Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-10-26
SAYS DR.MERR|7T.
. IS HAMP ER|NG
THE PROBE )
Alderman vanDyke CHARGE,
That Battle Hill Head Is Pre-.
venting Testimony.

Alderman A. Fl. VanDylle, Who +,
pressing the charges of misnanou.
ment against the Battle Hill Tubar
culosis sanitarium, said today that h.
had been given a list Of names Of IN
mates of the institution who want =
testify in the PROBE, but whom DR. 3
w Merritt, superintendent, would no,
permit to come to the hearing.
Alderman VanDyke said Miss Loss
of the Anti Tuberculosis associatio,
had given him the names and that no
was going to see to it that the pers,,v
testified if the committee had to 20 or.
to thern.
| TIE alderman continued by savir,
that the testimony of the doctors vas
terday that pork and weinerwurst v,s
proper food for tubercular patients ua.
absurd. He said Dr. J. p. Kennedy ci4,
! health officer. was protecting the in.
F! stitutton when he testified that sncb
food was proper.
| Alderman VanDyke is himself doe.
tor and he condemned Dr.. Merrjrr fo~
being abrupt in his manner. He said
the head of such an institution shop,7
emanate good cheer, as the persons
there We're naturally downcast
Alderman VanDyke said the testi-
mony in tine investigation would grow
sensational when nc and others took the
stand
The councilmanic probers of the Bat
tie Hill tuberculosis sanitarium arc 70.
| Gay confronted with a long and tedious
task for, after three-hour session
yesterday afternoon at which much Da
thetic testimony was heard from in
mates and former inmates Of the ins,i-
| tuition large number of persons still
desire to give evidence. The probers viii
meet again Tuesday afternoon.
With DR.. Claude A. Smith. director
of the citys laboratory Of hygiene, anc
Alderman +. j. Spratling CONDUCTING
/ the defense of the institution, Dr. E. G.
! Thrash, Dr.. A. e. Elllin and Dr. L. c..
Roughlin, vino have had experience
with tuberculosis sanitariums, were in.
troduced as experts to show that the
F., institution was properly run.
They al praised the institution. Dr.
Thrash said ne was amazed when Il,
learned that it cost less than $4,000
He said it would be credit for a S75.-
coo institution They all testified thai
tubercular patients were extremely hard
TO manage and that discipline was the
first law of such an institution.
DR.. Elkin said that he was once con
nected with the city tuberculosis SAM
tarium in Louisville and that patients
in free city institution expected and
demanded more than they did in pri-
vate institution.
The doctors declared that they saw
nothing but what they could praise on
an inspection OF the institution.
DIR. Thrash said frequently he ad-
vised patients who were sleeping in colo
air to put their heads under cover for
a few moments to stop their coughing
He said in treating tubercular patients
it was best to prevent them from
coughing as much as possible.
They declared that pork and weiner'
| wurst were good food for patients no
suffering from indigestion.
DIR. j. P. Kennedy, city health officer
and DIR. ]. G. Hall, city physician, were
called before the committee to tell Of
an alleged nuisance caused by tuoer-
cular infected persons coming to the
city health office to be examined. They
said they had objected to the condition
because at times thtre were from ter
to fifteen tubercular infected person.
| waiting in the office to be examined
DR.. Merritt did the examining, ahe
DR.. Kennedy said that DR.. Merritt nay
been tardy in keeping his engagements
several times. But he SAID that most o.
the trouble was caused by patients
being sent over to the city han IRON
the Anti tuberculosis associations
clinic at all hours of the day,
DR.. Kennedy said he was memoel
of the committee Of three, with DE:
Smith and Mr.. Spratling. in charge o.
the institution. He said DR., MerIlt'
had explained his lateness all risAl
and that he had no complaint against
him or the institution. Cross queS.
toned by DIR. Smith. he said council liau
passed a resolution providing TOT d
tuberculosis clinic in the basement VI
the city hall, that the examination Vi
patients might not conflict with any &C.
partment