New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-01

is situated twelve miles from the nearest
point on the Mississippi river. from which
place all the supplies have to be hauled in
wagons, involving considerable expense
| and trouble. 1t is presumed that the rea-
sons for thus locating it were healthfulness
| of locality and isolation from the excite
| ment incident to the turmoils OF larger
| or busy river town, for there are certainly
many reasons why more easily accessible
point should have been selected.
There are now l63 inmates or patients in
| the asylum, which is in excess of the num-
| Der for the accommodation of which it was
| originally designed and some OF the depart
ments are too cramped and crowded for
| proper accommodation and treatment; par
| ticularly 80 is that denomina ted the ''cells.'
| or department designed exclusively tor
| that class of lunatics whose cases are viO-
| lent, or the nature of whose malady renders
| it inconvenient and unsafe for general asso.
| citation.
An inspection Of the buildings reveals the
| fact that the original designs have never
| been completed, but that an extension of
| the main or centre building was contem.
plated, and in view of the fact that it is
now evercrowded, and with applications
| continually being made for admission OF
| new patients, it becomes apparent that
some steps should be taken bv the
proper authorities Of the commonwealth for
the maintenance and protection of this Pc
culiarly unfortunate class of our pOpula.
| ton.
During the session of 1870 the Legisla.
ture, upon the recommendation of the
board of administrators of the asylum, ap.
propriated 1920 for the purpose of erect
| ing two additional wings to the buildings,
| but owing to the deprecated value of State
| warrants at that and subsequent periods
| during that year, it was thought best to de-
| fer until future time tho project. and thus
| the appropriation lapsed. 4 similar cOndi-
| ton to that above described of the finances
! of the State has caused great embarrass.
meat to the financial department OF
! the Institution. The appropriation for
/ tenanos Of the asylum was $4,000 in
| State warrants, with no appropriation
| for building or re pairing. beng considerably
| less than the amounts heretofore annually
| appropriated for the support and general
expenses of the asylum.
BY outstanding the resources of the in.
stitution prudently; by curtailing its sup.
| plies to those articles of clothing and pro-
| visions absolutely needed, and by paying
| the salaries of officers and attendants in
F! part only, there is still deficit Of con.
| siderable amount for indebtedness incurred
the past year, for which, together with de-
ticits OF preceding years. hereinafter set
forth, we recommend an appropriation suth-
Gent to cover the entire amount.
From the foregoing cause arises general
insuficiency of suitable clothing among the
male portion of the patients, adapted TO the
various changes of temperature and of their
physical con lition, and an inadequate sup
ply OF certain articles Of diet rendered
necessary by tee peculiar condition OF the
patients
-FOUR committee find portion of the
buildin 3 in most dilapidated condition,
particularly those used as dining rooms and
kitchens These buildings which are only
prevented rom tumbling down by tempo
rary props, together with the whole appa-
ratus of the culinary department. require
renewal For particulars as to the general
condition of the building, we refer you to
the report OF the Committee on Public
Buildings.
A new supply of bedding and, in our
opinion, complete outfit of bedsteads, is
| necessary. The bedsteads in present use
are old, rickety, wooden ones, and from long
continued use are well nigh worthless.
Our notice was called to one very import
| ant defect id an institution of this k1nd-an
almost entire absence of any means to pre-
vent escape from the building by the in
| mates, and when we take into consideration
| the character O. their malady, this defect
becomes more notable.
The windows of the two upper stories,
| the second and third, are entirely unguard-
| ed, or without any means to render escape
| impossible, N consequence of which defect
| accidents of {. fatal character have, from
| time TO time, occurred, caused by patients
| jumping from them.
The apparatus for farming the establish
! ment consists sim ly of a wood stove on the
lower toor of each department, male and
| female, and in the upper stories one fire.
place to each -Oor. 'Ths deficiency in this
respect is SO great that considerable suffer.
ing must ensue among the inmates in severe
, weather.
The supply of water Is insufficient, both
for bathing and laundry purposes There
are iron tanks in the roof that furnish linn.
tied supply in rainy weather, but in dry
spell the only source Is an old we'll in
the Tard from which all the water used has
to be drawn by hand. Better facilities for
bathing are needed, and in the laundry de.
partment an entire new apparatus is neces-
sary, there being at present no convenience
or labor saving machinery, nor. in fact.
anything but the old washboard and tub
arrangement.
Many repairs are required for the build.
ings in the various departments, the consid.
GRAFTON of which more properly belongs to
the Committee uOn Public Buildings. TO
whom we defer for suggestions.
The Indebtedness OF the institution is as
follows
For 1865
yyaoas Of attendants G310 90