The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-08-03
SANATORIUM SYSTEM
is CHIEFLY AT FAULT
Patients Generally While Admitting Occasional ss and Causes Criticism bsow Those
Directly Charge Any Cause For Complaint But Tho Superintendent without The
Powers Held Other Sss and Assembly, Board and Politician Purchasing
Agent Alone Are Vested With Authority


| largest on the books Is for June when
there were nearly 100. showing that tho
| expenses have gone up the number OF
| patients increased. and about In the same
| proportion
II have bought eggs for below 20 cents
| per dozen In summer and as high as 4s
cents In tho winter, and don't buy any
4 thing because IL Is cheap though try TO
make the best bargains possible.
II have lived In this town 35 years. was
bookkeeper for A. L. Sayles AZ Son 50
years, member of the Republican state
committee. chairman OF the Republican
town committee three years and member
or the town council / am now postmas-
ter here. but live In Pascoag and spend
most OF my time In this place"
DIR. Lawrence +. Flick. director OF the
Phipps institute, one OF the model sana-
forums OF the country. says: Modern
scientific treatmen. OF tuberculosis means
| "A carefully selected diet. life In the open
I air, regulation OF exercise and such medi-
1 cation as will help injured organs TO do
their work in physiological way.
"Of all foods, milk undoubtedly Is the
one which gives the best returns in nutri-
ton for the smallest consumption OF en-
ergy Next to milk come eggs; after
\ these beef and mutton. and then legu-
| minous vegetables.
| For the average tuberculous subject a
| good diet Is one consisting OF one meal a
day Of solid food and three quarts OF
| milk and six raw eggs day."
Under the purchasing plan OF the secre-
| tary and treasurer who made II plain
that he contracts for and buys every
thing, milk takes second place to beef
and other meats, as much being spent
for meats as for both milk and eggs.
though both are more important, accord
ing TO Dr. Flick.
After last Saturdays criticism by for
mer patients OF the quantity and quality
| OF the food FURNISHED at the satnatorium.
| an effort was made to obtain a statement
| from j. Fred Gibson, chairman Of the
board OF trustees: but Mr.. Gibson en-
| phatically declined TO be questioned.
He believed that the News-Democrat,
| because IL had published the statements
| OF former patients who knew presumably
whereof they spoke had placed itself be-
yond the pale OF his august considera-
| tion.
The plain unvarnished facts as gathered
at the sanatorium seem to be but little
different in detail from those that were
printed Saturday: but much light Is shed
upon them that tends to soften final judg-
ment and TO relieve Supt. Barnes and
about everybody else employed at the SAN
atorium OF intentional msmanagement.
| The food has been bad at times. This
is admitted by many OF the patients now
there. as well as by those who have left
| and made complaints
1t Is admitted by the purchasing agent
selected by Chairman Gibson's board OF
, trustees; but the claim is advanced and
there seems to be much reason I'm IL that
Is borne out by painstaking inquiry. that
| the period that bad food was noticed prin-
| cipally was when the chief cook was Ill
and the matron was away
There seems to be little doubt that pIen-
| ~ OF food Is given the patients, and that
1t is of fairly good quantity and variety.
Supt Barnes has been generally exon
Grated by those who have made COM
plants. He Is said TO listen courteously
TO patients who come to him and to do
all In his power to afford them relief; but
II is admitted that Supt Barnes has far
less power over the institution than he
should have. that he is not able to hire
nor discharge help, nor direct the pur-
chase of food supplies, these important
functions being vested in a purchasing
agent who is nominated. elected and con-
trolled by the board OF trustees OF which
]. Fred Gibson. member OF the General
Assembly from Providence is chairman.
| Discussing this phase of the matter an
expert said: "At Rutland. Mass. gem
orally considered a model institution OF
It's KIND. where politics has no hand in
the management the SUPERINTENDENT Is
not under the thumb OF the trustees to
anything like the extent Supt. Barnes Is
handicapped and controlled and hedged
about by the trustees OF the Rhode Island
sanatorium.
Indeed, IL is stated. in no other insti-
tuition in the country has superintend-
ent less real power to properly regulate
affairs than is given to Supt. Barnes in
this state.
Matters got so bad some time ago.
IL Is admitted. that the number OF pa
tients dwindled from nearly 100 down to
about So and many free patients were ad-
mitted In order TO make a respectable
| In Nnx fla. -
yesterday. 1Ol. large proportion OF
these pay 50 each per week, and for
each inmate the state is sa i'd to pay So
also. They get good treatment, but II
would be even better under a different
system
There are some expensive officers con-
| nected with the institution, including n
stenographer and n secretary and treas
urer: and the latter's duties. II is claimed.
could well be performed by the stem
ographer or by the superintendent or the
chef. or distributed among them. at a
saving OF about $1,000 per year to the
state. This 1920 could be put into food.
or at least into the preparation Of the
food. which some OF the former inmates
say has often not been properly cooked
ut is a splendid institution the state
has erected on the shores OF wallum
pond. and. according to the criticisms
that have been made. only more power
for the superintendent meaning more
efficient management IL needed 10 bring
II up to the standard the state intended II
should reach"
The trustees OF the sanatorum are ].
Fred Gibson. chairman; DIR. William III.
Peters. J. Truman Burdick. Newport:
Henry Nugent. Johnston: Rowland @.
Hazard. Peace Dale. One or more OF the
trustees visits tho institution each week.
"Dr Barnes should have selected all Of
his assistants" said a well-known citizen
when asked about conditions that obtain
at the sanatorium. THAT Is the way IL
Is done at all really up-to-date institu-
tions which are not controlled by political
considerations nor by politicians. George
l.. whitford. who Is secretary and treas
urer OF the institution and does all the
buying for II. Is not responsible 10 the
| superintendent. He Is or was a politician.