The Former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital Project

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“Please Let me Die”: The Mystery of Douglas Davis Harris

On April 18, 1974, Douglas Davis Harris, a 23-year-old man, described as suffering from “mental retardation,” which was a consequence of an accident causing brain damage back in 1956, was checked into the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital by the police. He had been missing from his North York home, which he shared with his mother, Rosemary Dalton, since April 17 at approximately 11:00 pm or 12:00 pm.

Douglas headed to New Toronto, to the neighbourhood of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, where he had been a patient previously. He went to Capitol Restaurant, located at 2811 Lakeshore Boulevard West, sometime around 11:00 pm. How ordered a hot sandwich, for which he was unable to pay. The waitress became alarmed, as she noticed that Douglas put a table knife into his pocket. Quickly, she and the owner of the restaurant called the police, while Douglas was peacefully sitting at the table, waiting for them. Shortly, two police officers arrived from the twenty-first division: John Dunning and Robert Hobbs. They asked Douglas why he had a knife in his pocket. He replied that he wanted to cut someone’s throat, but when asked whom, he did not know. Dunning and Hobbs proceeded to ask more questions and together they gathered that once Douglas was a patient at Lakeshore. Together they decided to take him there. It was noted that Douglas was cooperative and did not show any sings of resistance.

Upon the admission to the hospital he was directed to the crisis ward. Despite this fact, his mother was not informed of his whereabouts, either by the hospital or the police until April 19. Meanwhile, Douglas was examined by a psychiatrist, who eventually decided not to impose any treatment due to the fact that the past medical records of Douglas could not be made available. As a result, the doctor prescribed a sedative, if it was needed.

On the following day, April 20, Douglas threatened the nurse, Janet Lynn Bell, and other patients with a butter knife. As Bell later explained at the hearing, she felt that the patient only wanted attention. In order to calm him down, he was given the sedative. The patient also said that he wanted to die. For this, he was given a “special treatment, “ as Advertiser reported; this supposedly “ward off a possible suicide attempt." As it was proved, the sedative drug had a profound and effective influence on Douglas, as he was sedated the following day on April 21. Nurse Bell came to his ward at about 5:00 pm. From her observation, she concluded that his pulse was normal and that sleep would benefit him, as she did not wake him up for supper. She came back three hours later, at 8:00 pm. She checked Douglas’s pulse again and it was normal. She noticed that he had also turned from his side to his back. There were no blood or other signs of any injury. At 11:15 pm, Bell finished her shift. On the following day, she learned that the patient had died during the night due to injuries on his head. At the inquest, she confessed that the patient was not injured during the second check up. The time of his death had been listed between 10:00 pm, April 20 and 7 am April 23.

It is interesting to note several features of this article. It is biased towards the patient, Douglas Davis Harris, as it describes his “sad history of mental retardation.” However, the article was not published until July 10, 1974, almost two months after the accident. In addition, it is interesting that the police officers decided to take Douglas to Lakeshore, and not inform his mother of his whereabouts. After all, this was quicker than finding his mother, so they left it in the responsibility of the hospital. Furthermore, was the waitress originally alarmed because Douglas fell into the stereotype of a missing "Lakeshore lunatic" or because he had a table knife in his pocket? While at the hospital, he was quickly referred to and transferred to the crisis unit and soon given a sedative drug. Obviously, this patient was troubled... it was much easier for the psychiatrist to give him a sedative drug than talk to him. If he was admitted to a crisis ward, why wasn't he under observation? Had he shown signs of a possible suicide attempt? And, most important of all, why did he decide to go to the community surrounding the psychiatric hospital in the first place?

We will never know the answers to these questions. Rapport, LSPH's bi-monthly magazine reports the inquest under a staff committee revealed that Douglas died "accidentally" and of "injuries received by his own actions." In plain words, he committed suicide. The staff committee was referred by coroner A. E. Noble, who was instructed to follow the hospital policy. They had been investigating the death of the patient since he was found dead beside his hospital bed at 6:00 am on the morning of April 22. The official inquest begun on July 8, 1974, when a pathologist examined the body of the patient. He testified that Douglas died from a fluid in his lungs, which was caused by a blow to the side of his head. In turn, this injury had fractured his skull. Prior to his death, Douglas was in a coma. The inquiry also revealed that only one male nurse was in the male observation area. When he left to answer the nursing office phone, he returned and found Douglas lying on the floor next to his bed. He later confessed that he did not notice any sings of injury and put the patient back to bed. However, the same pathologist, who examined the body of the patient reported that the injury was "very difficult" to detect. Even the doctor, who was originally pronounced Douglas dead only testified that there was "no evidence of head injury" and "no blood on the patient or his bed." The only unusual thing he noticed was a few drops of liquid coming out of the patient's nose.

In the end of the investigation, the jury signed the verdict recommending that the Ministry of Health ought to review salaries of the nursing staff... What does it have to do with anything? The hospital staff should have been held responsible for the death of Mr. Harris, for the reasons listed above. To add insult to the injury, the coroner congratulated the staff for their "dedication" and "attentiveness." He is quoted with saying, "I have been very impressed with the quality of the hospital staff who have given evidence."

References:

"Accidental Death: Inquest." Rapport: 1, 3.

Lethbridge, Gene. "Please Let me Die, Man Begs Nurse." Advertiser. July 10, 1974.