Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-03-23
MANAGEMENT OF
RETREAT PRAISED
FormerAssistant Physician Writes
From California
DR.. d. II. Calder Pays High Compn-
ment to DR.. Lawton, Superintendent
Patients Had Best of Care.


Editor of The Phoenix
In a recent issue of The Phoenix Just
received, l note the following caption:
inspection of Retreat Is Made viii
you please do me the kindness of pub
fishing the following, giving it equal
prominence
NO one, ] am sure, who is acquainted
with Dr. Lawton and his policy of con
Quoting the affairs of the Retreat, but
knows such charges as are made in the
complaint are absolutely incompatible
with, and entirely contrary to. his ma
ture. Such wrongs mentioned would
never occur with his knowledge.
Or this, who is better able to speak
than one who has been closely asso-
ciated with him in his work. / had the
honor of service of between six and
seven years as assistant physician to
Doctor Lawton, leaving him in 1903 to
accept the superintendency of west
ern institution. 1t is pleasure to me
to give TO DIR. Lawton the credit for
the full measure of success which has
come to me in the management of this
institution during these years.
l have also visited the Retreat sew
cral times during the past several years,
to find the same progressive spirit.
Well do | remember (in fact will never
forgeD the following instructions
among the first he gave me: "You
must understand that the patients com
fort and well-bcing must always be the
first consideration. Every care and at
tcntion must be given them. There
must be no Partially shown; no prom
Use made to patients that cannot be
fulfilled. Any complaint made by a
patient must be thoroughly investigated
and reported. You are under no cir
cumstances whatsoever to ever permit
or condone the mistreatment of q pa
tient by word or act, even to the least
degree, otherwise your usefulness to
the Retreat as well as the one doing
the wrong would end there and then. -
These instructions l soon learned
were regular rules and thoroughly I'M
derstood by all officers and employees
of the Retreat. | can positively say
they were rigidly enforced.
In reference to sccusion drug, or
mechanical restraint of patients, it was
rarely resorted to, and then only as a
means of self protection to the patient,
aud only ON order of the medical of
ficer. There were no "cells or dun
gcons' about the Retreat.
All patients were regularly visited
by medical officer twice daily, and
oftencr if necessary. Their rooms,
beds, bureaus and closets were thor
oughly inspected also the various halls,
spaceways, lavatories and toilets. None
were considered in order that could be
improved or made cleaner. This was a
regular duty. All were maintained
ready for inspection at any time.
[ was never informed of the coming
tl,n A.
supervisors. | doubt very much DR..
Iawton ever knowing in advance, for
the reason that many times they ar
rived to find him out. Sometimes he
was in town, again about the farm, or
visiting patients at Linden Lodge, a
mile or more distant from the Retreat.
can assure you there was never any
fixing things up for the occasion.
Order was maintained always.
There was always an ample supply
of good, wholesome, well cooked food
which was equally well served. Many
times | ate meals at patients tables
on first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth
halls wcst-as can be verified by Mr.
Spaulding, the then able SUPERVISOR
also occupied a room on first hall fol
several months. At another time
occupied q room in the Marsh build
ing for several months.
The classification of patients by DR.
Luwton was never influenced by VIVA
they paid, or whether they were stat,
charges or moneyed private patients
Their mental condition alone deter
mined this.
In all my term of service | canno
now recall even one occasion when
statement was ever made by DR.. Law
ton that this was a private or that
state patient They were all the sam
to him and he and the bookkeeper TO
obvious reasons would know.
Patients were well clothed and care
for, and given the greatest liberti
There were many who had the parol
of the grounds and on pleasant day
all patients would be out of doors, e>
cepting an occasional feeble and infri
patient confined to the bed yet man
times the records will show all pi
tents to have been out of doors, an
the halls and rooms entirely vacated
Dr. Lawton always had in miud hi
patients and could call them all b
name, seeing them so frequently an
regularly. He devoted all his tim
to the Retreat, and day and night W;