New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-29

1t is a sad sight to see those helpless old
| people, and the dependence they show TO-
ward the Sisters. We would recommend
an appropriation of $500.
Insane Asylum, jackson, Louisiana
| Your committee regrets that want of space
and time prevents their making as full and
complete report of this Institution as its
| Importance demands. They can only say
| that while its management during the past
| year, under its very able and efficient super
| intendent, DR.. L. A. Burgess, has been one
OF marked improvement: still, its build
! ings and appurtenances are so inadequate
| to the proper treatment and necessities of
| this most unfortunate class Of our people as
| to render it extremely dit1icnlt to properly
care for those who are already crOwding its
! confines, and utterly impossible to receive
| applicants for admission to the number of
| at least one hundred during the past year,
| thus leaving a greater or less number of in
| sane people in the parish jails in nearly all
| the parishes of the State. We will hastily
| touch upon some of the particulars claiming
| immediate attention For the want Of proper
| grading, the cellars of the female depart
ment and those of the centre building are
rendered exceedingly damp, and, in addi-
ton, there is danger OF the walls of these
buildings being undermined by the constant
seepage of water beneath them into cellars.
There are no means to provide against fire,
| and should this occur the great probabilities
are that the entire institution would be to-
tally destroyed 1t is almost impossible to
obtain lumber for building and repairing,
the nearest mills being located at Bayou
Sara, fifteen miles distant, and the roads are
such as to render transportation well nigh
impossible.
The asylum owns 567 acres of land over
400 of which are well wooded and heavily
timbered with oak, pine, gum, poplar and
oil nf In li,pt1 hnp f,r
years to come could be made. and most
of the labor furnished by the asylum,
with great saving to the State and great
benefit to the institution, by the purchase
| OF portable saw mill.
The institution has at present fifty or
sixty acres of land under tence and cult
walton, upon which was raised, in the last
wear, for the support of the institution, as
follows 800 barrels of corn, 800 bushels
sweet potatoes, 900 bushels Irish potatoes,
lS barrels syrup t40 gallons per barrel, 60
bushels cow peas
The facilities for bathing are defective in
the highest degree, and there is no provision
or means at command for using the warm
bath-a remedial agent of inestimable
value in all hospitals for the treatment Of
the insane.
The means of ventilation and warming
the buildings are almost totally wanting,
and the patients are either shivering in the
cold or fighting for a position near the only
fireside provided for them in either depart.
ment.
Owing to the construction of, the build
ings, it is impossible to adopt any classiti-
cation of patients, and without this medi
cal and moral treatment are of little value
in the treatment of the insane.
Therefore your committee would recon-
mend an appropriation be made for this in
stitution, as follows:
For the expenses of the institution,
$4,000.
For making necessary repairs, $4,000.
For machinery. consisting of portable
sawmill, planning machine, Nictors sugar
mill and Cooks evaporatOr. $1,000.
ST. Nincent's Infant Asylum needs, per
haps, more consideration than any yet men
toned They have one hundred and fifty
children between the ages of one month
and seven years. At the age of seven they
are sent 30 other institutions. We are told
that it often occurs that children OF day
old are found on their doorstep, for the sup
port that the mother can not or will not
give them.
1t makes the heart bleed to go through
the institution. and to see the sad sight OF
these helpless unknown infants. The child
rem require constant attention, and the IN
stitution is obliged to have constantly from
twenty to thirty wet nurses. This entails a
very heavy expense. They only receive Sl4
a wear from the city for each child. We are
told that were ii not for the continued kind
ness of Margaret -, the owner OF large
bakery in this city. they would suffer with
hunger. This woman, with a noble Chris
tan charity that deserves 10 become his
toric, supplies them daily with a large num-
Der of ioaves of bread, and has already
spent large sum of money in aiding the
construction of their building. Their condi-
81, until thn
children, they are unable to go into the
world and ask for charities.
We sincerely hope the Legislature will
appropriate at least $1,000.
To the Honorable Speaker and Members of the
House of Representatives,
Your honorable Committee on Charitable
and Public Institutions have the honor to
report that in pursuance OF the duties i'm
rosed on them by this honorable body.
they have visited the Louisiana State Uni
versitv and Deaf and Dumb Asylum at
Baton Rouge, and found that the financial
condition is as bad as it can be. when fifty
cents must do for dollar. The University
was paid in warrants, which the State
Treasurer could not honor, and which could
| only have been sold on the streets of New
Orleans at a ruinous discount. To sell the
warrants at such rate was ruin.
| The quarters and grounds are not sutti-
cient. 1t was expected that this whole
asylum building would have been turne d
over to the university in September last.
| But they were disappointed. Conse-
| quently they are Quartered in the same
| crowded and confined space as last year.
| This is unfortunate, and very injurious to
| the best interest of the institution.
| The facilities for taking care of the sick
are not sufficient; they are no worse now
| than heretofore, but the arrangement in that
| all-essental particular were never very
| good. They are still deficient in small
| arms-they have none at all. The battery
! of small guns, presented to the institution
last year, affords good facilities for instruc-
ton in artillery, and they have been
awaited of.
This institution has. generally speaking.
! been one of the best disciplined and best
ordered as well as having the best be-
haved, most studious and highest toned
young men in this country. There Is
nothing but order, quiet and good feeling.
They are cheerful and contented and full OF
| pride and spirit.
The danger from fire is very great, but
once let the roof Of this great house of five
stairs get on fire, and it would most likely
| be entirely consumed. 1t should be lighted
with gas and heated by steam, so as to
reduce the liability Of fire as mach as pos
sible. The building, except the roof, the
lightning rods and central iron stairways,
| all Of which are in bad condition, and some
painting, plumbing and plastering needed,
is now otherwise in good condition. There
are other inconveniences-nO water-closets,
and no facilities for bathing-but these
might be provided for in the basement: the
Enclosures and pavements need attention
and repairs. Instead of wooden pailings,
decaying and falling down i'll many places,
there should be neat, substantial iron rail
ing.
Your honorable committee beg leave to