Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1917-04-04
VERMONT VOTES
100000 FOR WAR.
(Continued frOm Page onel

mony andthe report fills four columns
i'm a newspaper. 1t is only possible
therefore for the Monitor to give
summary of the findings.
The report contains synopsis of
six specific cases including that of
Mrs Hattie NJ Guilford of Pownal,
whose story of her treatment while
a patient at the retreat caused Rep.
resentative Frank A. Wilson of
Pownal, TO introduce the resolutions
calling for the investigation. The
committee found that seven of the
eight charges made by Mrs. Guilford
were not supported by the evidence
and the eighth, which was that she
sustained broken jaw while con-
fined at the retreat, was true IN so
far as the broken jaw was concerned,
but they were unable to find from the
evidence that she sustained this In
jury while a patient at the retreat,
but the retreat did pay her the sum
of $1,000.
With regard to the case of Mrs.
Lillian Searles Clement of Burllng
ton, the committee finds that the re-
treat should have given her closer
care and attention. 1t is further
stated that Mrs Clement might and
should have been supplied with cloth
ing adapted to her condition and
needs and that measures should be
taken to provide such patients with
proper clothing and proper furnish
ings should be placed in rooms where
this class Of patients must be con-
fined. She was found naked in
room without furniture, IN much
neglected condition.
The report further states, "the I'M
fortunate Clement incident is the re-
suit Of a mistaken policy. The re
treat is not so equipped with isolated
apartments that it can from an aes-
thetic view point satisfactorily care
for certain types of insanity with
out recourse to the usual restraint
and should have so advised in the
case referred to-"
The other cases considered are
those of Grace Adams, Joseph G.
Jones, w. E. Barrett and G. H. Smith.
Quoting from the report we read.
"Our inspection of the rooms on
the eighteen wards included each
room on each ward. On the whole
we find these rooms clean. The mat
tresses of the beds on the whole are
poor. The bedding, except upon the
Jes1 I11s, @aere lie more DISTURBED
class of patients are kept, was clean.
Each ward is supplied with proper
toilet and bath arrangements with
sanitary plumbing.
sOur examination of the kitchen,
bakery, cold storage and food sup
plies on hand, together with invoices
of supplies bought by the institution
and all evidence introduced upon this
subject show the food purchased to
be of good quality and sufficient in
quantity.
1.-The food is well cooked consider
ing the quantity necessarily consum-
ed and the same is served IN as good
condition as can be expected with the
present facilities, construction of the
building and the distance of the ward
| dining rooms from the kitchen, which
dining room and kitchen arrange
ments, in the opinion of your commit
tee. make il impossible to SATISFACTORY
" serve the food and is the direct
cause for complaints of poor food.
The dining rooms are poorly ventilat-
ed and unattractive.
I'VE find the number and location
| Of fire escapes, particularly on the
| main building, to be inadequate and
N 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 in
stitution conform to the requirements
of such board.
Charges that the institution is in
tested 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 ma
ture of the institution. These pests
are constantly combated by the man.
agement.
'Your committee find that there is
an insufficient number of attendants
employed by the institution; that
they are IN some instances untruth-
full and unreliable; that there is
lack of supervision of their work and
no attempt to improve the efficiency
of attendants by any method of sys-
tematic instruction; that the standard
of wages offered for attendants is so
low and the work is of such a nature
that few trustworthy persons are at
tracted from other occupations to be-
come permanently identified with the
institution, which IN measure ac-
counts for the constantly changing
and unsatisfactory force of attend
ants employed. We find that for
period of three years past the aver
age number of attendants in both the
-AA~AA am ~OAAACA 664Ac HAS OCCn
but 65 per cent of the requisite num-
Der as shown by the testimony Of the
officers of the institution
Various complains of general Ill
treatment of patients by attendants
were laid before your committee and
these were thoroughly Investigated
by US Your committee find that
patients have been i'll treated by at
tendants and the evidence tended TO
show that IN some cases patients have
been knocked down and otherwise
abused by attendants, but without the
knowledge of those in charge Of the
institution We find that such abuses
would not be tolerated if known to
the officers Of the institution and in
al such cases coming to the know
ledge Of DR.. Lawton or his assistants
the attendants have been discharged