Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
Nurses and Doctor SubStan-
tate Story III Woman
Left GaIIinger Bed.
OPERATION PROTEST
TESTIMONY DIFFERS
Mothers Declaration That Daugh-
. ter Feared Knife Is Contra
dicted by Physician.

neSSeS in the investigation OF condlIlOnS
at Gallinger Municipal Hospital, the
medical committee of the Board of Pub
lie Welfare yesterday afternoon ended
the public hearings, following exhaust
i've inquiry into the reopened case of
Mrs. Nettie B. Thompson, in an effort
to fix the blame. if any, for her death
at the hospital several months ago.
Despite the fact that the committee
previously had characterized as gossip
a charge that Mrs. ThompSon's death
was partly traceable to her being per-
mitted to leave her bed after the opera
.tion in an attempt to escape from the
hospital, this phase of the examination
assumed major importance yesterday
Testimony by nurses and DR.. James
r. Costello, who performed the opera
ton, substantiated the charge that Mrs.
Thompson, in a delirious condition, had
gone down in the elevator and was
found wandering about the first floor
clad only in her night clothes She
lost consciousness when borne back to
her room on a stretcher, the testimony
declared, and the next day she died.
Doctor Sticks to Contention.
DR.. Costello stuck to his contention
that the experience undoubtedly was
"a contributing cause to the patients
death" although he admitted he could
not say professionally whether she would
have recovered from the operation if
the incident had not occurred. He add
ed however that it was his hope and
expectation" that Mrs. Thompson would
recover from the operation, which
proved fatal by reason of a hemor-
rhage.
The questions propounded by the COM
mittee were the result of the claim
made upon the investigating body by
Phillip W. Austin, attorney for the TWO
children of Mrs. Thompson. Although
he was not permitted to question the
witnesses produced by the committee,
Chairman w w. MILAN, with whom the
attorney had clashed at a previous
hearing, consented to allow him to put
questions in writing Most of these
Chairman MILAN propounded himself,
though on several occasions he censored
the questions and threw some OF them
out.
Through his own witnesses Mr.. Aus
tin established by the testimony OF Mrs.
Thompson'S mother, sister and tri@rd,
that the woman had protested IN VAIN
against the operation. Yet the effect OF
this was counteracted by contradictory
testimony on the part of DR.. Costello
and attendant nurses. Although the
committee went thoroughly into this
phase of the examination, the hearing
closed with conflicting testimony on this
point.
Near the end of the hearing, when
ATTORNEY Austin handed the chairman
letter he had prepared protesting
against the committees conduct OF the
investigation, Chairman MILAN declared
1t libel on the committee and only
legal process could compel him to take
the responsibility of offering it in evil
dence."
Mother Takes Stand.
Interest in the hearing was height
ened by the appearance on the witness
stand of Mrs Addie E. Wright, the
mother of Mrs. Thompson, whose story
about the experience of her daughter at
Gallinger had palpable effect upon
some members of the committee.
In faltering tones, Mrs. Wright told
the committee how her daughter had
pleaded with Judge Kathryn B. Sellers
to protect her from undergoing an
operation at the hospital and had con-
sented to go there only for the purpose
of a physical test in connection with
the mothers pension the iurist was try
ing to obtain for her.
Mrs. Wright made the additional
charge, as previously printed in The
Star, that her daughter, just before the
operation, had been compelled to carry
heavy trays of food to other patients
in the ward and her own fear to report
this to the hospital After these ex-
periences, she testified, Mrs. Thompson
told her she would fall upon the bed
in an exhausted, nervous state:
No blame was attached to DR.. Cos
tello for Mrs. Thompson's death, either
bv Mrs. Wright or other witnesses.
She said that DR.. Costello had told
her sympathetically that for some UNI
known reason Mrs Thompson had been
permitted to get out of bed as re-
suit of which the patient had suffered
a hemorrhage.
Mrs. Wright said in reply to ques-
tioning that no one had asked her con-
sent about the operation.
Found Daughter in Coma.
"My first knowledge of it was in the
morning, when was told by my son they
were going to operate on her in about
an hour,R she testified. When she Wis
tied her daughter, she testified, she
found her in state of coma.
Mrs. Wright told the committee she
did not enter formal complaint about
the work her daughter had been COM
PEELED to do, which caused her to suffer
pains in the back and stomach.
"I asked my husband what to DO
about it," she said land he replied
there was nothing that could be done.
I'VE were afraid it would only make
more trouble;,'' she said.
A young student nurse, Miss Martina
G, Wright. on duty at the time OF
Mrs. Thompson's escape from the
room, testified that she was the sole
attendant nurse for more than 2O
patients in the same ward.
Mrs. Thompson was alone in a spe-
cial room. That evening it was nee
cessary to give her a blood transtu-
sion, owing to her critical condition,
following the operation. Her brother:
Herbert Wright, furnished pint OF
blood.
Shortly after midnight Miss Wright,
the nurse, said she had been informed
bv the inferno on duty that Mrs.
Thompson was asleep and that she
could perform other necessary duties.
Believing she was asleep" MISS
Wright testified, II was gone aoouG
five minutes. When returned,
found Mrs. Thompson had gotten out
of bed"
: She related how she had notified
others on duty. II asked the elevator
boy why he had taken her down
stairs" she testified, land he wculdnI
answer me-"
Out of Bed Only Five Minutes.
Miss Wright insisted the patient was
not out of bed for over five minutes,
that she was found wandering about
the admittance ward in delirious
condition. she became unconscious
Continued on Twentieth Page)