Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-03-10
rrumhun County I%narmary.

Report Of County Commissioners, March 4, 1853.
The report of Rev. A. G. BYERS, of
the State Board of Charities, having
reflected severely on the condition oil
the Trumbull County Infirmary, we
made that institution visit of inspec-
ton, in company with the Directors
of the Infirmary, Dr.. c. L. MErCALF
and Others, in addition to that re-
ouired by law to be made in Septem-
Der.
We find the Infirmary has now
some sixty-eight inmates. OF these,
about sixty are in comfortable health.
provided with an abundance OF good
food, clothing and fuel, and medical
attendance when sick. Their rooms
are swept every day, and scrubbed at
least twice each week. They are al
lowed all reasonable freedom and in
diligence, as well as luxuries, on
holiday occasions. They are healthy
and happy to an extent beyond what
their poverty and misfortunes would
render probable. The same is sub
stantialiy true of the idiotic and in
sane, although the skillful care which
these require in some cases, cannot be
had in County Infirmaries; and es-
pecially is it difficult to provide for
those who at times are furiOusly in
sane. The picture drawn, in the
article alluded to, of n young man
in this state, is unjust, because he is
often quiet and happy, mingling with
the rest of the inmates; and when in
his frantic fits is kept as tidy as cir
cumstanees aNow. The statement of
his cruel treatment and exposure is
exaggerated and unwarranted.
It is to be regretted that no suitable
provision is made for the best care
possible of the i~ncurably insane by
the State. That Ohio is at fault in
this respect, there is no doubt; but so
are most, if not all the other States.
Certainly Trumbull county is not
specially censurable for a case of
temporary wretchedness like that of
the Unfortunate man alluded to, whose
insanity was perhaps rendered hope
lessly incurable by confinement in q
mere board pen, without any shelter
from the sun, for weeks together in
hot weather, which was his misfor-
tune while in Kansas, from which
State he was brought to our Infirm-
ary-
The buildings are not up to the
most highly improved ones of late
date, but have grown up with the
growth of the county, and like many
an old house whose outside looks are
not so inviting to a fastidious eye
from the city, is yet full of abundance
and good cheer within. So the I'M
calmly figure OF Trumbull County
Infirmary buildings enclose an amount
90 h1o1Nh a-,l aa,, EDrT ,-hsaE = ay-.IanN
upon the faces of the inmates, and is
shown by the rate of mortality TO be
at least equal to the average of any
like number of persons congregated
together in one dwelling.
The disorder and confusion de-
scribed in Mr.. Byers' report are I'M
fair, although doubtless intended to
be truthful. When the teacher is
away, the school room often puts on
a new face. When the parents are
gone the children generally have "a
good time" 1t was wrong to report
an apparent disorder observed in the
absence of the Superintendent, as if
that were the habitual condition.
There are regular hours for meals, for
retiring at night, and rising in the
morning, separate lodging room for
individuals, and families are made as
convenient as circumstances will adj
NIT. The sexes are separated, except
in the case of families, and at meals,
and such rs desire to meet in a room
for general conversation and company,
whose general behaviour entities
them to the privilege.
Great freedom is certainly allowed,
and more noise and hustle un-
avoidably attend the carrying on the
affairs of the house and the farm than
prevails in q City Hospital, but it is
rare that confusion prevails beyond
the mere hilarity of the inmates.
Such systematic economy in the
household and judicious labor on the
farm, under the supervision of Nh.
and Mrs. LoDwICR, have prevailed,
that the finances of the Infirmary
have been greatly improved during
the past few years, a debt of several
thousand dollars paid off and the rate
of taxation for poor purposes reduced.
Some Improvements are contemplated
which, when made, will remove all
just cause of complaint.
o. K. WOLCOTT,
E. A. REED,
I. B. PAYNE,
County Commissioners.
JULIAN HARMON, NJ. D.
G. I. METCALF, NJ. ID.