the deceased of the actual
expense necessary to send the body to
them for burial.
In order that the public might have
the fullest light, to which ii " entitled,
turned upon the present. management
vi the hos aital. the ttar1 gave notice
Though the Raleigh tally papers and
h reporters of the press that we
would be glad to have any person who
had any information as to any mis-
management, or any ill treatment of
the inmates, appear before us in per-
son or by writing. Previous to this
notice, we had received information
of only two complaints, one from Il.
E. Newton, Esq, an attorney at law
of Hope Mills, Il former patient, and
the other from George NJ. Lindsay,
Esq, an attorney at law Of Snow Hill,
who was also a patient of this inSti-
tuition, and is now at home on proba-
ton.
One Of the first acts of the board,
on assembling, was to request, by
wire, the attendance of Mr.. Newton.
lie answered that he would appear on
Friday the 10Th inst. But the board,
having finished the examination of all
witnesses, except Mr.. Newton, by
Thursday night, did not think it adj
viSable to rema. n in session to await
his arrival, since we had, as far as we
could, enquired into the alleged i'll
treatment of certain patients named
y him
Mr.. Lindsay, in response to our re-
quest, appeared, and bis testimony
Will be found among the volumlnous
evidence herewith transmitted. We
made a careful examination of his case,
and conclude, from the testimony of
DR.. E. B. Ferebee, assistant physician
and Mr.. Brown, head nurse, given I'M
der oath, that on Mr.. Iindsay's arrival
at the Hospital, in July last, he was in
a highly excited, nervous condition,
noisy and irritable. The weather, be-
ing very warm, DR.. Ferebee prescribed
for him a tepid bath, which was given
with beneficial results to the patient,
soothing, Quieting effects; that on Il re-
turn of his excitability, the bath was
repeated by Mr.. Brown, the head
| nurse. The patient violently resisted
the administration of these baths. Mr..
Brown admits that the patients hands
were tied with Il towel, but declares
l that his logs were not tied. and that