The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-24
MORE URGE VALUE
OF TWILIGHT SLEEP
sew Doctors Take Up Cudgcl
for Assailcd German
Method.
DENY PERIL TO WOMEN

other physicians came forward last
night TO add their convictions to the
testimony already given az TO the sue
cess of the twilight sleep treatment IN
childbirth. one of them, pr Ralph NJ
Beach OF the Long Island College HOS
pital gave 1t as his opinion That those
who were criticisng the method didn't
know what they were talking about
Another defender of twilight sleep. Dr.
Adolph Lohcl. until a month ago house
physician at Lebanon Hospital, SAID
that prejudice among many physicians
against the "dammerschlaf" was due to
the fact that they would lose financially
in treating childbirth by the German
method.
An the physicians who are discussing
twilight sleep agree that IL should he
used in only selected cases. that every
woman IL not fitted for II and that
possible danger In 1t occurs when IL
Is not properly administered nv espe-
cially trained surgeons.
Dr l.obell said that the installation
of the two wards for administering twi-
light sleep at Lebanon Hospital came
last July because of the interest shown
in the treatment by the maternity pa
TENTS. Since then $50 cases have been
treated with not a single death, said
Or Lobell
My honest opinion is that twilight
sleep has great Held" he said. The
only trouble is that Il requires judg-
ment and experience, and also the CO.
operation OF the various physicians. The
trouble In hospitals IL that the in
ternes are too frequently changed to
NF
light sleep treatment The internes
rotate through the wards so rapidly
that success is varied according to the
man In charge. Each new inferno will
have different ideas.
go. course, nervous women do not
become eligible for the selected cases
and for receiving drugs | read Dr.
Gregorys statement regarding the de-
/ lirious women at Bellevue. They were
probably nervous women, and their de-
lirium was not due To the twilight sleep.
1t was jus, temporary insanity, az comes
10 women under the old fashioned
method Of childbirth
There is great prejudice among
: physicians against twilight sleep.
know that many physicians use DR..
Gregory's statement TO scare women
away from the treatment. \ woman
. comes 10 tu't1 ana says Si' WANTS. Nv =
! light sleep They say NO. no" and
snow her clippings telling that Or
Gregory. alicnist at Bellevue Hospital
has said that he has seen seven cases
OF women at Bellevue with mental trou-
BILE due TO twilight sleep.
These doctors. who don't want e
administer twilight sleep because they
will lose financially. lnsiil this prejudice
in the minds of these prospective moth
ers. They Brighten the women and In.
huerce their state Of mind. These doc,
tors know that the proper administer,
ing Of twilight sleep requires a phys
[ clans constant attendance"
Dr. Meras :, Gregory Of Bellevue wa.
quoted yesterday as saying that IN,
mentioned WAS not permanent. som,
recovered in few days others Ia
few weeks. lie added:
mo scientific conclusions can n
drawn from these cases. however, As
the harmfulness of twilight sleep iron
a psychological standpoint"
pr. Ralph VI. Beach. Of the Lon
Island College Hospital. said last nigh
that ineNpcrience was the chief reaso,
why doctors We're cr!t!cising 'Wiligh
sleep.
81 have had no bad results with M
treatment ne said 1T Is Difficult
method a scientific one, and matter q
personal observation. Of course. hut
tini that j. Is successful II tho techn'lu
Is followed People are too prone &
blame the method nowadays
81 have had goo cases under ohscrva
ton. and there has been no mortalit,
due 70 the twilight sleep system"