Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-10-20
Government Hospital For The Ins ane.
Annual Report of DR.. Nichols.
The Work. Condition aud Needs OF the
Inst1tutfOn.

The work. Condition and Needs of the
| Institution.
DR.. Charles H. Nichols, superintendent,
| and ex-officio secretary of the board of yisi-
| tors OF the Governm ent Hospital for the In
sane, has submitted to the Secretary OF the
Interior his annual report of the board for
the year ending June 30tb, 1873, from which
| 1t appears that the
NUMBER OF PATIENTS
under treatment on the 30th day OF June,
lS74, was: From the army in service and dis
charged, $50; from the navy in service and
52s Wers males rS and c iss fems,es or ts s
The admissions In the coarse of the year
were: From the army in service and dis
charged, IS; from the navy in service and
discharged, Il; from civil life. lbs; of these
179 were males and 81 females; total, go.
Six patients were admitted a second time in
The course OF the year, and two were trans
list, upon the order of the Secretary OF the
Interior; consequently there were eight less
individual patients than cases under treat
ment. The whole number of patients under
treatment in the course of the year were:
From the army in service and discharged
4i4; from the navy i'm service and discharged
a; from civil life, 4Oi; of these 7O5 were males
and POI females; total 9l2.
The discharges in he course Of the year
were:-From the army, in service aud dis
charged, "a; from the navy, do, II; from
civil life, %. OF these I02 were In aIes and "a
females-total, l36.
THE CONDITION OF THOSE DISCHARGED
In the year was:-Recoveref, 1S; improyei
IS; unimproved, 10-total, lS6. The recoy-
cries We're IS per cent OF the discharges, 10
per cent. of the discharges and deaths to
gether 81 per cent. OF the admissions, and y
per cent. of the whole number under treat
ment
The deaths in the year were:-Males, 81;
females, total. 50. Probably not more
than 10 per cent. of the inmates of the hos
pital at any one time during the last dive
years have been durable. The recoverics
among such patients must be few, aud tie
mortality always considerable.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN SUICIDE
in the hospital for several years, though
cases of intense melancholia have prevailed
particularly during the last year; nor has
there been any other serious act OF personal
violence. though strOEg hOmicldal delusions
and impulses have been common among the
male patients.
THERE REMAINED UNDER TREATMENT
on the 30th day Of Juue, 1873: From the
army, in service and discharged, 3S5, from
the navy, in service and discharged, IS;
from civil life, go. OF these 552 were males
and l66 females; total, lis. The whole num-
Der of patients treated in the hospital since
IL was opened In 1850 is 3,S91 There Ina We
been - re-admissIons, aud the number Of
persons treated has been 3,sl9. Tue average
rate charged for board and treatment of pri-
vate patients was $3.50 per week, care be-
ing taken To comply with the statute, which
required that private or pay patient Is shall
support" Sixteen (16) males and fifteen (l5)
females; total, 3l-admitted as private or pay
patients, from civilIIfe, remained under
treatment at the end of the year. The amount
OF 81. 29i 3S-stated in last years report as due
the hospital from the District has been fully
paid. The special and general repairs and
improvements for which appropriations
were made have been executed in a satisfac-
tory manner. The recommendation m ade in
the report of 1o7 i-2, that an asylum for inc
briates be established ia this district, is re-
Spectfully renewed.
FINANCIAL.
The estimated market value of the pro-
cucfs OF the farm and garden for the season
of 1874 was SlS,292.1O. Besides the meats
raised on the farm, 81 ,136 los. OF beef, Il, 2IT
lbs. OF mutton, and 1850 lbs of pork were
slaughtered for consum Dtion in the instit u
ton: The estimated value of the live stock,
implements, ara personal property, used
mostly for agricultural purposes, was so,
1871. The expenditures for the support of
the hospital amounts to Sl6O,36I.ll. Toe re-
ceipts Were The same The estimate for the
year ending June 30th, 1871, are as follows
For the support of INDECENT insane OF the
army, navy, &C, Sl55: $50 AT the close OF
the fiscal year, June 30th, 1876, out of us pa
tients, the government supported 6s3. At
the end of the first quarter of the current
year tSeptember 30th, 1851 the government
supported t96 ont of "a showing an increase
of IS INDECENT patients. At this rate of in
crease the average number of patients to be
provided for In that year would be 16l. The
board and superintendent are of the opinion
that not more than 725 patients can be &C
cOmmOdated ON sanitary principle. al though
there were 133 under treatment on the I2Jh
of June LAST, and recommend that TEN POI
rary buildings be Constructed while perrna-
lent ones are being fitted up.
NEEDED APPROPRIATIONS.
Estimating the number OF pay patients at
80, there will be $50 TO be provided for from
the Treasury of the United States. The av-
erage cost of supporting both classes for the
year 1915 was S4.i0 per week, and de-
Quoting the amount received for pay pa tients,
was "a 25h per week. The estimated average
cost of supporting government patient for
the coming year will be ~ 49, per week, at
which rate IT will costs Sl55,SS5 to support
690 patients of this class. This Is less than
the estimate of any year since 1s60-owing to
the increasing prOductiveness of the farm
and garden, and to some reduction in the
e. For Improvement of gas works, slaugh-
ter house, drainage and laundry of the hospi-
tai, and the erection of large bake house
and oven, and lodgings for bakers, ST., OOD.
(S.) For general repairs and improvements.
$4,000. This amount is required for the
painting and repairs necessary TO preserve
the extensive buildings of the Institution,
for such repairs and additions to the furni-
ture, bedding, fittings, and conveniences of
the wards as are constantly necessary on &C
count of the destructive habits of many of
the insane, and for additional medical and
moral treatment.
a. For the erection of a separate building
for the female patients, 500 900; the entire
cost of such extension, complete and ready
for occupation is estimated at 1895, O0a The
hoard OF visitors and superintendent have
GIVEN this question much consideration and
strongly recommend the contemp plate pla N
of enlargement. IL Is proposed 10 place this
building for women on the 1s5 acres lying on
the east side of the public road, aud 10 relia-
quish the present buildings, surrounded by
lS5 acres, hay ing water front for fishing,
bathing and boating, TO the exclusive use of
the men. The estimated entire cost of the
proposed department for females is at the
rate OF 81 so per patient, while other build
ings for the insane in states, are being erected
at the cost, ranging from g. 600 TO - 600 per
patient.
CONCLUSION.
There has been no change in the resident
staff since last report, and all the membe.s
OF IL have discharged their difficult and re-
sponsible duties with diligence and fidelity.
The hospital Is recommended to the conf
dence and support or the government.
POLITICAL NOrES.-Mr. Ayiam Koch, a
republic can candidate for sheriff in Newark,
n. j., promises to give SIP 500 to several char
ties IL he Ia AlActAd- 49, renuhlic lean naner