Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-01-20
THE INsANE PooRHousE.

OLAN 4AA<2AEN w I'LL NOAI
knowing your disapprobation of length,
reports, herewith submit to your hon
oTable body a condensed report of tn
medical department of the asylum for tn
poor and insane of Shelby county
for the year ending December 81, 1S79
When took charge Of the asylum a
medical director, there remained from
| the previous quarter fifty-twO inmates
1 suffering from various diseases, some o
/ which were incurable. During the yea
there have been admitted two hundre,
and ninety-five persons, making I
| total of three hundred and forty-sevel
/ inmates under treatment, Of whiel
number two hundred and forty-six wer
sane and forty-nine insane, white san,
males, one hundred and thiTty-eight
white sane females, forty-seven; blacl
sane males, thirty-five; black sane fe
males, twenty-six; white insane males
sixteen; white insane females, twenty
| black insane males, six; black insane
! females, seven. The mortality of sam
inmates was forty-nine, which wa
greatly increased in consequence o
transfer of eighteen patients from
| the city hospital, eight of whom
have Gied, four in one week, after being
received. During the July term OF the
court it was ordered that the pauper lu
naties be transferred to the county poor
house, which was done about the mid.
dIe of the month, since which time sil
of the unfortunate beings have died anC
twenty-five have been dismissed
leaving eighteen in the asylum
l hope, gentlemen, you will excuse me
when l say (slthough our accOmmOda.
tions are not such as are generally re.
quired for the treatment of such unfor-
tunate beings no institution, north OF
south, can boast of having dismissed,
cured, larger per cent. than we have,
in the same length of time, which Is, in
part, owing to the efficient treatment oi
our worthy superintendent, as well as
myself. The accommodations are suf.
ficient, in my judgment, for the treat
ment and cure of such unfortunate be-
ings. Those remaining are doing
remarkably well, four of five of whom
could be dismissed any day, if we had a
suitable home to put them st. The in
mates generally, are doing well, and in
creasing so rapidly l fear we will be
short of room very soon, all of which is
respectfully submitted,
GEORGE R. DUNCAN, Physician.
The report was received and adopted,
MANAGEMENT OF THE INsANE-POOR-
HOUSE.
To the Worshipful County Court OF Shelby
County, Tennessee:
have the honor to hereby respect
fully submit for your information, my
report of the management, expenses,
etc, of the asylum for the poor and in
sane for the wear 1873,
The board of commissioners elected
last January failed to organize for some
time after the election, because
of severe illness of one Of its
members; consequently did not take
charge as chairman, or draw pay there
for, until the commencement OF the sec
ond quarter, the duties being performed
by the chairman Of the old board to that
time. When l assumed charge as chair
man, ! found, upon inspection, that in
stead OF a pOorhOuse | had virtually q
hospital to provide for; there was not a
well person, according to the doctors
report, in the institution. found, also,
that the accommodations were entirely
inadequate for the comfort of the unfor-
tunate sick and poor; when they were
removed there the place was patched up
hurriedly and temporarily, just to get
along that winter anyway as well and
cheap as possible. Therefore, when
spring came, either a new house had to
be erected, or the old one thoroughly re.
paired. The whole roof leaked every
where; the timbers were decaying from
il; the cellar-walls were caving in in
large masses, endangering the safety Of
the building and the lives Of the inmates.
- fha hp1a hngrua
very bad, as shown in the report of the
able superintendent, which was read to
your hOnors at the April term of the
court. The buildings were well and
fully repaired, newly rooted throughout,
lath and plastering repaired, the wealth
removed and repaired,
brick walls, arching and heavy but
tresses were built in the cellar to sup
port the building, which was raised and
from its warped and totter-
ing position, caused by the eaving of
the dirt walls of the cellar and the want
of sufficient props and girders, all of
which were also put in where necessary.
A part of the pieces under the front
porch had to be removed and the whole
porch covered in order to prevent the
rain from washing inward and down
lDlO LL1C lOullOdAlOh AAhAbClH VI tue
house, as it had been doing.
On the recommendation of the
medical officer, q large twO-story
frame building, with three brick flues
was built for kitchen and dining-room,
with rooms for employees in the second
story, and in consequence of the in
creasing number Of inmates, this build
ing was enlarged sfterward by two ad-
ditions. The old stable being of no
value, liable to fall, and being in the
way, had to be torn down and removed,
and q new one, well-cOnstructed and
sbingled, was built in its stead. A tight
board fence, ten feet high, capped all
round, was erected, inclOsing q large
area Of the premises, as well as the
while sffording ample room
for necessary exercise, prevents wander
ing of through the garden and farm. A
large well was finished early last sum-
mer, which gave full supply Of water
for all purposes, without any lowering
of the quantity in 1t through the dryest
pant Of the year. On the recon-
of the physician, also,
a commOdious bath-hOuse, with apart
ments' for the sexes, containing five
a capaclOus wateTtank, four by
eight feet IN dimensions, supply and
wash pipes attached; also-stOne furnace.
apparatus, piping and fixtures for using
either warm, cold, OF shower baths as
NAV be desired. By the order OF the
court there were two one-story frame
buildings erected, twenty-eight by sixty
feef. WITH brick fiues, five rooms in one
and three rooms in the other, for the
oeounation of the insane ordered to be
Trsnsferred here, was done July is, 1873.
rhese houses are not the kind l desire,
q they are not adapted for the proper
occurring Of persons insane, and requires
Inc utmost vigilance 10 guard them
a0ainst fire. In regard TO the number OF
innate. beth sane and insane, which
1ave been admitted, treated ETC., the
cultivation Of the fsrm and garden, !
RESPECTFULLY refer your h0nors TO
fbe xepoTt of the superintendent and
which accompany and form a
part Of this report, and ! take pleasure
ID hereby being able to state that said
sfiscers have well and faithfully per-
formed the constantly increasing duties
which have deYoiyed upon them. The
task has been especial
ly difficult, and here say they have not
been allowed hardly as much pay as they
really deserve and have fully earned.
The expenses Of the asylum, 4 have fully
and completely set forth, and is fled
herewith, AZ part Of 10Y report. They