The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-12-31
NORTHERN ono AsYLUM


THE Doctor Strikes Key-nOte-1he Gas
Question.
General j. w. Fitch, General James
Barnett; and Hon. Joseph Slinghuf are
trustees of the hospital for insane, at
Newburg, now the 18th ward Cleveland.
A good many years ago Cleveland was
spoken of by letter writers as asmall vii
lace at the mouth of the Cuyahoga, six
miles from NewburC. Now, Newburg
has become the appendage named,
though, we believe, the hospital Is not IN
| cluded in the corporation. A fine drive
over dirt road, two lines of street cars
and cars drawn by steam on the Cleve-
land and Pittsburg road, offer most ex-
celent facilities for people in the city to
visit the hospital. DR.. Lew Slusser has
something to say upon the subject that
will be generally interesting.
THE HOSPITAL NOT A MENAGER1E.
DR.. Slusser says "Previous to my con-
nection with the institution visitors were
admitted daily. Their number increased
to such an extent as to interfere with the
legitimate duty of officers and employees
and at my request you (the trustees) adOp-
ted rule admitting visitors only Tues
day and Friday. To some extent this
has lessened the evil, but still the privi-
lege is Objectionable. Comparatively
few come from laudable desire to OBJ
serve the manifestations of mind dis
eased. The larger proportion come from
| idle curiosity, actuated by the same mo-
tive that prompts them to go to an ami
NAL show. Many of the patients are ex-
tremely sensitive and easily disturbed.
They are perfectly aware of their mental
condition, and 1t annOys them to be gazed
at or made the subject pf remark. The
| violent become more excited at the APP
pearance of strangers and their mental
condition is often very much aggravated.
| Let me not be misunderstood. l would
not debar the friends of the patients, nor
| those who come from proper motives.
would take pride and pleasure in exhib-
| iting the internal structure of the build
ing, and the accommodation provided by
a munihcent people for the care and treat
ment of the unfortunate insane; but do
object to making an exhibit of the pa.
| tients as a Snowman would so many Wild
beasts. The cation of this institution
so near a populous city with convenient
facilities of approach, renders us more
subject to this annoyance than any other
of the state hospitals. | trust some plan
may be devised to correct this evil"
THE GAS QUESTION.
Some years ago, while the president Of
the Cleveland Gaslight and Coke compa
nv was trustee of the h spital, the gas
pipe was Ext nded from Cleveland to
Newburg, aud attacl ell to this building.
The gas there, as in this city, was retail
ed to customers and the hOspitalat price
much more than double the cost of man.
uiacturing it in the penitentiary for the
public buildings of Ohio, in this city. The
legislature appropriated $4,000 to put
the neCe ;sary apparatus for making gas
on the hospital premises. Says DIR. Slus-
| ser:
The lowest bid for the erection of gas
works exceeded the amount of the APP
preparation (Sl6,000) and no contract has
been made. An additional appropriation
of S4,OO0 will be required, if the legisla-
ture should still be of opinion that the
works should be erected after considering
the proposition of the Cleveland Gas
Light and Coke company, which offers to
furnish the hospital gas at the same price
which is paid by the city for street purpo-
ses, provided the comppny can have
five or ten years contract.
APPROPRIATIONS ASKED FOR.
Following are the amounts of appro
priations asked for provisions and other
necessary current expenses, and for the
completion of building, for 1875 and first
quarter of 1876:
Ordinary repairs. oOOO
| For removing debris about new building,
laying out walks, setting out trees. and re- -ooo
For books periodicals and pictures........... 200
! fOr flano..'.''.',- '''''''''''''''''. ''' IA
For religious services ,.... .''''''.'.''' @ ~
For furnishing front wings. .; ZiVOO
| For furnishing administration building and
fourth story ward ....''...... 10 w
For building gas works ...............'.''-. 4VVJ
For increasing water supply ''..;.i''''', iV0V
For passenger elevator for female Wards -. Z5uO
For Completing the rebuilding ofthe hospital 5000
PATIENTS ADMITTED, DISCHARGED, ETC.
Patients in the hospital, November is,
1873, 250: admitted during the year, 277;
discharged during the year, 236; under
treatment during the year, 527 remain
ing in the hospital November l5, 1874,
29i-of whom l30 were males and l6l
females; daily average during the year,
253.
OF those discharged, 7S had recovered,
IA had improved, 81 were unimproved,
and 80 died.
The whole number admitted since the
opening of the institution is 3,239; dis
charged recovered, 1854 discharged i'm
proved, 554; discharged unimproved,
| ISL; died, 27l
The ages of those admitted ranged
from less than fifteen years TO ninety i
8s3 were married, 1,2ll single, l26 wild
owed, and the civil condition Of 10 was
Unknown. $50
As to occupation, 676 were farmers, l79
laborers, SO carpenters, 80 merchants, "a
blacksmiths, % students, % clerks and
"a cleryymsn. No other occupation pre-
sented more than Is patients. x.s
In California, Chinese mediedlqualk ks
are largely patronized by people Nins
ought TO know better. Marvellous sto-
ries are told of the ingredients Of their