The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-28


port.
Nc Opinion on Attendants Conduct.
''As to the charge that, the insane
patient. Thomas II. Nall, deceased,
who, on the afternoon of August 24th,
1905, had escaped from his attendants
while exercising in the grounds of
! the institution was brutally beaten.
and otherwise i'll used by certain of
the attendants or employees, while
engaged in his capture, and that his
death shortly thereafter. was the re-
suit thereof, we arc of the opinion
that. as the four men who are alleged
10 have maltreated the said Nall, de-
ceased thereby causing his death,
were committed to the common Jail
of Wake county by the coroner of said
county, and as they are to answer
charge of having committed a Sc
rious offence against the criminal law
Of the State, in this connection. it
would be improper at this time for
this board to express any opinion
thereon, as it might tend to prejudice
said attendants in their defense or
embarrass the State in it's prosecu-
ton.
1--WE enquired diligently Of witness
cs, under oath, as to whether or not
any other employee or any officer of
this institution, either by omission or
commission, in any way contributed
to or fastened the death of said Nall
Proper Treatment was Given.
I'VE find, that. on notice by tele-
phone that said Nall had been cap
Iured, the superintendent, DR.. James
Mckee, at once sent a carriage, in
charge of the head nurse, and had
said Nall brought to the hospital. His
condition was found to be as described
in the evidence herewith attached We
find, that DIR. Mckee, the superintend-
ent, and Dr. G. L. Jenkins. the assist
ant physician, Immediately upon the
arrival of said Nall at the hospital at
4:30 o'clock, p. M, on the 24th OF
August, last, made an examination
for the purpose of ascertaining his
condition, and administered to him
such treatment and remedies as to
them seemed demanded by his symp-
/ toms; that the patient, notwithstand-
ing, died at $40 o'clock that after
noon. With the evidence of physic-
ians admitted to be learned in their
profession and experts) before US, we
arc forced to conclude. that the treat
ment of said Nall by Drs. Mckee and
Jenkins, was, in the emergency, and
under the circumstances. such as
have given AS to whether or not
their diagnosis of the patients condi
ton was correct, we are un-
able to say as doctors dis
agreed on this point Seven of the
nine expert physicians examined by
us, to-wit: Drs. A. w. Knox w. l.
Register, Hubert A. Register, r. S.
McGeachy. H. M. Tucker. of Raleigh;
Dr.. J. F. Miller, of Goldsboro, and
DR.. r. S. Young. of Concord. testified
that in their opinion tho diagnosis was
correct The other two physicians,
to-wit: Dr. j. n. Taylor, of Chatham
county, and DR.. T. M. Jordan, of Raj
eigh. testified that in their opinion the
the diagnosis was incorrect. If it be
conceded that Drs. Taylor and JordaD
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 of Nall. But some have criticised
Dr.. Mckee, the superintendent for
not having an autopsy in order 10 de-
termine the guilt or innocence of the
four attendants concerned in the cap
ture of the patient. Had he held the
views of Drs. Taylor AMI Jordan he
would doubtless have done so, but
holding contrary views as to the cause
CT the death of the patient. to-Wit
dilatation of the heart and exhaustion
Gin which he is sustained by seven
of the expert physicIans) his suspic-
ions were not aroused; hence he did
not sec the necessity for an autopsy.
The most that can be sail is, that, if
there was an error in the diagnosis it
was an error of judgment If the said
Thomas II. Nall died from blows on
his head or received evil treatment at
the hands of the said attendants, who
! captured him, (and we do not pass
upon these matters now for reasons
before given) we have no reason TO
think that the superintendent, DR..
Mckee, or the assistant physician, DIR.
Jenkins, had any purpose or intent
whatever to conceal the facts or to
shield said attendants
"In addition to the expert physic-
ians, examined by us, we had sum-
moned DR.. S. d. Booth, of Oxford;
DR.. Geo. w. Young, of Graham, and
Dr. w. II. Fl. Cobb, of Goldsboro, all
of whom are admitted to be experts
in their profession, but whom we re-
gret to say could not appear before
the board.
As to the c. o. ID. Charges.
|
Relative to the expressing of the
! body of Thomas H. Nall, deceased, to
his father. we desire to say, that the
remains of inmates dying in the insti-
tuition are decently inferred in the
hospital cemetery at the expense of
the institution, unless by request of
the family or friends of a 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 DIR. Mckee TO send to him t..
body of his son. Complying with II
request, Dr. Mckee turned the
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. 0. D." charges
on the remains was his misfortune
(Which we deeply regret) which could
not have been anticipated by Dr. Nc
Kee With view to avoiding in flu
ture any embarrassment to the family
of :. danaaSod patient the SuDerintend-