I Lida Hay, of Dartmouth, in the county of Halifax, make oath and say as follows: -- I say that I was an assistant attendant in the N.S. Hospital for the Insane for about four months during the summer of last year. I had constant opportunities of seeing how some of the female patients were treated. I am acquainted with Miss Buree. She was the female night watch, and was usually engaged about half the day in what was called the infirmary ward. I have frequently heard her abuse and scold the invalid patients in the most violent manner. I saw her shake her fist in their face. I saw her prod the finger ends of a patient, Eliza Fanning, in BBB ward with a pin, and heard the patient scream in consequence. I heard her threaten the patients that she would dip them. I did not at first understand what that meant, until I saw the operation performed. It is to tie a towel over the face, put the patient in the bathtub, head under water, until she would almost smother, and come out in a fainting condition. This dipping is not the usual bath taken by patients every Friday; it is a special arrangement for punishing. I saw a very weak and infirm old lady named Mrs. Hassey, and said to have been in a convent formerly, forced through the corridor of the ward to the bath room in her bare feet, by Miss Buree, to undergo this process. She was dipped because she refused to eat. This patient was occasionally fed by Dr. Fraser with a stomach pump, and she died just before I left the Hospital.

From all I have seen at Mount Hope, I would prefer that any relative or friend of mine would die rather than see them placed there.

Lida Hay.

Sworn to at Dartmouth, this 4th day,
Of Feb’y, A.D. 1878; before me,

D. Farrell, J.P.
VisitingCom’r. Nova Scotia
Hospital for the Insane.