The New York herald., 1922-10-23
HYLAN TO GET PLEA
OF VETS in HOSPITAL
67 of Is Men at Sea View.
Staten Island, Call Food
Unfit to Eat.
MANS DEATH TOLD OF
Head of Institution Denies
Charge That Patient Had
No Attention.
PLACE DIRTY, rs CHARGE
Representatives ROssdale and
Siegel Look Into Long List
of Complaints.

After an inspection of Sea View Hos
pital. Staten Island, yesterday Albert
B. Rossdale, Representative in Con-
gress, announced that he will lay be-
fore Mayor Hylan to-day the complaint
of sixty-seven veterans under treat
ment there that they do not receive
proper medical attention and that their
food is so dirty and i'll prepared as to
be nauseating. Representative Ross
dale's visit to Sea View was the result
of a petition signed by the sixty-seven
veterans asking that they be trans
ferred to a hospital in which they
would receive better treatment
Representative Rossdale was accom-
panied by Representative Isaac SeigeI.
He said they were told at the hospital
that Albert Johnson Of 625 Jackson
avenue, The Bronx, an overseas vet
eran, died last Friday without medical
attention.
DR.. G. Kramer, superintendent Of the
hospital, said that the complaints are
without foundation and that no one
had died without medical attention.
DR.. M. Fl. Goldman, senior physician,
admitted that Johnson had died with
no physician present, but denied there
had been any neglect.
Tells of Veterans Death.
This patient died last Friday after
noon at 4 o'clock" DR.. Goldman said.
II was in attendance upon him at 8
o'clock. His sister-in-law was there Also
told her that Johnson was In a very
serious condition. 1 did what I could
for him and then left to attend to the
needs of other veterans
'At few minutes before o'clock I
was sent for with the information that
hurried Immediately to his bed. It could
not have taken me more than three or
four minutes to get there. When I ar
rived he was dead"
Sea View Hospital Is q city institution
with which the United States Govern
ment has a contract for the care of dis
abled veterans. The contract calls for
one physician for each fifty patients.
DR.. Kramer said there are three physi-
clans and several nurses and internes
for seventy-five patients.
The petition of sixty-seven patients
alleged that the breakfast food served
to them frequently contains hair or Is
musty and that most Of the food is too
poor to eat. Fruit so decayed as to
cause nausea, dirty and spoiled meat,
soup and bread with reaches in them,
chickens improperly cleaned, internally
and externally, and cabbage containing
worms and spoiled leaves are among
other specifications.
Menu .Recited in Petition.
The following menus for October IL
were recited in the petition:
Breakfast--Oatmeal containing hairs,
EGGS four of five rotten; toast, burned
and OF very old bread bacon, insuffi-
cent and salty; coffee very poor.
Dinner-Potatoes, boiled but not half
cleaned; cabbage containing dry. rotten
leaves; corned beef very poor and con-
tanning bits of glass: soup containing
hairs; bread containing reaches.
Representative Rossdale said he
| brought from the hospital four trays as
| exhibits for the Mayor. He explained
/ that meals are served on trays TO
PATIENTS In bed. The trays were used
J for that purpose, he said, and were
rusty and dirty.
Rossdale expects to go to the veter-
ans' Bureau also. There he win ask
that some arrangement be made where
! by the veterans can be cared for sep
arately from charity patients. RossdaIe
said all In the hospital are together,
row.
IL have heard these complaints
mentioned by Mr.. Rossdale," said Or.
Kramer. They are not new, nor have
they any foundation. I'm fact. Writing
letters of complaint is one OF the
favorite pastimes OF the men here. They
have complained TO me. and after care
| fu investigation I have been unable TO
find any basis for the complaints. ]
have received a petition similar 70 the
one sent 70 Mr.. Rossdale.
we are serving good food. which Is
well cooked. We have good kitchen
staff In charge OF an expert dietitian.
Representative Anthony J. Griffin
received similar complains and as a re-
suit visited this hospital. Afterward, on
May 8. he made n speech In the House
Of Representatives in which he said he
found the food plentiful. wholesome and
well cooked. He mentioned that the
evening meal Of the day of his visit con-
sisted OF roast beef, potatoes, bread and
butter, cold sIaw, peas. milk and apples,
and that there was no stinting Of por-
tions. He ADDED that he found the
wards clean. the kitchen clean and in
first class condition and the men con-
tent. with n few exceptions.
Recently we were compelled to serve
meals in the wards because the mess hall
in being repaired. I think thar condi-
tion has probably created some dissatis-
faction. That however. is an unavoid-
able but only temporary Inconvenience"