Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-31
too LITTLE MONEY
AND TOO MANY BUGS
CONDITIONS At HOME HOS
PiTAL DUE TO LACK
OF FUNDS.
BOARD OF CONTROL TO ASK
INCREASED APPROPRIATION
Members of Visiting Committee From
G. A. r. and w. r. c. Tell of Con-
ditions ut HospitaI-No Complete
Record Of Cases Kept by NIGHT
kurses-Nssd Trained Nurses.

Too little money and too many
bugs was the way in which the
situation at the soldiers home has
been summed up by one of the at
torneys appearing in the Mars case.
Shortage Of funds. preventing neces-
sary improvements, has been respon-
sible Tor the conditions, according to
a statement at the hearing by a
member Of the board of control. The
state legislature viii be asked for an
increased appropriation tor. the
maintanence Of the institution, he
said.
The Mars case, often referred to
by members OF the home who have
taken no part in the controversy, as
"a tempest In . sopot." has effected
some good-it has brought home to
the members OF the board Of control
the need OF increased funds with
which to care for the old veterans.
Evidence presented Friday at the
hearing tended to show that condi-
lions at the hospital have been la
inevitable but were due to circum-
stances which. perhaps. the manage
ment OF the institution had no con-
troll. The home was being conducted
in the best possible manner with the
money available.
Hospital Situation Bad.
Evidence was taken Friday from
YyHn ~ -
OF the state q. A. n. and w. r. c..
who visited the home in April and
the complaints made were all On the
conditions existing in the hospital. It
was generally. agreed that general
conditions in other buildings were
very acceptable. I
The presence OF bed bugs in the
hospital was not denied. Officials
and attaches admitted they had
fought continually to eradicate the
vermtn,
The. hospital has been without the
services OF q trained nurse; has had
an insufficient number Of nurses,
and the nursing force has been part
tally incompetent. according to evil
dence presented.
Nurses Use Own Discretion.
Counsel for the srats recalled Mrs.
Carl Ehaffnsr. matron Of the hos
pital, to the stand at the close Of the
day, to show that records OF cases
were kept by the night nurses.
Bundles Of records were offered but
when the bundles were opened and
nurses reports read they were found
to disclose not perfect chart of tho
cases but an absence Of uniform
nursing and record which was
worthless.
I ane report, signed by night
nurse, gave the name Of a patient
and read. Gave him some kick
balsam." Tho reports read would
give the impression that the nurses
used their own discretion in admin
istering drugs to quiet the patients
at night.
Asked IL the nurses had access to
the drugs and used their own dis,
cretion in administering medicine,
the matron. Mrs. Shaffner. replied.
81 don't know about that"
A report OF one OF the nurses, Of
fered in evidence. reads as follows:
dec 1. Ward I, 8 a. m. I found
patients all resting and everything
quiet. We gave only the usual medi-
cine. Rest tablets TO Armstrong at
8 p. m. and 1918 a. m. Chadwick"
Committee Members Testify.
Commandant B. G. Whitehill o.
cupied the stand turnout the session
Friday morning and was recalled
after the lunch hour. His evidence
was in refutation of the charges Of
Mars and relative to general condi-
tons at the institution. Mars was
recalled to the stand and testified
that the suit Of clothing turned in
to be condemned had been in a bet
ter condition when turned in than
when the garments were presented
at the hearing. He denied he had
said as quoted by CAPTAIN Muud.