New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-09-15
Monkey Keeper
Paid More Than
Hospital Guard
/. w. Salmon, Expert ON
Mental Diseases, Tells
vhy Veterans Institution
Management Is Criticized
,,lendanis a Poor Lot
,.,es,igation of Alleged
Brutality Reveals Hap
hazard Hiring of Help

!, Veterans Hospital No. 81. the
800 whose hearings will be contin-
3 !, 10 o'clock this morning, heard q
criticism of the methods of, the
e..,,ans. Bureau yesterday rom DR..
smoas VI. Salmon, noted psychiatrist
rrofesgor at Columbia Univer-
s. DR.. Salmon, who before the war
s, psychiatric expert for the Rookie
,s.r Foundation and during the war
,a;er General in control Of all doc
and nurses in charge of mental
80. scored the bureau for employing
,ete,t attendants for the care of
H. insane veterans and asserted that
nsiy system Of inspecting tho hospi-
.,s from the central office in Wash
,gson was absurd.
" declared that the physician whose
sty IT was to inspect this particular
A .saitsi was surgeon and unqualified
,ass upon the fitness of an institu-
A. for mental and nervous disorders.
4 j. the matter of attendants he said
4. !. was impossible to employ the
III type of men to care for the IRA
,sus, when they are only paid $50 to
q n month and maintenance.
.Ehy,s he said, "the keepers in the
-nksy house at the zoo get $3.50 a
s.sA'
81 Expert Offers Plan
a st Salmon was asked to appear be-
d, he committee by Major William
began, state commander of the
,-s,;can Legion, and in the course
hi; testimony maze ten specific
..mmendations which, he said, were
y i, result of tours of inspection
,..,uga Hospital 81 as well as others
: sfbalf of the Legion. The recon-
nnsa.ions were: ="
recognition of the fact that this
gsmItal is a civilian one and our pa
81 asp.s are civilians.
n ssslsxing the rigid control from
81 y,.siagton which now causes the APP
sautnent Of physicians, nurses and at
.s.ssrts and does not give the super
;.,sr5snt the responsibility and au-
,sosty that all civil hospitals for
usntsI Diseases place upon their local
M managing officers.
"a a6yirg the power of discharge of
a sill employees WHO abuse or fail to
care properly for patients TO the su-
q perintendent.
Increasing the pay of attendants
ssi appointing only those whom the
HMrintendent has personally exam
ga and accepted.
~ Requiring that inspection shall be
nais only by skilled and competent
inYsstigators.
Permitting more free access to the
taspital by the accredited local repre-
sssntatives of veterans families and re-
lisi organizations.
Supervision of Mail
Il 'Diseontnuing the practice of admit
ting patients of all kinds until person
incl and facilities are ready for their
| q care.
Establishing system of censoring
The mail Of definitely irresponsible pa
b tlentg the censor to require any letter
addressed to public official to be for
| Il ysrded at once and to send any other
letters to the next of kin of the patient
3 WIN appropriate comments accompany
. ing any letters which would be harm
ial 81 cause distress.
n Employing only nurses who have
a special training in mental diseases.
Providing chaplains Of the Protestant,
tstholic and Jewish faith as actual
@ensers Of the institution, with access
X re NJ r,f Low ar
Wight.
commenting further on these recon-
Haendations, DR.. Salmon said that the
PRIMARY graduate nurse was absolutely
Hsssess in a hospital for the insane,
pa that the practice Of surrounding
hsn institutions with an air of secrecy
H7ss al excellent breeder of suspicion.
gh regard to the charge that patients
fse been brutality treated by attend
ms, Gr Salmon declared that it must
recognized that force is necessary
restrain those who are not open to
H'ason, but, he said, the attendants
alAst De taught the difference between
ssrte and abuse.
Mthe opening of the session yester-
Dr. A. P. Chronuuest. superintend-
HssW the hospital, was again exam
49, He was questioned in some de-
by irwin ]. Rackoff, legal repre-
ssStiye OF the American Legion for
Y State of New York.
ne testified that the nurses are as
sasa 70 the hospital by the Wash
0.s'0n Office of the Veterans Bureau
40 ~ sne attendants are hired by his
nsahts from wherever they can be
,..ad IN the absence of any civil
81, / 'se applicants. He declared that
@d complete jurisdiction over
Is s.s..h the matter of hiring and dis
slsing, and that several men had
iissult ~ ~ "'iii' Ous never ior
.ssss0falng to officials of the American
sua, Timothy Lucci, one of the two
,ssa1ss now awaiting the action
Am, @s Federal court on a charge of
rs,. vas discharged from St. Eliza
s,.s: hospital for the insane in
nss,l ngton on the ground that he /
ly'sa on the premises.
sss @asa concerning this, DR.. Chron-
sSss testified that he had only recent
@sfned that this was the case. He
H.. admitted that the hospita, had
Ia facilities for investigatfnn tho
Hcords of its employees.
IL Jssa Deegan testified briefly that
s seth he had written Colone!
s,s.s otoes, Director of the Veterans
3assls:.in Washington, about several
sss ss., and although a reply had
slss,s seised promising that those con-
Al NJ would be remedied nothing had
Al s,' 9sen done, He also urged that
.sa,s sse'litles of the hospital be in
&s. % care for 1000 inmates as
4 Jssts an originally planned.
n b. DsIore the committee adjourned
HI gay Colonel Forbes arrived at
ss M. spltal He said thats his visit
la ssihsely without significance; that
fs4sts pse1 In the citv ON o4har ,,,,t