The Washington times., 1906-05-16
Dr.. Taylor on Stand De.
fendS Administration
of St. Elizabeth'S
Hospital.
ATTENDANTS In PLENTY:
PATIENTS NOT ABUSED
Mechanical Devices Used to
Restrain the Insane, But
They Were Harm
less.

A rosy picture without spot OF blenish
was painted OF the perfection Of the
Government Hospital for the Insane
By the first two witnesses who were
called today in defense Of Dr. William
A White. superintendent Of the iustit1-
ton. before the special Congressional
committee now Investigating the
asylum
These two witnesses. one a former
medical inferno Of the institution. who
now receives fees for certain exarnina-
tions OF patients. and the other a clerk
tn charge Of the general work OF The
hospital. paid glowing tributes 70 DR..
Whites management OF the place.
DR.. L H Taylor. the physician. testl-
fed that the attendants in the asylum
have better hours. better pay and bet
ter treatment than the attendants Of any
other institution Of the same character
IN the country. and that he had never
been able to discover any instance Of an
attendants cruelty 70 a patient
The only thing 70 mar the general
charm cf the picture was the statement
by Clerk Quad that charges OF drunken
Eess preferred against the foreman OF
the laundry last January have never
been investigated by the superintendent
Keepers Sufficient in Numbers.
D-. I. II. Taylor. the first witness,
formerl1- a medical interne under Dr.
White It St Elizabeth's. said he was
on duty in Howard Hail as assistant 10
the physician in charge Of that depart
ment. There were $50 patients in that
department under fifty attendants. He
thought this a sufficient number Of help
ers.
He and Dr. Toner made a daily morn
ing inspection Of the department and
later IN the day he made a second in
spection- He went three or four times
a day 10 his hospital ward.
He frequently examined the food at
unexpected times. and found II ''nutrI-
Jious and excellent It was far above
the average Of food lGiven patients in
such institutions Meat was frequently
served. practically every day. All the
food was cleanly. he knew this. be-
cause he had often partaken OF IT.
DR.. Taylor then explained that violent
patients are restrained by mechanical or
medical means. by bandages or drugs
DR.. White. he said. has Deen insIru-
mental in doing away with much Of the
restraint OF patients in St Eliza beth's-
The witness then testified there are
no glass feeding tubes in the asylum.
They are Of rubber and infiict no injury
on patients
DR.. Taylor said complaints had been
made 10 him by patients Of cruel treat
ment- He had always investigated these
complaints, but had never nNed tho
blame for them so as 70 have an at
teudant discharged
Dr.. White, he said, always inspected
the hospital ward Of his department
every Sunday
Lots Of Accidents Happen.
lots OF accidents happen in insane
asylUms.'' declared the witness Pa
tients are often abused by fellow
PATIENTS. and attendants are often hurt
by patients"
He then explained that DR.. White had
done wisely in doing away with much
OF the physical restraint al the asylum.
This is in line with modern treatment
OF insanity. Witness believed ne
Chanical restraint better than re
straint by attendants"
DR.. Taylor then declared that the
'claSsifica ton OF patients at the asy-
lum is down 10 as rne point IS IS
possible"
Witness explained that there are some
criminals in St Elizabeth's who ought
not 10 be there. Some Of these. he said.
are not really insane, but prefer 70 stay
N the asylum rather than in a military
prison. He thought this ought 10 be-
Iemedied.
He said the board of visitors came
there once eTery month. He denied that
any special preparst tiOn, such as dress
ing up or sending out patients. was made
when the board was expected