Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-04-06
CHARGES AGAINST RETREAT
UNSUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE
Claims of Mrs. Guilford Generally Disproved- Commit
tee However, Criticises Insuffcency of Attendants
and Condition of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Have Been Ill
Treated But Without knowledge of Those in Charge.

are poorly ventilated and unattractive.
We find the number and location of
fire escapes, particularly on the main
building, to be inadequate and in case
of fire serious loss of life might result.
We recommend that this matter be
taken up with the state board of health
and that the institution conform to the
requirements of such board
Charges that the institution is infest-
cd with vermin were made before this
committee and we find respecting these
charges that these conditions exist to
some extent, due to the age of some of
the buildings and the nature of the in
stitution. These pests are constantly
combated by the management.
Your committee, after completin
their examination at Brattleboro, pro
ceeded to hear the evidence presente
before it. Seventy-nine witnesses ap
peared and testified before the commit
tee. Your committee have given all
persons having complaint to make re-.
speeding the management of the insti-
tuition or the treatment of patients
therein an opportunity to be heard,
and have required all witnesses to ap
pear and testify who had any informa
ton or knowledge concerning the sub
iect matter of the investigation. The
Retreat has been represented by compc
tent counsel. The board of trustees
has been represented at all the hear
ings and the institution given full op-
portunity to be heard.
Among the witnesses appearing be-.
fore the committee were the trustees,
superintendent, assistant physician,
nurses, attendants and employees of the
institution, former nurses and attend
ants, discharged patients, members of
the state board of supervisors of the
insane, physicians connected with other
institutions and others interested in
the welfare of patients confined at the
Retreat. One thousand twenty-one
typewriter pages of testimony were
taken.
insufficient number of Attendants.
Your committee find that there is
an insufficient number of attendants
employed by the institutions; that they
arc in some instances untuthful and
unreliable; that there is lack of super
vision of their work, and no attempt
to improve the efficiency of attendants
y
ton; that the standard of wages offere
for attendants is SO low and the work
is of such q nature that few trust
worthy persons are attracted from 9th
er occupations to become permanently
identified with the institution, which
in a measure accounts for the constant
ly changing and unsatisfactory force OF
attendants employed. We find that for
a period of three years past the average
number of attendants in both the
mon g and women IS wards has been but
50 per cent of the requisite number, as
shown by the testimony of the officers
of the institution.
Various complaints of general i'll
treatment of patients by attendants
were laid before your committee, ant
these were thoroughly investigated by
us. Your committee find that patient,
have been i'll treated by attendant.
and the evidence tended to show that
in some cases patients have beer
knocked down and otherwise abused
by attendants, but without the knowl
| edge OF those in charge of the insti
| tuition. We find that such abuses
would not be tolerated if known to tn,
| officers of the institution, and in al
such cases coming to the knowledge o.
| DR.. LaWton or his assistants the ut
PENDANTS have been discharged. Sucl
supervision of attendants should b,
enforced as will certainly prevent oc
| currences of this kind.
The following specific cases are spe
cially noted, viz:
| The GuiIford Case.
In this case the following charge
were made by Mrs. Hattie NJ. Gull
ford:
l. That she was put into straigh
jacket and tied to bed and lef
there for several days ut n time, an
while in straight jacket, she wa
compelled to eat her food from til
plate placed on the floor of her room.
.. That she was knocked down thrc
times week, and on one occasion wa
struck with piece of iron or lea
pipe, leaving a scar upon her head.
3. That she was thrown onto a be
by an attendant and her head pounde
against the wall until she became Ill
conscious.
4. That she was put into a plac
dungeon under the floor of her ROOF
and left there for two days withou
food or water.
5. That attendants inflicted wound
upon her arms and chest.
6. That she saw a patient killed i
the hall by the night Waterman.
7. That she was compelled to TAX
an oath not to disclose the truth II
speeding conditions at the Retreat.
3. That she sustained n broken ia
while confined at the Retreat.
With reference to the first sove
charges as made by Mrs. Guilford yor
committee find the charges unsupporte
by the evidence.
As to the eighth charge your con
mittce find that Mrs. Guilford's ia
has been broken, but we are unab
to find from the evidence that she 81
tanned this injury while she was a p
. tient at the Retreat.
! Your committee find that the Retrei
= aisclaimed liability for the injuri
, claimed by Mrs. Guilford to have bee
i sustained while at the Retreat, but
n 'void expense of suit and publici'
Z settled her claim for damages by pa
ing her one thousand dollars.