Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-03
INSANE PATIENT
POTSONS TWELVE
INMATES; ONE DIES
Eleven Believed on Way to
Recovery After Chem
ical Dose
FRIEDMAN ADMITS ACT


one insane tubercuar patient at BY
berry, Farms is dead and III others are In
n aerious condition as the result of drink
ing solution of fsftnalin mixed with
epsom salts last wednesday, which was
secretly prepared by another insane inmate,
David Friedman, according to story made
public last night through the Department
of Public Health and Charities.
Iohn Rosakoff derelict committed from
this city, Is the dead victim. He died yes
terday about noon. The others were saved
only when the physicians at the municipal
Institution adopted heroic measures. The
physicians said last night that they believed
ali these victims would recover.
Mayor Smith, when he learned of the
crime. said that frequent inspections made
of the Farms, by himself and Director
tSrusen at once had convinced him that
uuick action was Imperative and that he
would at once devote attention to obtain
ing adequate quarters and better protec-
tion for the helpless sick and insane;
In discussing the poisoning, 'the Mayor
said "Condltions at Byberry are awful
and l have been more fearful OF fire than
for any accident of this kind. My platform
shows that consider new hospital sys-
tenn the most important of all the many i'm
provements planned and my first attention
has been directed toward plans, on which
Director Krusen and have been working.
for new buildings at Byberry as first step
to securing relief from crowded conditions
Mt Blockley.
The buildings are, many of them, poorly
constructed They are inadequate. The
working force is inadequate, and 1t Is next
to impossible to keep competent physicians
at work at the small salaries now paid to
them with the poor equipment their work
is doubled.
I'Director Krusen and have discussed
plans for reorganizing the stan physi-
clans and attendants at Byberry and at
Ill TlNt foil inu hn
sagglng OF the South street bridge must
convince even the most skeptical of the
wisdom of borrowing money to remedy old
conditions"
SOME IMPROVEMENT
"At Blockley changes are being made that
will help a. little. When the big heating
plant at Byberry is completed two new build
ings will be put into service next fall They
will help, but a new series of buildings will
have to be constructed without delay and
better provision made to guard against any
possible repetition of such an occurrence as
the one just reported.
II believe that when get the money
to go ahead with the two. years work
mapped out by Director Krusen 1t will be
much easier to keep the working force in
good shape and to keep them satisfied and
interested in their many tasks. Reorgan-
izaton will be undertaken when all our
plans for rebuilding are completed"
Since the overcrowding at Blockley 1t has
been the custom to send the tubercular in
sane to the city farms There were IL OF
them. and they occupied fresh-air pa
Vilion that once had been devoted to sane
tubercular patients. In order to convert
the building into hospital the pavilion was
subdivided into compartments. At the end
was the drug store, where the medicines
were kept.
Friedman has always been known as a
shrewd, tricky patient, and has been under
espionage several times. OF late he has
been permitted the same liberty as given to
the others, on Wednesday he obtained
small ladder in somezmanner and climbed to
the medicine shelves, which are some dis
tance above the floor.
MIXED IN FoRMALIN.
Among the things stored there was
quantity of formalin, which is used to
make a disinfectant solution with which
the structure is treated weekly. Friedman,
with the cunning of the insane, knew also
that Wednesday was the day on which each
tubercular insane patient is given EPSON
salts. He took the formalin and mixed
II with the salts
Then he took the ladder back to its
original place and slipped out of the pa
vilion himself hiding about the premises.
Shortly before the noon meal the guard on
duty in the building lined UP the patients
and handed each his portion of EPSON I'M
mediately after they took the solution
they began to show signs of poisoning.
The guard hurried to the office and noti-
fed Doctor Gabario and his assistant Doc
tor Halprin. They used every measure to
aid the ILL., The fact that most of the pa
tients had found the combination nauseous
probably saved their lives.
Once the IL inmates were resting easily,
the physicians began an investigation.
Friedman was found and because he had
not been with the others was instantly sus-
pected He tried to evade the questions
but under pressure broke down and con-
fessed that he had mixed the deadly solu-
tion. He was sent 10 separate room and
kept constantly under guard.
As the patients showed signs OF re-
covering quickly, the authorities kept the
AFFAIR secret. Rosakoff, who was brought
70 Blockley and transferred Immediately to
Byberry had been taken from a lodging In
this city, and through poor nutrition and
exposure was enfeebled. His vitality was
unable to stand the shock and he sank
dying yesterday at noon. In view of this
fatality the physicians sent report TO
Director Krnsen. Through his office the
Rtory became public.
The physicians at Byberry declare that
under normal conditions this would not have
happened. Owing to the overcrowding at
Bloekley insane patients are sent to de-
tached buildings that have to be converted
into rude hospitals. Conditions are neces-
sarily such, the doctors say, that patients
can obtain access to places that in a mod
srn hospital they could not enter
DR.. NJ. r, Gabaris, the physician in charge
~ Byberry, refused last night to discuss
the matter He said that all information
IN relation TO the poisoning would have
20 come through Director krusen.