Albert Smith went to the hospital expecting to visit his sick wife. Instead, he was greeted like a man everyone had been waiting for.
The orderlies were polite at first. Too polite. They led him inside, escorted him away from the ward, and brought him not to his wife’s bedside, but to a bathroom. There, Smith was told to undress.
When he protested, explaining that he had only come to see his wife, the attendants brushed it aside. They had heard that excuse before. Within minutes, the bewildered visitor was overpowered, bathed, put to bed, and placed under guard as a lunatic.
Only after Smith demanded his own doctor did the hospital realize its mistake.
Visits Wife, Held as Lunatic
LONDON, England. — Albert Smith, going to see his wife who was ill at a local hospital, was pleased at his reception at the door.
They seemed to know him. He was asked to come right in and three polite orderlies escorted him.
Instead of being taken to his wife’s ward, Smith found himself in a bathroom and was told to undress.
“What’s the idea? I want to see my wife,” he said.
“We’ve heard that tale before, my lad,” said the head orderly. “Just step right in the tub and you’ll be all right.”
Smith had had his bath the night before. He resisted. After a game fight he was overpowered, stripped, bathes, put to bed, and left under guard.
Other arguments having failed, Smith said he felt sick and asked for his own doctor to be summoned.
He was released. The hospital attendants explained it was all merely a little mistake, adding that they were expecting a crazy man and had naturally mistaken Smith for him.
Smith was not satisfied. As a result, municipal authorities are investigating.
Source: The Washington Daily News. Washington, D.C. April 20, 1925.
