Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-08
Gunshanan Played byDr. S.J. Maher
IN DEFENSE OF CONDUCT AT
 sTATE sANAToRIA
MALIGNANT, HE SAYS
Declares Efficiency of Institution is Far Greater Than When eunshanan Was a Member of Commission.

New Haven. Conn. May 7.-Dr. stephen J. Maher, chairman of the interviewed today concerning a recent attack on the state tuberculosis sana- torta by former Commissioner John F. Gunshanan, characterised the attack as malignant" Dr. Maher was re- l1ctant to discuss the matter, until pressed to do so by newspaper men.
 He took up the charges made by MT. Gunshanan in detail "A to the improper feeding of patients" be said, we buy the best food in the market We employ the best cooks we can set, and we are constantly endeayoring to improve details of service. A com par1son between the kitchen and din- ing room service of the state sanaxorta Gunshanan's term ot oflce would in all four institutions result in favor of present conditions. Nevertheless. sometimes patients will complain at state sanatoria, as at all hospitals and hotels, of the temperature of the soup or the infrequency with which some fayorite article of diet appears on the bill of fare.
 Limits Use of Whiskey and opiates.
 "As to the charge that patient must apply to one of the physicians of the sanatoria in order to have Q special proper rule and needs no defense. As to the excessive use of liquor, MT. Gunshanan seems to think that we ought to furnish whislsey to our pa tients as a therapeutic measure, and
 that we are to be condemned for dis charging patients for drunkenness. In
 both points we disagree with MT. Gun
 shanan In fact, we are constantly
 limiting the use Of Whiskey and opi-
 ates. And the miraculous of the rule
 against drunkenness are fewer as com pared with the period of Mir. Gunshan-
 ans service on the commission.
 "As to the three remaining points,"
 said Dr. Maher, the garbage waste,
 the row between one Of the superin-
 tendents and patient. and the serv-
 ing of a roast beef dinner to a dying
 patient, these were conditions or oc-
 currences that he discovered when he, himself, was commisstoner. There have been no such happenings since he
 was retired from the board, or at least none that know of, and have kept 1 in pretty close touch with the situa- ton.
 Better Than When Gunshanaa Left Ofios.
 MT. Gunshanan says" continued the doctor, that members of the Rock vile Employes' association that he or
 ganized last summer refused to go to
 the Hartford sanator1um because of the treatment administered to patients | there. Well, if MT. Gunshanan is the l authority on conditions at the Hart
 ford sanatorium, their refusal is read | fly understood. There are still some | things in the Hartford sanatorium that need correction; but they are | fewer and less fragrant than when MT. -Gunshanan was a commissioner" Dr. Maher said that at the last meet | ing of the commission in June, 1913, f MT. Gunshanan made . speech in
 which he disavowed any malice tow
 ard the new members of the commis-
 sion and in which he volunteered to | help the commission in any way. | During the ten months that have | elapsed since that meeting" said Dr. ! Maher, 'the commission has observed | many evidences of MT. Gunshanan's s hostility and none of his help. Be- | cause of the good work that he has done in organizing employees associa- i tons, we have been anxious to avoid . | clash with him and I am very sorry I to be obliged to make c pubic reply to | such a malignant speech aS he made
 last Sunday night.
 We welcome visits to the stAte | sanator1a by any citizen or society or | newspaper of the state, and we wei come any criticism of the manage | meut. Of course, we would prefer that criticisms should be well founded | and that they should be made first to ! us Instead of being made tho subject | of e Sunday evening address. m- | founded and malicious public criticism | of this great work Of Connecticut ts
 depaorable from every point of visk- :