New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-28

}. A. MASICOr,
<. l.. WEBER.
! CcHM.T7EH on CHaRirABLE ISsTIrur.oys
New Orleans. February %. 1874.
TO .he Honorable Presiden: and Members Of Il
! Senate:
Your Committee On Charitable lnsti.,
lions respectfully report:
| In accordance with a resolution Of III
Senate. they have visited the Insane As,
lum of the State. situated at Jackson. in th
parish of East Felcana. This institutio
IS situated twelve miles from the neares
point on the Mississippi! river, from whic
place all the supplies have TO be hauled i
wagons, involving considerable expens
and trouble. 1t is presumed that the rea
sons for thus locating it were health:ulnes
OF locality and isolation from the excite
ment incident to the turmoils of large
or busy river town, for there are certainl
many reasons why more easily accessib!
point should have been selected.
There are now iGS inmates or patients ir
| the asylum. which is IN excess of the mum
| Der for the accommodation Of which il wa
originally designed, and sotDe OF the depart
| ments are too cramped and crowded 10
proper accommodation and treatment: par
| ticularly SO is that denominated the 'cells.
| or department designed exclusively 70
| that class of lunatics whose cases are VIC
| iCul, VI luC HdtuEG " W itUEt uld.duN ItUu6G
! it inconvenient and unsafe fog general asso
citation.
An inspection OF the buildings reveals tn.
fact that the original designs have neyel
| been completed. but that an extension O
| the main or centre building was contem
| plated. and in vie% of the fact tha: il i
now Overcrowied. and witt, application,
! continually being made for admission o.
| new patients. it becomes apparent thai
! some steps should be taken bv the
| proper authorities o. the commonwealth fol
| the maintenance and protection OF this pc
| culiarly unfortunate class OF our popu!a
| ton.
! During the session OF 1870 the Legisla
| ture. upon the recommendation OF the
board of administrators of the asylum. ap
| propyiated $4,000 tor tie purpose Of erect
ing two additional wings to the buildings
but owing to the deprecated value of State
warrants at that and subsequen. periods
during that year. 1t was thought best TO de.
fer until future time :hc project. and thus
the appropriation lapsed. a similar condi.
ton to thai above described Of the finances
OF the state has caused great embarrass.
men: I" :he financial department: OF
the Institution. Ih. appropriation for
the .ast year t.S.3, fox tn" main.
tenance o: the asylum vas S50.o0v in
State warrants. with no approximation
iOr buildIn. or repairing. beng considerably
less Than the amounts Hevetotor. annually
appropriated ter the suyvo:: aad genera!
expenses ri the asylum.
BY hus5anding the resources o! the IN.
stirution prudently: by curtajliny its sup.
plies TO thos. articles Of clothing and pro.
visions absolutely needed. and by paving
the salaries o! officers and attendants III
par: only, there is st;l! Il deficit Of a con.
siderable amount tor Indebtedness incurred
the pas: year, for which, together with de.
iicits VI preceding years. hereinafter set
forth. we recommend an appropriation suit.
Gent TO cover the entire amount.
From the !oregoin: cause arises 4 general
in>uilic!ency o: suitable. c!o.bir. among the
male portion o: the patients. adapted 10 the
various changes of temperature and of their
physical condition. and ar Inadequate sup
ply Of certain articles of diet rendered
necessary By iac peculiar condition OF the
,Ja'ients.
Your committee find = portion o: the
buildings III :. most 'll!apidated condition.
particularly those usa.! as dining rooms and
kitchens. These buildings which are only
prevented from tumbiin. down hv tempo.
rary props. together with the whole appa.
ratus OF ih" culinary department. require
renewal. 20. particulars as 70 the general
condition Of the building. we refer YOU 10
the report OF the committee on Pub.!c
buildings.
= new supply Of bedding. and. in our
opinion, 4 complete outfit OF be,ls:ea,;s. i.
necessary. The hedsteads in present use
are old. ricketc. wooden ones. and from long
continued Use arc we'll nigh worthless.
Our notice was called TO one very import.
ant detect in an institution of this k1nd-an
almOs: entire absence OF any means to pre-.
vent escap" from the hpildin. bv the in.
mates. and when we take into consideration
the character OF their lnaiaty, this Le!ec:
becomes more notable.
The windows CT the two upDer stories.
the second and third. are entirely unouard.
ed. or without any means to render escape
in consequence OF which tiefec:
accidents OF !. fatal character have, from
time to time. occurred, caused by patients
jumping from them.
The apparatus for warming the establish.
ment consists simply o: :. wood stove on the
lower floor OF each department. male and
female. and IN tho upper stories one fire.
place 70 each floor. The deficiency in This
respect is 5" great that considerable suffer.
ing must en-uc among the inmates in severe
weather.
The supply Of water is insufficient, boil,
Tor bathing and laundry purposes. There
are iron TANKS N the roof that .urnist. p lin.
ted supply IL .ainy weather, bu. IN 4 .iry
the yard from which all the water used has
o be drawn by hand. Better facilities 10Y
bathing are needed. and in the laundry dc. |
lavtment an entire new apparatus is neces.
AIRY. there beng AZ present no conv.nie:tc. |
" labor say!n. machinery. nor. in :ac:.
lnytb,n. hu. the old wasLboa:,i and tut, |
arrangement.
Many repairs are required FOR the bui!;. |
ngs III the various departments. the consia.. |
tIf',
he Committee uon Public Buildings. 20 |
s HON We Leto! for suggestions.
The indebtedness. Ok ..e institution j., 2; |
ollow-:
For l,.S-
Wages o: a:.en,: an.s............ $50. % |
FOR 1859
.egal se''.ca......... 50 90
iaUiing ....... ii o. q, g;
For Is. -
slaries and wa:e.....S :! S. .,
rovsIOnS ana grocc-
i!eH. 1D.i 1s
'rc goods. hardware.
stc............ go -
Upper ana sheet IRON
NGlh... III ~
cpalIlng.. ~ %
rugs and medicines. ~ =;
l!mber.. ......... go. Is o,-:?.!e';.
Fer ISL
llaries and wsses....:.,S5. G.,
foVislons. ...... ...... 2.t2l W
reSH oec!. ........... 100! -
vugs...... ........... 1886 Co. S.C"1 OF
Total. Observation-Disclosures. .t2i :;
Before closing this repor. we can no: re-
ain from expressing our satisfaction with
"a manner in which the interior manage
ent of the institution is conducted, in |
cry department of which the utmost h
eanliness, order and discipline prevail,
I'd great praise is to be awarded to the
perintendent for the energy and efficiency
splayed in the performanc of the mani
Id and onerous duties of his responsible