Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-04-05

fir" serious loss of life might result. We
recommend that this matter be taken up
with the State board of health and that
nc institution conform to the require
ments OF ELch board.
COMBAT vERlM1N PESTS.
Charges that the institution is infested
with vef1nin wero made before this COM
mittee and We find respecting these
charges that these conditions exist to
some extent. due to the age Of some Of
the buildings ana the nature Of the insu-
tuition. These pests are constantly COM
bated by the management.
Your committee. after completing their
examination at Brattleboro. proceeded to
hear the evidence presented before it.
seventy.nine witnesses appeared and tes-
tilted before the committee. Your COM
mittee have given all persons having COM
plant to make respecting the manage
ment of the institution or the treatment
OF patients therein an opportunity to be
heard, and have required all witnesses to
appear and testify who had any informa-
ton or knowledge concerning the SUBJ
ject matter of the investigation. The re-
treat has been represented by competent
counsel. The board Of trustees has been
represented at all the hearings and tho
institution given full opportunity to be
heard.
Among the witnesses appearing before
the committee were the trustees, superfn-
tendent, assistant physician, nurses. at
tendants and employees of the institu-
ton. former nurses and attendants. dis
charged patients. members of the State
board Of supervisors of the insane physi-
clans connected with other institutions
and others interested in the welfare Of
patients confined at the retreat. One
thousand twenty pages of testimony were
taken.
ATTENDANTS FEW AND INEFFI-
GENT.
Your committee find that there is an in
sufficient number Of attendants employ
ed in the institution: that they are in some
instances untruthful and unreliable: that
there Is a lack Of supervision Of their
work, and no attempt to improve the eff
ficiency bf attendants by any method of
systematic instruction.; that the standard
Of wages offered for attendants Is 80 low
and the work Is Of such a nature that
few trustworthy persons are attracted
from other occupations to become per-
manently identified with the institution,
which In a measure accounts for the
constantly 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 mems and women's wards has been
but Go per cent. Of the requisite number
as shown by the testimony of the officers
of the institution.
PATIENTS III. TREATED.
| Various complaints Of general i'll treat
ment of patients by attendants were laid
before your committee. and these were
thoroughly investigated by lis. Your
committee find that patients have been
i'll treated by attendants and the evidence
! tended to show that in some cases pa
tiepts have been knocked down and 9TH
efwise abused by attendants. but with
| out tiis Sno~!e4gs nE +nose in charge Of
| the institution. we find that such abuses
would not be tolerated II known to the
Officers Of the institution. and IN all such
cases coming TO the knowledge Of DR.,
I.a&ton or his assistants the attendants
nave been discharged sucn supervision
Of attendants should be enforced as will
certainly prevent occurrences Of this
kind.
THE GUILFORD CASE.
! In this case the following charges Were
/ made by Mrs. Hattie NJ. Guilford:
I. That she was put into a straight
jacket and tied to a bed and left there
for several days at a time, and while ir
a straight jacket, she was compelled Il
cat her food from tin plate placed OF
the floor OF her ROOM
! =. That she was knocked down thret
times week, and on one occasion wal
struck with piece Of iron or lead pipe
leaving scar upon her head.
3. That she was thrown on to bed b.
an attendant and her head pounded
against the wall until she became u1con
scious.
4. That she WAS put into a place (dun
geOn) under the floor Of her room AM
left there for two days without food o
water.
). That attendants inflicted wounds Up
on her arms and chest
g. That she saw a patient killed in tn
hall by the night Waterman.
g That she was compelled to take a,
oath not to disclose the truth respecting
conditions at the retreat.
s. That she sustained broken jaw
while confined at the retreat.
With reference to the first scve
charges as made by Mrs Guilford you
|
; by the evidence.
AS to tine eighth charge your committe
find that Mrs. Guilfords jaw has bee
broken, but we are unable to find fror
the evidence that she sustained this In
jury while she was Il patient at the re
treat
Your committee find that the retreat dis
claimed liability for the injuries elaine
by Mrs. Guilford to have sustained Will
at the retreat, but to avoid expense q
suit and publicity settled her claim ia
damages by paying her one thousand do
. lars
t THE CLEMENT CASE
Complaint was made that Mrs. Lilia
Searles Clement was not properly care
for 1T the retreat.
Your committee find that Lillian Scar
: les Clement. the wife OF Foster F.. Glen
: emit was taken to the retreat on Septen
her 0, 1915. In a much disturbed cOnditio
Of mind; that she was confined there min
. weeks and two days! that 1t was extreme
= ly difficult to care for her properly OWN
. TO the habits peculiar to the form of II
. sanity from which she was suffering
. that she was visited there BY friends an
= relatives and found naked. In a rool
without furniture In much neglecte
condition; that she was destructive
her tendencies. Your committee fin
that the retreat should have given Mr.
{ Clement closer care and attention. "
n think Mrs. Clement might and shou
has ixA vxriA Int nj n n