Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-14
Continued From First Page

htO1ACA IL pAAN AAAetAA AANA ~~N~-
served for several days in a
hospital psychiatric ward near
home, as is done in the District.
The wife of Navy captain
gave birth to their third child
shortly after he left for overseas.
When she came home with the
new baby she became historical.
Doctors call this postnatal
shock. and can successfully treat
1t in short time
But her maid had not heard
of postnatal shock and called
for police. The mother was put
in Jail until her husband was
reached and made arrangements
to get her in a private sana-
forum. She recovered in short
time. but still can remember
those hours behind bars.
Three weeks ago husky
colored laborer was locked up II
the Alexandria Jail for being
drunk. He went into the DIT:
and struck his head against
something in the cell. perhap;
the bars. the metal bunk or the
floor-no one was quite sure.
DR.. James Gooch. Jail physi-
clan, was summoned but the man
was beyond help. He died of 9
fractured skull.
Jail isn't the place for mer
with the DTS" said DR.. Gooch
They belong in hospital equip
ped to take care of them. They
need medicine"
In Washington, victims Of the
DTS are taken to the PSYCHE
atric ward at District General
Hospital.
"A man with the DTS is a
sick man." commented DR.. Wini-
fred Overholser. superintendent
of st. Elizabeths Hospital. He
belongs in a hospital. 1t is in
human to let him go through the
DTS in Jail"
Similar Cases
DR.. Gooch has treated other
prisoners who Dashed in theil
teeth, cut their faces. anc
suffered other injuries during
DIT seizures. In Virginia, it is
possible to commit alcoholics tc
State mental institutions. but
usually the DTS set in before
anyone realizes the commitment
should be made.
A war veteran who went ber-
serk was carted around in an am
bulance for six hours because
Alexandria Hospital has no ward
for mental cases. The hospital
arranged sanity commission
The commission met in the am
bulance behind the hospital. The
patient then was taken to Staun-
ton.
Sometimes nearby Virginia s
two community hospitals, Ar
lington and Alexandria, try to
cope with mentally disturbed
patients. The results convince
officials of both institutions that
it isn't fair to the mental pa.
tients-or other patients-to at
tempt to handle such cases with.
out the right equipment anc
trained personnel.
A 44-year-old woman who
tore of all her clothes in the
street was brought to Alexan-
dria Hospital by ambulance. She
was raving. Ali the hospital
could do was lock her in a small
basement room until sanity
commission could meet the next
day. A sanity commission re-
quireS judge and two doctors
and it isn't always possible to
get them on a minutes notice
The patient managed to break
out of the room and raced
through the hospital halls
screaming at the top of her
voice. A call went out over the
loudspeaker system for all or
derlies to converge on the hal,
where the woman was loose
They caught her and got hel
back in the room.
Luckily, no one was harmed
although there were many rest.
less in the hospital that night
That woman was sent to q
State mental institution the next
day after a commission founc
she was mentally i'll. She died &
few days later.
Doctors concluded that ex-
haustion contributed to hel
death because she was in ar
enraged frame of mind for 81
long before she was given proper
care by specialists in menta
diseases.
Hysterical Girl
A l5-year-old girl who tool
an overdose of barbiturates wa
brought to Alexandria Hospital
She was hysterical and in OBJ.
vious need of quick psychiatrit
care.
The hospital had to keep he,
in the basement room until Ju
venile Court Judge Irene Pres
colt arranged for admission to ,
mental institution. 1t took nurse
and internes away from othe
duties to keep a constant Watcl
on the girl while she was at tn,
hospital.
Alexandria Hospital official
estimate at least Is mental pa
tients wind up there each year
and at least so alcoholics will
the DTS are admitted, ever
though the hospital isn't equipped
to cope with such cases.
According to John Anderson
administrator Of Arlington Hos
pital. mental patients have stayet
there as long as four week
without pSychiatric treatmen
while arrangements are made t.
get them into State mental insti