Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-16
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continued from L lTSt L dSc'I
ishly." as Mr.. Blanton termed it. the
latter warned him, Wen take 1t out
of you." and the witness replied, GO
tc it," Both Mr.. Blanton and Mr..
Gibson toldEhe witness that they had
been informed that he had expressed
himself as DESTROYS of appearing pe-
fore the committee so as 10 teaci,
them what's what" and that he nao
hoosted that he would "show the
co,,,,,,ittee where they headed IN"
NJ Rlanton asked DR.. Eldridge If
be knew about the famous Brown
Seeding case at the hospital 20 years
900 when the coroner admitted under
oath that the hospital report on tne
death was falsified. When Dr. Eiu
ridge DISPUTED in regard to this alleged
foIsification Mr.. Blanton asked the
committee to wait while he went 10
his office as he wanted to read the
sworn testimony of the coroner TO
show this witness is lying. Mr.
Rlanton read the testimony OF the
coroner and the certificate OF deatn'
Dr. Eldridge protested to Chalrna II
Gibson that Mr.. Blanton had not reao
the testimony in its entirety ana ne
demanded that the complete testi-
mony of DR.. J. Long thompson
should be included in the record. MI
Gibson ruled that whatever was es-
sential to the committees consloera-
ton would be included.
Clash Over Death Rate.
In one of his clashes with DIR. Ed
ridge, Mr.. Blanton commented, WIN
142 deaths this year when it is now
only Nav 10, YOU have to take them
into St. Elizabeth's pretty rapidly 10
keep going" DR.. Eldridge claimed
that the death rate in st. Elizabeth
is no greater comparatively tnan the
death rate in the District outside OF
St. EliZabeths.
Mr.. Blanton also questioned DIR.
Eldridge about the patient, Joseph
Walconis, who died June q, 1925, hav-
ing become exhausted and in convul-
sions after being in a cold pack for Z
hours. Dr. Eldridge testified that the
usual length of time for leaving a
pack on a patient is from to hours:
He claimed that the records showed
that the patient had been out or the
pack repeatedly during the hours.
Mr.. Blanton forced him to admit that
he had not seen the patient at all
while in the pack or until some time
after the death.
Mr.. Blanton renewed the charge
that Capt. William West had been
punished at st. Elizabeth's since he
had testified before the Gibson sub
committee and asked the chairman to
instruct DIR. Arthur P. Noyes, assist
ant superintendent, who was present
at the hearing last night, to have
Capt. West brought before the COM
mittee SO that the members might find
out for themselves just how he had
been punished.
Denies Pack Caused Death.
DIR. Eldridge said Walconis' death
was due to inf1ammatory reaction OF
the muSles of the heart and OF
ficially recorded as acute myocarditis.
Mr.. Blanton insistently asked the
witness, IF this man died from being
kept in the pack too long, would
acute myocarditis be the true cause
of death" The witness said that
the death had not resulted from his
having been kept in the pack too
long.
When Mr.. Blanton insisted that
DIR. Eldridge knew nothing at all
personally about the cause of death
the doctor answered that he had de-
termined it by a post norton. He
admitted the hospital conducts au-
topsies on about 80 per cent Of the
patients who die. He also said that
since Mr. Blanton had started his