The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-04-03

Continued from First Page)
of Dr. Lawton or his assistants the
attendants have been discharged.
Such supervision of attendants should
be enforced as will certainly prevent
occurrences of this kind.
The following specific cases are
specially noted, viz:
The Guilford Case
In this case the following charges
we're made by Mrs Hattie M. Gull
i ford:
/. That she was put into a
straight-jacket and tied to a bed and
| left there for several days at a time,
and while in a straight Jacket, she
was compelled to eat her food from a
| tin plate placed on the floor of her
room.
.. That she was knocked down
| three times week, and on one oc-
! casion was struck with piece OF iron
or lead pipe. leaving a scar upon her
| head.
8. That she WIGS thrown on to a
| bed by an attendant and her head
pounded against the wall until she
| became unconscious.
4. That she was put into a place
| dungeon under the floor of her room
and left there for two days without
| food or water.
8. That attendants inflicted wounds
| upon her arms and chest
6. That she saw patient killed in
| the hall by the night Waterman.
| T. That she was compelled to take
an oath not TO disclose the truth re-
speeding conditions at the Retreat.
s. That she sustained a broken
jaw while confined at the Retreat.
With reference to the first seven
charges as made by Mrs. Guilford
your committee find the charges I'M
supported by the evidence.
AS to the eighth charge your COM
| mittee find that Mrs. Guilford's jaw
| has been broken, but we are unable
! to find from the evidence that she sus-
| tanned this injury while she was a
patient at the Retreat
Your Committee find that the Re
treat disclaimed liability for the in
juries claimed by Mrs. Guilford 10
have been sustained while at the Re-
treat, but to avoid expense of suit
aud publicity settled her claim for
damages by paying her one thousand
dollars.
The Clement Case
Complaint was made that Mrs. Lii
liam Searles Clement was not properly
| cared fer at the Retreat.
Your committee find that Lillian
Searles Clement the wife of Foster
r. Clement. was taken to the Retreat
on September 8, 1915, in a much dis
turbed condition OF mind that she was
confined there nine weeks and two
days; that It was extremely difficult
to care for her properly owing to the
habits peculiar to the form of insani-
ty from which she was suffering; that
she was visited there by friends and
relatives and found naked, in room
without furniture, in a much neglect
ed condition: that she was destruc-
tive in her tendencies. Your commit
tee find that the Retreat should have
given Mrs. Clement closer attention
and care We think Mrs. Clement
might and should have been supplied
with clothing adapted to her condi-
ton and needs and that measures
should be taken to provide such
patients with proper clothing and
proper furnishings should be placed
in rooms where this class of patients
must be confined,
The Barrett Case
In this case 1t was claimed that one
w. z. Barrett patient at the Re
treat, from January 1912, to July,
1912, SUSTAINED injuries to his nose
and forehead.
Your committee investigated this
matter very fully and are unable to
find that the patient was injured while
at the Retreat We find that during
the latter part of his confinement
there Mr.. Barrett failed rapidly and
death was the result of the disease
from which he was suffering at the
time OF his commitment.
The Grace Adams Case
In this case the Retreat was
charged with neglect of Grace Adams,
while she was patient at the Retreat
suffering from insanity. in that she
was permitted to swallow nail,
pieces of glass, a piece of wire and a
darning needle which necessitated an
operation. Your committee find that
Mrs. Adams was permitted through
lack of necessary attention to pro
Il I'll. 4