The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-05
,MONOTONY ENLIVENEDi
q BY SPIRITED TlLTS5
Straight Jackets for Patients Come
in for Searching Inquiry, AS
Did Also the Frequency
Of Suicides Many
Interesting Dis
closures.
tse S. -------------- = Z,
Special by 4 stan Correspondent.

n II Especial by a STAFF Correspondent.)
4 51s5W1LLIAMsBURG, 51s VA. May 4.--sen sn-
tIons came swift and fast during the
fourth days session OF the Eastern state
Hospitalf investigation committee. Ru-5
mors that had been nnoat last nighs.
i proved unexpectedly true, for Or. Hen- r.
8 derson. during the seven hours he was
upon the stand. made many disclosures
that we're interesting, TO say the least.
5sri The linonotony OF the day vas emily
S,ened by two spirited tits between Chair =
man Sadler, of the committee, and Col
apnel Joseph r. l,awless, counsel for Dr..
Foster. and later by q contention be-
tween the chairman and Senator Rison,
81 Z member OF the committee. The war
as OF words began as soon as the senator
opened \ when Colonel 1.awless protested
t4 vigorously against the exclusion OF his
f client from the court room. Or, Fosters
chara cler II was being assailed and his
management criticised BY Dr. Henderson
f,rst assistant physician, Colonel Lawless
said and III vas only. right that his
b client should be, present. scna tor Rtson
sided with Lawless, but before the chair
could rule, pr. Henderson stated that ma
ie had no objection to Dr. Foster 3 hear
ing what he had TO tsay,s and the super
;iniendent was admitted. 555 ss
No Female Suicides.
M DR.. o Henderson. In the course Of his
testimony, had some Interesting things
to say. Among them was the statement
.Stthatiithere had been no female suicides
.tsince he took charge. 4 In 5Ynswer@ to d a
&3auestion why, new. Eules had had been MADE made
gover,iIng. suicidal patients. Or. md er-s
I son replied s.i q because sof the freguepcN
81 suicides in the hoapital't 4 He alluded
to the fact that when he first took
charge suicidal spa tientsf we're sea tered
4 through the various wards, instead OF
being kept in ono ward under carelui
supervislon. The absence OF night at
tendants at the hospital came In for
searching inquiry as did the use Of
(. straight ]ackets
DR. Henderson testified that he did
not consider n straight Jacket proper
X restraint; that when he first came 70 tnc
hospital they were In constant use, ana
that one patient. n woman. had peen
Z. confined in one for three years. day ana
night He, ordered her released and slle
improved In consequence.
There followed comparison OF the
Negro Central Hospital with the hospital
here. and Dr., Henderson gave three rea-
son which. In his opinion proved " the
negro hospital superior to the SWfllte.
33 sF1rst-Night attendants. Second--sani-
tary conditions. and rd--Care1lui at
tention By the physicians
chairman Sadler then asked this ques-s.
ton:
Negroes More Comfortable.
,.The state Of fFsNirsinia is providing
comforts 70. the negroes al Central Hos
njtal which are not enjoyed BY the
white patients here Is this not 50 Z"
DR.. Henderson replied:
"That is my opinion"
The witness. when uestiohed resar".
ing the ''rottcn beef charge. said thai
he knew nothing of his own knowledge,
the beef on the officers table he said
was all right, but he added that two
GRADES of beef were purchased by the
hospital and he did not know which he
got.
was that the superintendent had never
held n consultation with his assistants
regarding the trea tment Of patients
There was no system, he snid. and each
nhysician used his own method. IIe also
p disclosed the fact that tho nurses tooS
turns In giving medicines to the patients
and kept no record Of the medlolnas
Given nor of the results Of the treat
mant II was different at the negro
navIum, he said where there were trained
n,,rses and where careful record WAS
kept. ~ = :. -. !,
ID. II q . u q .
..1 80 Consider the system at the Central
negro Hospital better than phe system
upon T being asked why he has not
f trought about a change. he replica i55
~ could not revolutonize the system
sf the hospital all at once
S Electricity in Air.
There was electricity in the ar when T1n
4, Colonel I.awless, In cross-examining Dr.
Henderson, was pressing MIN hard 1ol
m answer to the important questloh a.
% whether or not Or. Foster ,nh' pee, s.ae
negligent in not having visited the wares
more frequently, Colonel Iawless was re-
(ontless In attempting to gain his point
Ind the whole courtroom was al IeVe'
heat. Suddenly Chairman sadler inter-
iupted, saying:
"C,olone I.awess, the witness has an.
,wered your question frankly, freely anc
hlly, and that Is sufficient
springing to his feet, Colonel LAwless
houted;
II take issue with YOU there, The wit
ness has not answered fully, freely nol
..Do YOU mean to doubt the veraclty o.
Me cnair?n asked Senator Sadler,
'"No. but mean to doubt his recol
ection," replied Colonel lawless,
Tho stenogra pher read from tho record
and the dangerous bellicose period was
passed. ~
vanorts of the Eastern and of the Gem
irai HOSPITALS were introduced MS evi-
Vance and 1t was shown that While the
Il ber capita expense of the Eastern (Whlte)
s1e9.lO. that of the Central (negro) Hos
pital is less than 500, /
High Per Capita,
Or. Henderson stated when questioned
that the food furnished the negro was