The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-28
ANTE.MORTEM OF A LUNATIC
CORONER INVITED TO THE MAN.
HAITIAN STATE HOSPITAL.

Present Management Prefers Not 70 Have
Charges OF III Treatment Arise AFTER
the Death -Fracfured Breast Bone and
Ribs Said to BE due Only 90 Disease.
Coroner julius Hamburger went yeeter-
day 20 the Manhattan State Hospital, an
institution for the insane ON Wards Island,
and took the ante-mortem statement OF a
Nnatic.
Supt. william Mabon OF the hospital
called on the Coroner in the morning and
said he had a case he wanted investigated.
Une Of his patients, David Rodesky. 30
years old. Of 100 East io4th street, was dying
under peculiar conditions. He had been an
inmate of the institution for about q month.
The man has several fractures said
DIR. Mabon, and we are at a loss to account
for them. am afraid II he dies that his
family will be disposed TO make trouble.
want the case investigated by a Coroner.
well. that's something new said Coro-
ner Hamburger. You ask me 20 take the
ante-mortem statement Of a lunatic. l
will not do IL. think it 10 not my province"
DR.. Mabon said that while the man 10 q
psretic he was rational on many things.
The Coroner by a personal investigation
nov would gain valuable information which
could be utilized at the inquest
The Coroner consulted with DR.. Timothy
d. Leblanc and decided that perhaps he
had better stretch a point and make the
trip He asked DR.. Leblanc TO accompany
him They went up in the afternoon and
found Rodesky in bad shape. The mar
seemed rational enough, but he was enact
atel to an extreme degree. His chest
was all pulled up and he had several alb
scesses.
THE swelling OF the chest" explained
Dr.. Smith, Els caused by the air under
the skin. Tho mans lungs are perforated
by the fractured ribs"
How long have you been here?' asked
Coroner Hamburger.
Seventy days" said the man. He had
been In the hospital only about a month.
Did anybody beat your asked the
Coroner.
III they. did. what's the differences
replied Rodesky.
friend. I want I'd know how you received
this in jury."
Il got Il from having a oold." replied
the patient. The Coroner then tried IL
In German, but could get nothing from
tho patient except that about our Month
g he fell of a street car and hurt his
foot. Since then. he said, everything had
gone wrong.
DR.. Leblanc made an examination OF the
patient and found among other things that
he had an injected wound In the foot and
he declared that the man was really a VIC
tim Of pyemia.
This man has a fracture of the sternum
and possibly Of the ribs. sure enough" he
said, but he did not get them from blows
or external violence. There is not the
least vestige OF any mark indicating out
ward violence. But the man is really
one big abecess and his bones are 90 fragile
that the least pressure would cause q
fracture. That's the trouble. II is an
unusual case. but l have seen others like il.
IL 10 not a case for the Coroner's Office at all"
viii this man die?" asked the Coroner.
Death is inevitable. He may live a
week. said DR.. Mabon, whose opinion
was indorsed by DIR. Smith. in charge Of
the ward.
Well. it's not very nice 10 be waiting
for a man to die, but II that happens I want
this case reported to me 40 | can have an
autopsy made and see Just who ia right
and what the internal conditions are"
said Coroner Hamburger. Il shall have an
inquest and question everybody who has
had anything to do with thlsc case"
Supt. Mabon then asked the Coroner
n DR.. Leblanc to look through the in
stitution to show the humane methods
In vogue. They did 30. and agreed that
the conditions were highly creditable to
the superintendent's administration