The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-07-30

JhlS treatment Is given are generally
four or more ordinary bath tubs, sup
piled by water which is regulated by
faucets of the same nature, but per-
haps more elaborate, than would be
found in the ordinary bath room at
home, hotel or club where the shower
bath is provided. Any person who is
competent to turn OF me water in the
shower bath in an ordinary bath room
is competent to handle the situation
in the bath room in the Fergus Falls
Hospital where this accident occurred.
On the night of the 23th of June Mrs.
Bolin, who was very much disturbed
and unable to get any rest, was plac-
ed in the bath tub by the direction Of
the Supervisor of Nurses. When a pa
tient is placed in the bath tub can
vas jacket or waist is placed around
the body and tied around the tub so
that it would be impossible for them
to slip down in the water and, either
through accident or suicidal intent,
drown. When the patients are wild
and disturbed it is often necessary to
tie their feet and to restrain their
hands to a certain degree so that they
will remain in the tub and not splash
the water about the room. A sheet
is placed over the tub so that only the
head of the patient is exposed. The
word straight jacket" coming down
from the horrors of the middle ages
gives an entirely wrong impression of
the appliance which is used to re-
strain a patient from injuring him
self whether in bed or in the bath, but
in the accounts of this accident undue
prominence has been given to the idea
of the straight jacket, and to the fact
that the patient was fastened like one
fastened to the wheel for execution.
"Mrs. Bolin was placed in the tub
shortly after midnight. The night
nurses are relieved at six o'clock in
the morning and the day nurses come
on. The testimony shows that the
Supervising nurse, as well as the
nurse in charge of the baths, was con-
stantly with her from midnight to six
o'clock, and that everything was in
proper condition when the day nurse
came on six o'clock. The Gay nurse,
Miss Ella Korth, woman of about
rs years of age, has been in the en-
ploy of the hospital for about six
weeks, although she had not been
placed in charge of the bath room UNI
til the previous day. She had acted
as substituted previously while the
other nurses had gone to their meals.
She was shown how to operate the
faucets and the lever. She is above
ordinary intelligence, has attended
college for year and held second
grade teachers certificate, so that
the state is in no sense remis for hav-
ing ignorant or incompetent nurses in
charge. She was instructed, as is the
rule, to have the temperature of the
water range from 90 to SO degrees
and was have supposed to have taken
the temperature of the water at suf-
iciently frequent intervals so as to
maintain this uniform temperature.
She took the temperature about
$40 A. M, according to her
statement, and found it some
where between 90 and SO de-
grees. She then assisted another
nurse in preparing BATH in OF Of
the tubs alongside of the tvo IN which
Mrs. Bolin had been placed, for an
other patient. In doing this it is very
apparent that she so adjusted the fau-
Get that the water became hotter than
it should. After arranging this bath
for the new patient she began to serve
the breakfasts which had been
brought for the patients in the baths.
She went to Mrs. Bolin and asked her
if she wanted some breakfast, to
which she replied that she did and
proceeded to feed her some oatmeal.
Mrs. Bolin made no complaint that
the water was too hot. In feeding her
the nurse noticed an unusual express
sion on her face and saw that she was
restless and she at once put her hand
into the tub to see if anything was
wrong with the water. She found that
it was too hot and Immediately shut
off the faucets, pulled out the stop
per to empty the tub, let in the cold
water and called to one of the other
nurses for assistance. There is no ev-
idence that the pain of Mrs. Bolin was
such that it caused her to cry out.
Miss Korth, the nurse, did not leave
the room except for an instant to
step across the hall at one time to get
some towels and some fresh gowns,
and at another time to look at the
clock. If her statement is to be be-
lieved, and there is no reason for
doubling it, she was not absent from
the room at any time more than a
minute and at all times within dis
lance so that If psae.s mac criesl
o,r% xx,a&I L.. xxxo,,II lox,o I'D