The Washington times., 1907-09-03
Says Neglect Response
Bile for Death of
Patient.
Recommend That Win
dOWS All Be
Grated.

The coroners jury this afternoon
rendered a verdict holding that the
death OF James Brown, a typhoid
fever patient at the Sibley Hospital,
who fell down an air shaft while
wandering in his delirium last Friday
morning, was due to the neglect Of
the officials of the Sibley Hospital
in not providing suitable protection
for deiirious patients.
After reciting that Mr.. Browns
death was caused by fracture fof
the back Of the skull and the hemor-
rlage resulting theTefTom, the ver-
dict reads:
Due to Neglect.
and we believe that his death
was due TO the neglect on the part
of the officials of the SibIey Hos
pital in not providing suitable pro
lection for deHrious patients, and
we, the eoroner's jury, recommend
that the windows in the rooms Of
all delirious patients be grated"
The verdict is signed by the fol-
lowing jurors: James Cunningham,
J. H. Lemhardt, H. L. Birmingham,
G. Lincoln, Charles Grant, and W. A
Foy.
Dr.. Price First Witness.
DR.. Nj. H. o. Price, the dead mans
| fa-uaily physician. was The first witness
/ called. and testihed that although Brown
| fell down the shaft about 4 o'clock on
/ last Friday morning. Re did not learn
/ Of the true reason for his death until
1 Saturday.
/ He stated that Miss Havens. in charge
/ Q. the hospital during the absence OF
| Superintendent Gallagher, had awakened
| him by phone at an early hour the morn
/ ing OF the accident but had only re-
/ ouested him 10 come by the hospital dur
/ ing the day 10 talk over "soHe peculiar
| circumstances connected with his pa
tents death.
sent and he did not see her until the
next morning when she told him chat
( Price said he was unfS miliar with tbs
legal requirements and for this reason
old not notify the coroaer at that time.
! He afterRord considered The mater ana
! informed Miss Havens that the coroner
should be notified. but Miss Havens ask
ed him 10 wait until she could see DR..
Gallagher.
Sunday a conference was held. and he
and Dr.. Gallagher, who had then re-
| turned 70 the city, notified Coroner
! hewitt about o'clock Sunday after
noon.
Hide Information of Death.
Miss Havens also professed ignorance
of the legal requirements. She had been
told of Browns peculiar death few
moments after IL happened, but stated
that It was the policy Of hospitals 10
preclude all information as TO the
manner in which patients died from
everyone save the physician. In order
that the physician might then make any
| announcement he saw fit to the public"
For this reason, she said, she had not
told anyone Of Browns fail and when
informing Dr. Price Of his death early
! Friday morning, cid not give the cause
/ thereof for fear that the conversation
might be overheard over the phone.
Through an oversight. she said. no one
I had notified her that DR.. Price called
later in the day. and sae did not see him
| therefore until the next morning.
She admitted that Brown had wan
dered once before in his delirium and
had been hard TO restrain. At the time
he escaped from his bed he was thought
TO have been securely bound with re-
] stTaining sheets. Miss Havens admitted
that the single night nurse in charge
, Of Brown on that night had about seven
or eight other patients to care for. but
said most of them were conyalesccnt,
! and that the bulk of the attention was
given to Brown. he had left his bed,
and gone 10 the open window while the
nurse was temporarily out OF the room
Brown Very Sick Man.
: Miss Havens said that she regarded
Mr.. Brown as a very sick man and be-
, neved that the fall was merely Incl
: dental to his death. When questioned
= by Coroner hewitt as TO why the hospital
: authorities should take the decision OF
such matters upon themselves she was
, reticent, stating that she had never had
! a similar case in her former experience.
DR.. George H. MCGEE, the hOspital' 8
5 resident physician. testified tnat he had
only been a resident Of the city for EWO
months and was also unacquainted with
the upropFieties in the matter so far as
il related to the notification OF the au-
thorities. He testified further that he had
! only been a physician for two months.
] having but recently graduated.
He admitted. On oss-examfnation,
that Brown was regarded as very i'm
portant patient, and stated that he had
1 - - -. = =