The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-07-01
SUIT. KUHN REPLIES TO
NO. 2 BOARD OF MANANERs.

2 Mt st. Joseph in the matter of al
legged abuse of patients, In which
Superintendent Kuhn was criticised
for laxness, etc. DR.. Kuhn has
sent us copy of his reply tn the
board, with II request for publica-
tion. 1t is somewhat lengthy for
our columns, but we give below the
main features of the letter. condcns-
ing some parts of IL:
st. Joseph, No., June 26, 1909.
"To the Honorable Members Of the
Board of Managers, State Hos
pital No. ..
Gentlemen: The typewriter re-
port Of your findings In the recent
investigation | have obtained from
the Secretary This report Is
signed by all the members of the
Board except Mr.. Il. l.. Spencer,
the remaining Democratic member.
There are certain courtesieS that
should exist between all men, es-
pecially between those who sustain
to each other an official relation
ship. The findings of the Board
were quickly transmitted to the pub
lie press in duplicate copies, but |
was not even asked to appear be-
fore the Board to receive your sug-
gcstions and findings, hut was com
PEELED to 20 to the Secretary for in
formation and there make copy of
your report for my pcrusal and in
formation. If the courtesy of APP
pcaring before the Board had been
extended to me, some of your criti-
cisms would not have been made, as
| feel your conclusions, many be-
ing outside of the records of the in
vestigation, are based upon misin-
formation aud lack Of knowledge of
the affairs OF the Institution, rather
than the intent of being unjust.
"Eou charge me with lack If init
mate knowledge of the details of
the Hospital. Had you given this
subject careful consideration as to
what constitutes this intimate
knowledge, and had you II more eX-
tended experience in hospitals for
the insane your conclusions would
have been different. There Is no
Superintendent who even makes "a
pretense to efficiency that spends
his time running through the wards
He has other work to do than per-
forming the duties of his assistants,
or indulging in cheap grandstand
business, The books, reports, the
scientific medical detail, the minute
details that appertain to the care
and comfort of the patients, the
character of two hundred employees,
the daily minute financial exhibit as
to expense, brand as false the rharg.
"s oi lack of intimate knowledge
| of ia" detail workings of the Insti.
tuition. Every patient that enters
( and departs must receive II neurO.
| logical inspections, and when II Is
remembered that in 1905 four hun.
dred and fourteen patients were dis
charged and died and each patient
must pass under the knowledge of
the Superintendent as To the mental
and physical disabilities, together
with the endless detail work of the
other departments, the Superintend-
cnt has little time for "minute de-
tails" of some imaginary conditions
or loaiing. To obtain greater
knowledge Of the detail workings of
this Hospital is n physical and men
tai impossibiity of any Superintend-
ent
"In reference to your criticism of
abuse Of patients, l.would say that
! am, and always have been ready
and willing to meet the Board Of
Managers Uf any other authority to
stop the abuse punish the guilty
ones. The laws of Missouri are
very strict in this matter, subject
ing the guilty to fine and impris-
onment. If patients have been so
much abused then some one else Is
equally guilty, especially those who
make the charges, for not enforcing
the law, which is the duty,of every
law-ahiding citizen. II anyone can
furnish me the information and evil
dence, will unhesitatingly file such
information in the courts and prose
cute the case at my own expense.
The charge made to:the Board that
] palliate the abuse of patients is
too contemplate to merit reply.
There is In all institutions OF this
character unavoidable injury TO pa.
tients, by themselves, by other pa
tients or in compulsory restraint,
but deliberate abuse of these unfor-
Inmates is rare.
THAT the people may know the
fiimsy character of the charges the
following is record of alleged
al.