The Placer herald., 1860-02-18
State Insane Asvlum.

year 1859, from which it appears that the
receipts and expenditures of the institution
from Dec. lst, 1858, to the close Of the last
fiscal year, June Soth, 1859, were $s4,495
Sc. From the appropriation Of $4,000
made by the Legislature last winter, for the
fiscal year commencing July lst, 1859, and
ending June 3Oth, 1860, S32,25o of the
amount has been drawn from The State
Treasury. and $3l,l7l 81 of It disbursed,
leaving balance on hand Dec. lst, 1859, of
$7s 63. 9
The Trustees say 'it is very gratifying to
be able to report that no debts have been
contracted by the institution during the past
fiscal year, and that so far during the present
fiscal year the expenditures have been kept
within the appropriation, and no deficiency
is anticipated"
The only Indebtedness of the Asylum is
number of small Claims amounting to 1922
20, that accrued prior to January lst, 1857,
and other claims since accrued to the amount
of S2l5 76, for which the Legislature has
not made an appropriation. An arpropria-
tion is recommended for the extingushmeut
of these claims.
AS q matter of economy and safety the
Resident Physician recommends that the
institution be lighted with gas and warmed
with steam. In these and other minor re-
concentrations tie Trustees concur, and
also in his estimates for the amounts neces-
sary to be appropriated for the support of
the Asylum for the next fiscal year, viz:
$4,000 for repairs and improvements; 50, 900
for the erection of a carpenter shop and an
engine house; and $S4, 900 for the current ex-
penses of the institution" The report says,
''if the number Of patients increase as anti,
cipated, of which, unfortunately, there can
be little doubt, the estimate being based
upon former experience, this sum, though
apparently large will not be more than he.
cessary" The Resident Physician arrives at
the estimate of $4,000 for the expenses
of the next fiscal year, from the rapid acces-
sion to the number of patients in the Asy-
lum. He says "the past year has given us
permanent increase Of ninety seven pa,
tents With the increase of population of
the State and the accumulation Of chronic
and incurable cases we can hardly hope for
an accession of less than one hundred and
as we begin with three hundred and seventy
patients, adding the mean of the contem-
plated increase, we will have four hundred
and twenty to be provided for, which, at two
hundred dollars per head per annum, will re-
quire an appropriation of $4,000 to meet
the ordinary expenses of the current year."
The Physician finds the expense of each
patient per annum in our Asylum, is but
little more than in some OF the Oldest States
of the Union. He has taken "the Pennsyl-
vania Hospital for the Insane, the New York
State Insane Asylum, and the Butler Hosp-
tai for the Insane in Rhode Island, for The
year 1858, where the average current ex
pense per capita amounts 10 $lSS 50 Ohe
expenses in the Southern States where the
cost of living is higher considerably, over
runs this estima.e.") The Treasurer's report
Of our Asylum shows that each patient for
the past year cost Sl99 l6.
The whole number of patients in the Asy
lum on the lst of Decembsr, 1858, was 273;
number admitted from Dec. lst, 1858, to
Dec. lst, 1859, 276-total $40. During
the same period l24 were discharged, 40
died. and eloped-to!al l79. Leaving on
hand Dec. lst, 1859, $40 patients; Of these
2O7 were males, and 63 females.
GAS to the general management of the in
sti,ulon, uhe Resident Physician says) little
or nothing has to be added to what has ap-
peared in former reports. Gloom and ex-
citement are the most usual as well as the
most distressing characteristics of insanity,
and nothing has proved so beneficial! to the
mass of patients as quiet, exercise, and
amusement We find that the patients de-
rive great benefit and pleasure from all kinds
Of games, as, ball, chess, backgammon,
checkers, dominoes, etc, and, in tact, any
thing that dverts the mind from the par
tcuar subject of lunacy serves to assist
nature in her work of restoration. We have
among the patients several good musicians
and have availed ourselves of this circum
stance, frequently, to convert the main hall
of the building into ball room, where
grace and department are exhibited that
would do credit to much more fashionable
assemblage. Employment, when the patient
can be induced to take it, is even more ad
,,,rtoraonS than amusement and of all kinds
of labor none is so heathfu as out door
ls..