The Washington times., 1906-05-23
SOmetlmeSTreated Them
to Whisky Because
They Liked 1t.
ROWS ONCE IN A WHILE
But They Didn't Amount to
Much, and Cruel Attend
ants Were Dismissed.

Patients at St Elizabeths ara
treated kindly and gently.
One attendant was discharged for
giving sick patient a jab in the
stomach.
Some of the patients get a drink
OF whisky now and then because
/ it pleases them.
Others are given chewing tobacco
and smoking tobacco and pipes.
They like it.
This is the gist Of the testimony
given today before the special in
vestigating Congressional commits
tee by DR.. B. R. Logic, an assist.
ant physician at the Government
Hospital for the Insane.
Inspected Every Day.
/ DR. Logic, who has been connected
with ths asylum as assistant physician
since February. 1901. has charge OF 81
patients in the department which hs
looks after. He makes, he said ons
complete round OF Inspection CT each one
or his 81 patients each day. and every
afternoon he goes through his hospital
ward.
Witness then said his treatment OF
( the patients is varied, consisting Of Civ
ing them TOniCs and sefatiTes sD5
/ specifically treating their aiInoenTs "
I pduenJ IN his wards. he said had ever
! suffered from lack Of medical attention
| Dr- Logic said the asylum authorities
- Hlca man from patents friends
/ and relatives, which they attend TO and
answer thoroughly and reliably
he has forty attendants 10 MS depart-
~f-fa~ -
number II would be IAN unuafransod
expense. % put any more attendants
The attendants under ne" he said,
are very kind. very patient. and very
What do you know about cruelty
TO patients?'' asked Mr.. Smyser.
Cruel Attendants Dismissed.
I've have a big house out there" said
the witness, and occasionally there viii
drift into it an attendant who viii be
cruel All such men are dismissed.
/ one case / remember was that Of a
man named Hodges. who. I think. was
! too fun Of Christmas I saw him strike
! a SICK patient IN the stomach Hodges
was instantly dismissed %
he knew OF one case where a patient
| had been struck by an attendant and
I the attendant had been allowed 10 Oc-
cupy his position withoUr mOlestatiOn-
/ This attendant. however. had acted sole
/ y IN sef-defense, and had been hurt
/ by the patient.
! DR.. Logic said there is no cruel method
1 OF restraint used in the asylum.
Good as ''Home Cooking"
/ He thought the food there compares
I favorably with the food given 70 pa
/ tients in any other such institution
/ The cooking is GOOD. and some Of Il
/ could not be surpassed by home cook
| ing"
( NJ Oofo e.f5 - - s - -,
I Manhattan State Asylum in New York
/ seven years before coming 20 St. Eliza
/ beth's. St. Elizabeth's has more at
/ tendants than the Wards Island Asy-
( lum, but the treatment OF the insane
! on Wards Island incidentally could noc
be exceued-
The food at St. Elizabeth's however,
! is better than at Wards Island
/ For instance" said the witness, I
/ occasionally give the old soldiers out
| there a drink, lust TO please them, and
/ sometimes 1 let them have chewing and
] smoking tobacco and pipes Also the at
I tendents here are treated better than
those at Wards Island"
/ What about DR.. White visiting your
1 department" asked Mr. Smyser-
He visits IL occasionally Last No
vember he made a thorough inspection
OF II, and he was there in December. He
I is frequently there"
| How about the board Of visitors2"
/ InEN are EAeEe once a nOALL- lneE
/ hold a business meeting. and after that
/ look al some Of the wards Then, being
/ a little tired, they 90 home.
Witness said Dr. White has more
places 10 inspect and more work 10 do
I than any superintendent he had ever
seen.
Asked about the case Of DR.. Carraller.
1 of whose treatment some complaint had
been made, DR.. Logic said DR.. Carralier
IS paretic and an unusually troublesome
patient. frequently falling and hurting
himself Once ne was struck and given
a black eye by a fellow-patient named
Hughes.
John 4. Cisco. an inspector employee.
by the local Board OF Charities, sa = his
impression has always been that the p.a-
dents there are eNcellently looked ,Jer-
lie goes there frequently, without warn
ing. and always finds things all right.
Patients universally tell him that they
( are treated kindly in the asylum
Dr. William H HoUgh junior assist
ant physician on the female service OF
i the asylum. said the care OF these Wo-
men could not be improved on
Mrs Emma Harmon. a resident OF
Washington. testified that she visits ST.
EIizabeth's once every two weeks She
has a daughter and a sister IN the in
( stitutiOn
II am perfectly satisfied with tro
/ treatment given both OF them. she
| said.